Fight In Color: Be aware and win your battles Published Oct. 13, 2012 By Staff Sgt. Shawn Rhodes 927th Air Refueling Wing MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- "When I saw that piece of garbage on the road in Iraq, I knew I was about to die," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Knepper, a reservist with the 927th Security Forces Squadron. He currently serves as a combat arms non-commissioned officer in charge. Knepper said that everything looked lethal on his first combat patrol because he wasn't aware and able to respond to threats around him. The method the military teaches troops to react to life-threatening situations like combat is called the color code. It can be used by anyone who wants to learn how to be vigilant in any situation. Instead of panicking when something surprises you, do what the military does - fight in color. The color code system is used to teach warriors to be aware of their mindset on the battlefield and at home. Jeff Cooper, a Marine and veteran of the Korean War, founded the system. Today combat troops learn it so they can identify states of mind that help guide decisions. The system can be used to work up a chain of colors, each representing a different mindset, so you don't panic in a stressful situation. If you embrace this method in your own life, you too can 'fight in color.' White White is the state of mind someone has when they are unaware of their surroundings and unsure about how to react if something did go wrong. "Every piece of garbage was a piece of fear," Knepper said. If you panic on your commute because of a roadblock, or didn't pay attention to the signs for the last three weeks prior informing you the road would be closed that day, you're living in white. Combat veterans everywhere agree - white is no place to be. Being startled by someone speaking behind you is another indicator you're living in the most reactive state. Yellow After a few patrols and some experience, Knepper found himself in a vigilant state known as color yellow. He was aware of his surroundings and potential threats. This is the ideal state for a warrior to be in, because they can assess a situation before deciding to react. If you know where the exits are in any room you enter and aren't easily startled, you're likely living in yellow. Orange When Knepper found himself travelling to a shootout, he was in orange. In this state, you know something isn't right about the situation and you're ready to react. This is where you make the decision for fight or flight. Because this is the color where decisions are made, most people spend the least amount of time here. If the situation de-escalates, you drop back to yellow. If you need to engage, you jump to red. Red Pulling the trigger in a firefight, Knepper was in red. Here, you're actively engaged in the fight or conflict in your own life. You've made the call and are engaging the threat, whether it's an attacker or a car veering into your lane. This is a hard state of mind to maintain and as soon as the threat is neutralized, you should drop back down the color chain to yellow. Black This was added to the color code, because black is what happens when you panic and jump from white to red. It's a situation you don't want to be in, but people unable to utilize the color code system tend to visit black often. You're in a completely reactive state that is mentally and physically exhausting. Not thinking logically, you are prone to make mistakes that could cost you the fight. Staying out of black by progressing through each stage of the color code ensures you have the stamina for victory. "Using the color code system is the difference between walking into a thug in a dark alley and realizing not to walk down the alley in the first place," said Knepper. "Being in the yellow means being cognizant of your surroundings." Many people walk while typing on their phones, unaware of anything around them. Knepper said that this is living in the white. If a threat appears, people may not have time to react. "An example of people living in yellow are those who keep their phones in their pocket and eyes open," Knepper said. "Be aware, and have a greater ability to control how a situation escalates and avoid trouble before it starts."