339: Michele Rigby Assad | My Secret Life in the CIA

Ambush Training

Ambush training is a critical component of CIA preparation, as Michele Rigby Assad explains. She describes the intense training exercises designed to teach operatives how to respond effectively under stress, emphasizing the importance of avoiding the natural freeze response. Michele recounts a training scenario where participants were ambushed in a forest, highlighting the need to stay in the vehicle if possible or escape in the opposite direction if the vehicle is inoperable 1.

When you're under intense stress, you have three potential responses. It's fight, flight, or freeze. And the idea is to teach you to do anything but freeze.

--- Michele Rigby Assad

This training is crucial for operatives who might find themselves in dangerous situations where quick decision-making can mean the difference between life and death 2.

   

Real-Life Survival

Michele's real-life experiences in the field tested her survival instincts and tactical skills. She shares a harrowing incident where she was trapped at an intersection, surrounded by men, and had to use her vehicle to escape a potentially dangerous situation 3. Her ambush training kicked in, reminding her of the importance of not being a "sitting duck" and taking decisive action to ensure her safety.

I realized I could have just gotten taken. And so it was probably one of the scariest things I've gone through while serving abroad.

--- Michele Rigby Assad

These experiences underscore the real-world applicability of her training and the necessity of maintaining composure under pressure 4.