The purpose of this article is to guide tactical leaders in their development of a unit combatives program (UCP).

This article is part of a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical strength and conditioning communities.

This article is part of a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical strength and conditioning communities.

This article is a review of the research relating to the tactical population from presentations and research from the 65th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

This article is the 12th in a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical strength and conditioning communities.

This article uses relevant research and literature to provide suggestions for optimal recovery in tactical operators.

To operate at the highest level possible, tactical athletes should train for the validated physical abilities applicable to their respective positions as identified by applicable subject matter experts.

Instead of tactical athletes initially focusing on training programs that address specific aspects, training programs should emphasize proper movement patterns as a foundation before progressing.

Chris Morris, Director or Performance Science at the University of Kentucky, talks to the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about the importance of capturing athlete readiness through data and technology. Topics under discussion include Dr. Morris’s time as a University of Kentucky football player turned PhD student, how sports science is critical to understanding athlete’s capacities on a much deeper view, and developing interpersonal relationships with athletes to create trust and buy-in. Find Dr. Morris on Twitter: @CMorrisPhD | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Jon Carlock, MS, CSCS, *D, spoke at the 2013 TSAC Conference about pulling movements for the tactical athlete.