Paul Gomez
www.Gomez-Training.com
This class was entitled ‘High Risk Civilian Contractor Shooting Package’. While several others have posted about the live-fire aspects of this class, I’m going to focus on some different aspects of the week.
The range material could be described as a live-fire introduction to Small Unit Tactics and Battle Drills. The US Army defines a battle drill as "a collective action rapidly executed without applying a deliberate decision-making process” and lists the following characteristics of a battle drill--
· They require minimal leader orders to accomplish.
· Sequential actions are vital to success in combat or critical to preserving life.
· They apply to platoon or smaller units.
· They are trained responses to enemy actions or leader's orders.
· They represent mental steps followed for offensive and defensive actions in training and combat.
The classroom presentations covered an orientation to overseas contracting, a heavy emphasis on mission planning, introduction to core medical skills, a presentation on ‘truth in training’ that was outstanding and a video of a lecture given by Paul Whitesell. For those who are unfamiliar with Whitesell, he is the gentleman that Grossman stole most of his valid material from. I was introduced to Whitesell sometime around 1997, I think, and I’m continually impressed every time that I view one of his presentations.
While some people, alright, a lot of people, question the need for this sort of training for the “Average Joe”, I will say that there is significant value in this sort of training that may not be readily apparent. Most peoples’ gunhandling sucks. When put under stress, it sucks more. By taking guys and putting them in complex, confusing, dynamic situations where they will be overwhelmed, where their abilities will be taxed, and holding them to a high standard, the degree of personal growth is significant.
By adding layer upon layer to the problems and not allowing the students to ignore the fundamentals to focus on the more complex aspects, their ability to multi-task in a stress-filled environment was significantly enhanced.
By focusing on the live-fire execution of Battle Drills driven by the core concepts of Shoot, Move & Communicate, the individual skill levels and the ability to function as a member of a small unit are developed to a remarkable level in five days.
Given that, on Monday, a group of five people who had no formal training in small unit tactics [and it showed] could progress to the point of organizing and carrying out a ‘mission’ [from route planning through React to Contact Immediate Action/Battle Drills to Consolidation & Reorganization] in five days speaks volumes as to the hardwork and dedication of all those involved.
I went into this course not knowing exactly what I was in for. I’ve known James Yeager for seven or eight years and have always been impressed with the quality of his programs, regardless who was teaching the material. I thought this course would be a fun way to put a few thousand rounds downrange through an AK and, of course, it was. However, it was much more than that. This class forced me to brush off skills that I haven’t even thought of in more years than I care to count. This class showed me how lacking some of my skillsets are and reinforced my belief in the need for the student to be forced outside of his comfort zone, for it is only when you move outside of your comfort zone that true growth can begin to occur.
Gear…Since I know everyone gets apeshit over gear…I kept the gear pretty minimalist. I ran two AKMs during the course of the week. Both were fixed stock 7.62 x 39mm Romanian SAR-1s. One was outfitted with blonde hardwood, a slant muzzle brake and a prototype set of XS Sight Systems Big Dot Express sight, the other had a set of Global Trades black synthetic furniture, no muzzle device and the XS 24/7 white line/tritium front sight. The rear sight on that gun had been widened to a .100” square notch. Both guns ran flawlessly. Both guns had horrendous muzzle flash. Both sight systems were adequate to the tasks at hand. The Big Dot setup is the ****ing ****!!!! It has been a long road to get AK express sights on the market, but if ever a gun begged for Big Dots, it is the AK. Express sights and AKs go together like clubs & baby seals.
I used the chest rig that Eggroll made for me back in 05. The stitching is still sloppy but it held up well. It holds three mags in the main pockets and a single mag in a kydex pouch, made for me by Mike Benedict of Talon Tactical, located front and center, and a little bit below, the main mags. A Tactical Operations Products MPSP [a knockoff of the Maxpedition RolyPoly] was mounted on my left side, ostensibly for use as a dump pouch. It was mostly used to secure a smoke grenade and a radio. My BOK was housed in an USMC IFAK pouch mounted to the right side of my magazines.
As has been previously discussed, I like to keep my carry gear in the same place regardless if I’m lucky enough to pick up a rifle. My chest rigs are configured to allow access to my Glock carried IWB and my spare mag on my left side. I ran this class with my Glock 17 with Big Dot sights and a Crimson Trace laser, textured by David Bowie of Bowie Tactical Concepts, carried in my Leather Arsenal modified DDCS IWB on a nylon rigger’s belt that Diz made for me a year or so ago. My spare mag was carried in a kydex pouch from RMHolsters, a local kydex guy.
I was, easily, carrying the lightest load of ammo and, following the adage that ‘ammo equals time’ and the corollary ‘time equals distance’, I can certainly understand the impetus to carry more ammo in a course like this.
The HRCC Shooting Package had relatively little to do with Gear or Skill. It dealt a lot with Tactics and Mindset. Everyone wants to believe that their gear and their skill will carry them in a fight. Everyone likes to believe that their command of tactics is every bit as dialed in as their ability to ****, drink, drive and fight…And, in most cases, they are right…they suck at all of them equally.
Making the commitment to training that will force you outside of your comfort zone, that will try you physically, mentally and emotionally is not fun. Under stress, even something as minimal as a training course, we learn things about ourselves and about our comrades in the endeavor.
The range material could be described as a live-fire introduction to Small Unit Tactics and Battle Drills. The US Army defines a battle drill as "a collective action rapidly executed without applying a deliberate decision-making process” and lists the following characteristics of a battle drill--
· They require minimal leader orders to accomplish.
· Sequential actions are vital to success in combat or critical to preserving life.
· They apply to platoon or smaller units.
· They are trained responses to enemy actions or leader's orders.
· They represent mental steps followed for offensive and defensive actions in training and combat.
The classroom presentations covered an orientation to overseas contracting, a heavy emphasis on mission planning, introduction to core medical skills, a presentation on ‘truth in training’ that was outstanding and a video of a lecture given by Paul Whitesell. For those who are unfamiliar with Whitesell, he is the gentleman that Grossman stole most of his valid material from. I was introduced to Whitesell sometime around 1997, I think, and I’m continually impressed every time that I view one of his presentations.
While some people, alright, a lot of people, question the need for this sort of training for the “Average Joe”, I will say that there is significant value in this sort of training that may not be readily apparent. Most peoples’ gunhandling sucks. When put under stress, it sucks more. By taking guys and putting them in complex, confusing, dynamic situations where they will be overwhelmed, where their abilities will be taxed, and holding them to a high standard, the degree of personal growth is significant.
By adding layer upon layer to the problems and not allowing the students to ignore the fundamentals to focus on the more complex aspects, their ability to multi-task in a stress-filled environment was significantly enhanced.
By focusing on the live-fire execution of Battle Drills driven by the core concepts of Shoot, Move & Communicate, the individual skill levels and the ability to function as a member of a small unit are developed to a remarkable level in five days.
Given that, on Monday, a group of five people who had no formal training in small unit tactics [and it showed] could progress to the point of organizing and carrying out a ‘mission’ [from route planning through React to Contact Immediate Action/Battle Drills to Consolidation & Reorganization] in five days speaks volumes as to the hardwork and dedication of all those involved.
I went into this course not knowing exactly what I was in for. I’ve known James Yeager for seven or eight years and have always been impressed with the quality of his programs, regardless who was teaching the material. I thought this course would be a fun way to put a few thousand rounds downrange through an AK and, of course, it was. However, it was much more than that. This class forced me to brush off skills that I haven’t even thought of in more years than I care to count. This class showed me how lacking some of my skillsets are and reinforced my belief in the need for the student to be forced outside of his comfort zone, for it is only when you move outside of your comfort zone that true growth can begin to occur.
Gear…Since I know everyone gets apeshit over gear…I kept the gear pretty minimalist. I ran two AKMs during the course of the week. Both were fixed stock 7.62 x 39mm Romanian SAR-1s. One was outfitted with blonde hardwood, a slant muzzle brake and a prototype set of XS Sight Systems Big Dot Express sight, the other had a set of Global Trades black synthetic furniture, no muzzle device and the XS 24/7 white line/tritium front sight. The rear sight on that gun had been widened to a .100” square notch. Both guns ran flawlessly. Both guns had horrendous muzzle flash. Both sight systems were adequate to the tasks at hand. The Big Dot setup is the ****ing ****!!!! It has been a long road to get AK express sights on the market, but if ever a gun begged for Big Dots, it is the AK. Express sights and AKs go together like clubs & baby seals.
I used the chest rig that Eggroll made for me back in 05. The stitching is still sloppy but it held up well. It holds three mags in the main pockets and a single mag in a kydex pouch, made for me by Mike Benedict of Talon Tactical, located front and center, and a little bit below, the main mags. A Tactical Operations Products MPSP [a knockoff of the Maxpedition RolyPoly] was mounted on my left side, ostensibly for use as a dump pouch. It was mostly used to secure a smoke grenade and a radio. My BOK was housed in an USMC IFAK pouch mounted to the right side of my magazines.
As has been previously discussed, I like to keep my carry gear in the same place regardless if I’m lucky enough to pick up a rifle. My chest rigs are configured to allow access to my Glock carried IWB and my spare mag on my left side. I ran this class with my Glock 17 with Big Dot sights and a Crimson Trace laser, textured by David Bowie of Bowie Tactical Concepts, carried in my Leather Arsenal modified DDCS IWB on a nylon rigger’s belt that Diz made for me a year or so ago. My spare mag was carried in a kydex pouch from RMHolsters, a local kydex guy.
I was, easily, carrying the lightest load of ammo and, following the adage that ‘ammo equals time’ and the corollary ‘time equals distance’, I can certainly understand the impetus to carry more ammo in a course like this.
The HRCC Shooting Package had relatively little to do with Gear or Skill. It dealt a lot with Tactics and Mindset. Everyone wants to believe that their gear and their skill will carry them in a fight. Everyone likes to believe that their command of tactics is every bit as dialed in as their ability to ****, drink, drive and fight…And, in most cases, they are right…they suck at all of them equally.
Making the commitment to training that will force you outside of your comfort zone, that will try you physically, mentally and emotionally is not fun. Under stress, even something as minimal as a training course, we learn things about ourselves and about our comrades in the endeavor.
