Training Plan Part 3a

Kalashnikovs

Despite the simplicity of the weapon, loading an AK is actually slightly more error-prone, in my experience.

1. You can’t—on most variants—lock the bolt to the rear.
2. Insert the magazine, being sure to insert the front portion of the magazine first, and then rock the magazine up and in, seating it firmly. I watch this get messed up ALL THE TIME. People that hate the AR15, because “it’s too finicky,” end up not seating the front of the magazine properly, or they end up not rocking the magazine all the way in and seating it. In either case, they almost invariably end up spending way too much time messing around with getting it seated properly.
3. Once the magazine has locked into the seated position, try and tug it in the reverse direction, ensuring that it is, in fact, locked in.
4. Use the charging handle to pull the bolt ALL THE WAY TO THE REAR, and let it go. Allow the gun to go into battery under the tension of the spring. Then, grasp the charging handle and perform a press check.
5. Congratulations, you loaded an AK.

Reloads

There are two basic categories of reloads in “combat shooting:” the “speed” or “emergency” reload, and the “tactical” reload, or the “reload with retention.” Speed reloads should be utilized any time your gun runs dry in a fight. This is—again, in my experience—the single most common “malfunction” you will face, using most modern weapons, manufactured by reputable companies.
Tactical reloads, and reloads with retention, are done “when there is a lull in the fight.” Often, you may have to induce that lull yourself. If your partner is providing suppressive fire, and you are getting ready to move, or have just moved, take the time to perform a reload, if you feel you need to.
You are NOT going to know the exact number of rounds you’ve fired. Anyone who tells you that you will is either, a) a savant, or b) full of it. I’ll let you wager your life on which one is more likely.
What you CAN know is a rough estimate of “I’ve fired more than half my magazine,” or “I’ve fired less than half my magazine.” If you think you’ve fired more than half? Take the opportunity to top off, if you’ve got it. If not? Hope you finish the fight before the mag runs out, or that you’ve mastered the speed reload.

For most of us, the chances of needing to speed reload are pretty slim, as a result of “I shot my gun dry.” This is especially true with “normal” CCW pistol work. Nevertheless, there are two considerations here:

1. We’re not just talking about “everyday” CCW encounters here. You get ambushed by a crowd of bad guys, or are dealing with a herd of cannibalistic San Franciscans, post-SHTF, it is entirely plausible that the 18 rounds in your Glock 17, or even the 30 rounds in your AR or AK are not going to be adequate.
2. Stuff happens. Whether you miss a lot, or the dude you shoot just takes a lot of killing, or your magazine breaks after a round or two, there are reasons to practice and master your speed reloads.

Malfunction Clearances

I don’t know how many times I’ve had students in a class—even a more advanced class, ranging from CQB and patrolling classes to vehicle classes—that had a malfunction and suddenly realize they are not qualified for the class they are in because they don’t know how to clear the malfunction. Sometimes, they’re legitimately under-qualified. We back them off, and have them run some of the more remedial aspects. Other times though, they know HOW to do the corrective action, they just don’t KNOW how to do the corrective action—under stress. Their brain just stops and everything falls apart.
Whether you use SPORTS, TAP-RACK-BANG, or transition to your sidearm (which is fine, if you’re close enough for your sidearm to be more efficient than corrective action), this is something that has to be practiced until you don’t even think about it. The only way I know to do that is to set up malfunctions and drill them, over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over. Sorry, but “Oh, I did 10 reps of Tap-Rack-Bang last year, in a class,” is not going to cut it. You will fail when you have to do it under pressure.

Practice

During Q2 of my annual training plan, I limit the amount of repetitions I do of my snap-firing and drawstroke drills. I just hit 10-15 dry-fire drills and then move immediately on to working my reload drills dry-fire. When I do live-fire range work, I intentionally download my magazines, randomly loading 5-10 magazines with anywhere from 3-10 rounds. Then, I randomly grab the magazines and stick them in my mag pouches and gun, so I cannot be certain what load is in the gun at any given time. This incurs a “surprise” factor when the reload comes up.

Dry-Fire Speed Reload

Ben Stoeger has written that he likes to see speed reloads in less than 1.1 second. I’ve witnessed guys hit speed reloads—during drills—in less than one second. I generally aim for the actual reload to run just under 1.5 seconds. For most people, for most purposes, anything less than 2.5 seconds is probably adequately impressive. It’s not like you should be standing still, not moving in the middle of a fight, to conduct the reload. You should be moving to a position of cover—if you’re not already there—and then executing the reload. Ideally, of course, your reload should be protected by your partner providing cover, so in either case, 2.5 seconds is more than adequate—as long as it’s legit, and you can hit that time, under stress, without fail.

To set this up, I’ll set a par time on my shot timer that is my current training par time. I will then execute speed reloads, dry fire, consistently hitting 10-15 repetitions under the par time. Then, I’ll drop a hundredth of a second, until I can beat that. When I hit a time that I can’t beat for 10 repetitions in a row, that becomes my new par time for the dry-fire training week.

Dry-Fire Tactical Reloads

First off, I don’t advocate or really even teach—let alone practice—the old fumbling two mags in one hand method of tactical reloads. What I teach and preach and practice is what has become known as the “reload with retention,” that I learned as a cherry private in the Ranger Regiment, with an M16A2. I will drop the partially-expended magazine into my support hand, and stow it away. Then, I will grasp a fresh magazine and insert it into the weapon. It’s demonstrably faster and less error-prone, whether with rifle or pistol.

I don’t really “practice” tactical reloads much anymore. That’s probably not something I should admit to, but it’s true. I’ve got hundreds of thousands of repetitions of performing them, and anytime I change a magazine in a weapon, outside of speed reloads, I get practice in anyway, so I’m not too worried about it. I’ve yet to have it cause a failure.

For novices learning though, setting the tactical reload up, sans ammunition, is pretty simple. Empty magazine goes in the gun, bolt forward on an empty chamber. On “GO!” drop the mag into the support hand, and stow it. Grab the fresh empty mag from your pouch and seat it. Bring the gun up. Done.

Dry-Fire Malfunction Clearances

I legitimately don’t know a way to practice malfunction clearances dry-fire. Nor do I have any reasonable suggestions for time hacks to aim for. I can hit tap-rack-bang in less than two seconds. I only know that because I’ve seen the split occur when it has happened during shooting more complex drills.

What I typically teach guys to do for dry-fire of tap-rack-bang, is to seat a magazine, with dummy rounds, and simply do snap-drills, through the whole magazine of dummy rounds. You WILL master the instinct to tap-rack-bang when you feel the click. That only works for failure to seat and fail-to-fire malfunctions though, of course.

For more complex malfunctions, I like to set up the Three Little Kittens drill that SGM Kyle Lamb teaches (there’s a YouTube video of it, I believe, or you could avoid being a cheap fucker, and order his videos…). This is three different rifles down range (good excuse to get to shoot your buddy’s pimped out rifle…), each with a different malfunction set up. On “Go!” you move to the rifles, clear the malfunctions, and fire one round (To be honest, I haven’t watched the video in a while. That’s how I set it up).

Conclusions

Successfully hitting your target with your weapon’s fired projectile is the single most crucial skill in combat shooting—or shooting, period. Unfortunately, achieving that is not the total sum of all combat shooting skill. You need to be able to keep your gun in the fight, throughout the duration of the fight. That requires learning and practicing gun-handling core skills as well.
Go forth and do good things. Who does more is worth more.

Addendums

1. The new book, “FORGING THE HERO: Who Does More Is Worth More, A Tribal Strategy for Building Resilient Communities and Surviving the Decline of the Empire” has gone to the printer. I waited an extra week, because the cover art got hung up. It still hasn’t come through, because the artist had scheduling conflicts and didn’t get a chance to get it done. Hopefully, we’ll be able to make it a poster in support of the book, or something. The design is AWESOME!

2. Sam Culper and Forward Observer also have the artwork for a t-shirt that will be produced for MG, in support of the book’s message. So, all of you who have been bitching about getting your hands on some MG swag…it’s en route.

3. Finally, Gadsden Dynamics has the MG Underground Chest Rig in stock and available. I designed this because I couldn’t find a single rifle mag pouch set up that could be worn “concealed.” This is not going to work for “non-permissive environments” under a t-shirt. It was designed for “underground” urban work though. Think, “I’ve got to roll through a really shitty ghetto, and I’d really like more than one magazine for my rifle, on my person.” This, thrown on under a light jacket or button-down, untucked shirt, conceals really well, from as close as five feet away. It’s pretty slick, and they did a good job refining my design, and producing it.(In the interest of intellectual integrity, I get no percentage from sales of the product. I just wanted a piece of kit that would be useful to people, and I couldn’t find one that fit the bill. The guys were willing to design it and manufacture it. Go thee forth and procure one!)

https://gadsdendynamics.com/product/mg-underground-partisan-chest-rig/

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Gear for the American Patriot: The Tactical Patriot Store
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Limits and how to overcome them

Know Your Limits, by Molon Labe

In these times, there are many activities that we must train to be able to do, many skills we must know, and many tasks we are forced to accomplish to sustain our lives and those who we care about. In the days ahead, there will be even greater and more difficult things that we will have to do should a collapse or failure of civility occur to any degree in our area. Many things that are abhorrent to us may become required in order to righteously protect what is ours.

Taking lives in the defense of our lives, our property, and more importantly in defense of our friends and family, may well be absolutely necessary. This is a topic which is often neglected today but clearly shown in Holy Scripture. However this is one of the only skills that you cannot afford to do without or make a mistake. Realistically, you may not have to utilize the skills of a warrior more than 1% of the time, and probably less than that. But if a mistake happens during that 1%, you, and those you care about and are standing in front of, won’t live to enjoy the other 99%.

You must realize that I am not talking about going to the rifle range on a nice sunny day and excelling at punching holes on a non-moving paper target with all the time in the world. Certainly there is a place for that, but the best shooter in the world will not survive a violent conflict or be able to protect his family when the time comes if that person has not made the conscience decision beforehand that he or she will drop the hammer on that other living, breathing human being. That they will plunge that knife into the enemy’s neck, or bring that chair over their head, and repeat with savage fury until finished. If it isn’t in you to go up to that edge and know that you will, for a certainty step off and take that reprobate’s life from him, even as he comes at the unexpected moment to take yours, then you will not survive.

This cannot be overstated: Hesitation kills. Remember that! Most gunfights are over in less than four seconds. It has been stated many times over that a failure to plan is a plan to fail, and that is true. So the question is; what have you determined to do when the time comes that those you love are in danger? Even if you never have to endure a failure of society or go through a war zone, make no mistake, this is a cruel world and scumbags are everywhere. I’ve had a friend killed by a Muslim with a pistol at point blank range. A few of my friends have encountered men with lethal intent and had to defend their lives or die trying; they have survived and their enemies are either in the ground or in prison. None of these men had gone looking for a fight or had done anything stupid which should have been avoided. I’ve survived a potential violent conflict the best way, by keeping my eyes open and with the help of the Lord, escaping the narrow confined room where I should have been killed. In that case I didn’t have to snap the enemy’s spine or use my knife, but if I had, would I have been ready? If it quickly came to a “him or me” situation, could I have fought intelligently and fiercely? I hope so. I was young at the time, but I had already crossed that line in my head a hundred times before.

On a side note, you don’t have to be in a bad spot to be targeted by bad people. Sometimes they follow you. Or like in the case of my friend, they come to your door out of nowhere with a gun and a bag full of cutting tools and implements associated with torture. Had my friend not been the man that he is, he and his wife and two children would have been a sad memory instead of a shining example in our community. The point here is that you will not be able to decide when the moment of truth is: It’s going to choose you. And statistically, that means it will be up close and personal (and probably very dark, to boot).

Know Your Limits
In your mind, you have to know your limits. You have to know how far you are willing to take it and how much you are willing to risk to protect those you love. Ask yourself, are you willing to take a bullet, stop that bat swing with your arm, or get hit by that vehicle for someone you love? For principle? For right? No matter what the cost? Run through scenarios in your head, and know personally how far you will take it, for what, and why. For me, the idea of living the rest of my life knowing that I could’ve bit the bullet and saved someone I love dearly, but didn’t, is more horrible than death itself, regardless of how frightening the circumstances may be. What if it’s a little girl, or even perhaps one day, my own little girl? My mom, dad or sister? No, the preservation of their lives and the lives of my friends is more important to me than my own. And on the day, when that dirt bag has captured them and seeks to extinguish their life by the most barbaric means possible, or when those Religion of Peace types begin gutting, crucifying, beheading, raping, (fill in the blank), to someone I care about, in that situation time-is-life. Remember this, as Douglas MacArthur stated, “In war, you win or lose. Live or die. And the difference is just an eyelash.”

So let me now ask you. How fast can you get your shot off reliably from the method you carry? If it isn’t carried on your person, are you sure you can get to it, get it out and running before the gunfight is over? Remember from the first to last shot in a gunfight on the street, it’s going to be over in 2.5 to 4 seconds. When you’re slipping backwards in the dark and rain, that isn’t very long. If you intend on using an edged weapon or blunt instrument, how fast can you cover distance and disable your opponent, and how sure are you that you will be able to take down that threat? What if you are caught without a weapon? Do you have to resort to picking something up or can you kill with your bare hands? At what point in the fight will you draw your knife or gun, and why? If you take a single hit from a pistol caliber, you have perhaps as much as 95% chance of walking out of there alive; not so if you are stabbed in the neck. And never discount the method of making distance via your feet, sometimes referred to as the Nike Jitsu technique, if it is an option to you. If you are fired at while running away from an urban gang member with a pistol, statistics show you have a very good chance of not getting hit. Obviously, that isn’t always an option, from either a moral or strategic standpoint.

This is what you must know: You will probably not die from a single gunshot wound or knife slash. People survive them every day. If you are dealing with an opponent with a gun, the gun is probably going to go off; you may get hit. Knife, yes, you’re going to get cut, it’s not the end of the world. Pipe-bat-chain, yes, you’re going to get smacked and yes, it’s going to hurt, but that’s why we have casts and splints. The point is to keep fighting. It’s not over until you are dead, have given up, or have won. If you die, your worries are over. If you give up, you’re as good as dead, or you may have to endure a fate worse than death. But if you resign to fight until you can’t fight any more, or until you’ve no one left to fight, you’ve already won. Because if you do all you can and fail, it’s not truly failure. Failure is refusing to try.

Now if you know you’re going to fight and fight until you can’t fight any more, then what are some things that can help prepare you for that day and stack the odds in your favor? You must know your limits. That is, your current limits. Let us remember what Bruce Lee said once, “There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

I know that I can draw my pistol and get a center mass hit reliably in under one second with movement in my open carry rig. Add 2/10ths of a second from concealment. I know that my carbine speed reload is on average 2/10ths of a second slower than drawing my pistol, but that if I have more ammo in my Redi-Mag, then I’ll take that extra time to get 30 rounds of .223 in the fight, versus 11 rounds of .45 ACP. I know that I can speed reload in pitch dark as fast as I can in the light, maybe faster. Sound impossible? The truth is that if you can perform an action without using conscious thought, if it can be controlled, regulated and maneuvered by using subconscious thought, it will be faster, smoother and more efficient. And this brings us to the next point.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Whatever action you may be called on to do when time is life, you’ll want to practice it until it can be done without conscious thought. The simple truth is that the better you become at subconsciously running your gun, then the better you’ll be able to use your conscious thought for solving problems. In conflicts there will always be problems that must be solved, obstacles to be overcome. One thing about guns is that sooner or later, (and probably sooner rather than later in battlefield conditions,) your gun will have a malfunction. So, can you clear your weapon’s malfunction quickly, no matter what kind it may be? How quickly? Can you do it without thinking about it, and keep your head in the game, thinking about the next move while you’re doing it? Make no mistake, this will take time and practice. A few inert rounds and some time spent with your weapons systems, off and on the range, dealing with malfunctions could very well save your life when it fails to go bang on the day. If you are carrying more than one weapon into the field or on the street, you need to know how quickly you can solve the problem, and at which point you swap to your alternate weapon or method. There will be no time on the day to stop and think, “Oh, yeah, NOW would be a good time to go to my back up!” It must be done via muscle memory or you’ll skip a beat, miss a step and be even further behind the power curve.

Don’t forget that your mind is your greatest and first weapon. It is the thing that drives all else and we want to keep it clear and have as few problems as possible to solve. So work with your gear and decide what your standard operating procedure is before it comes to it, and then practice it until it becomes instinct. When deciding your method in handling different situations or weapon systems, try to never go with a particular technique just because someone else said to, no matter how good or knowledgeable that person is, because people don’t always have the same body mechanics or application for any given situation. No, you’ll want to develop your own method based on good reasoning. If there’s a good reason behind why you’re doing what you’re doing, then at least you’re doing something right. But don’t stop there; look to see if you can find a better reason to do it any other way. Follow the 80% rule. You want to practice what is going to work for you 80% of the time or better. Ask yourself when you are doing your next dry fire practice or shooting at the range, or anything that may need to be accomplished during critical moments, “Is this going to work for me when it’s wet, when I’m tired, when I can’t think, when my lungs are working overtime to suck in some vital air, when I’m scared out of my wits?” And train to reality. Reality isn’t sunny and 75 on level ground with no pressure. Reality is dark-cold-scared with everything on the line and no do-overs.

How well do you perform when your heart is pounding at 145+ beats per minute, your legs and arms are smoked and your mind is struggling to find the answer to the current problem? Test yourself and know that at that point, the head shot at 25 yards is stupid with that pocket pistol, or manageable with that shotgun. Know that your speed reload falls to pieces if you go too fast, so you can slow it down, take a breath and think through the problem. If you train through enough stressful situations, running as fast as you can, then you’ll find where you melt down and where you need to be to keep things running quickly but smoothly. One important point to remember is that “You can’t hit by missing.” This means that if you’re going to miss, slow it down, correct it, move up, slow your heart and breathing or just man up and dig deep and do whatever needs to happen to get the job done right.

But don’t go faster than you can. I learned this lesson crystal clear when I was about 15 years old. I remember expending an entire 20 round magazine at a full-size steel through my rifle at 200 yards and never once hitting it because I was frustrated and was shooting way too fast; a shot that I should have hit the first time if I had slowed myself down a couple seconds. This was a stupid mistake that could have meant taking an innocent life through negligence down range on the day, because every missed round is a liability. But the point here is that if you shoot, move or operate too fast for your level, you’re doing no one any good. So if you find yourself missing, slow it down and get your hits. Again, this comes back to knowing your limits. Don’t go faster than you can on the street, means that you hit that failure point on the range, in training, so you won’t make that mistake on The Day. So where are your limits? Do you know them? Do you know if you can hit that half a head hiding behind your best friend when he/she becomes a hostage? It’s all on you.

Train hard. Fight harder. Live for God and do your best; leave the results to Him because they are His anyway. Love those you should and be ready to kill those who need to die. And always know your limits.

https://survivalblog.com/know-your-limits-by-molon-labe/


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Equip yourself for the troubled times ahead: The Tactical Patriot Store
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Combat Rifle – Basics to help keep you Alive

I have always been a little wary of the term ‘gun fighting.’ I trawled YouTube and the internet in general before my training course to get an idea of what people were up to and therefore what may be in people’s heads when they showed up to my courses. There is a lot of ‘tacticool’ and a lot of ‘Hollywood’ out there. In my opinion, there is altogether too much standing on square ranges, engaging targets from a standing position, as if they are not shooting back and as if they are not potentially in depth or cover and able to take you out as you stand there. Some of it seems very impressive but in my mind much of it is almost in the category of ‘circus trickery’ carbine mastery - showing off. Although there is a lot to be said to being awesome with your carbine, most of this lacks tactical application and if you don’t have all day every day to practice, you will be missing out on good solid basics and putting yourself at great risk.

Some of the instruction also appears to incorporate drills almost for their own sake that appear to have been invented as ‘something to do’ on what are otherwise very limited ranges.

I see a lot of this training as an equivalent to boxing training by just punching a heavy bag. It’s not punching back, and I can stand there and hit it all day, looking good. When it starts to hit back, you need to think about moving, duck and covering….

What you need to focus on are very good basics. I will attempt to explain some of this below:

Reaction to Contact: This can be covered by RTR, which stands for:

Return fire

Take Cover

Return Appropriate Fire.

What does this mean? It means that once you come under fire, or see the enemy, you immediately bring reactive fire onto the target in an attempt to kill, disable or at the very least distract the enemies aim at you (if you miss close!) You then take cover. You then adopt a fire position and bring accurate fire onto the enemy. This is the first part of your reaction to contact and will be followed up depending if you are alone, or with others, and whether you are in an offensive or break contact mode. So, basically, what you do next all follows from your initial reaction of RTR.

When you train with me, I will drill into you not only the initial ‘R’, but also the ‘Take Cover’. This can simply be in the form of reaction drills where the target comes up (front. right, left or rear), you go from a ready to a fire position and engage with a controlled pair. But MOST IMPORTANTLY you then go into cover, which can be simulated on the basic range with a step to the left or right and taking a kneeling fire position, following up with a steady aimed shot from the kneeling, or prone position, to simulate the final ‘R’.

It’s a 360 degree battlefield. In any situation you cannot afford, if you can avoid it, to be hit by a rifle round. That is penetrating trauma and particularly in a post-collapse situation your ability to either fight the resistance campaign, or protect your family/tribe, or both, will be severely curtailed or over. Done. So let’s get away from standing ‘gun fighting’, however fast you can run your gun.

However the thing to note about the RTR procedure is that the initial ‘R’, the initial return fire, is also optional. In a close quarter engagement you will need to react fast and get accurate fire onto the enemy. That works in a situation where you both see the enemy and they are close enough for you to get a quick accurate shot or two off into them before taking cover. It’s a judgment call. Many times, either in a wooded or longer range or even desert environment, you will come under contact and not initially locate where the fire is coming from. In such a situation returning initial fire from the standing position may get you killed. You could fire into likely cover, but that is best done from the last ‘R’ i.e. Return Appropriate Fire after having taken cover.

Therefore, if you come under contact from an unknown location and cannot effectively return initial fire, to try to do so will leave you standing there effectively frozen on the enemy’s ‘X’: Far better to skip the initial ‘R’ and just move straight to Take Cover. Once you have done that, either alone or with your tactical element, you can scan and attempt to locate the enemy before going into your follow on drill as appropriate.

The most effective reaction I have seen of this unseen enemy situation  is exemplified by a team coming under fire from a range of 100-200 meters where the enemy was not immediately obvious, the team immediately bomb-bursting and zigzagging into cover, followed by locating the enemy, communicating this, and bringing accurate rifle fire down upon them.

If we go back to the initial ‘R’ then we will see that the reaction is a balance of speed and accuracy as ranges increase. You will train and know yourself what distance you are effective out to. At close ranges you will be best to use the point shooting method, looking over the sights, and immediately engage the guy before he hits you. As ranges increase, you will be moving to your sights with quick reactive controlled pairs, until you find that you need to hesitate and acquire the target for just that faction of a second longer. You will know where your skills are at and you can work to improve that. There will be a point, where you either don’t see the enemy after the first contact, or they are at a longer range, where you will know you are best to simply get into cover before returning fire.

So, second in importance to being a good reactive shot is the overwhelming importance of TAKING COVER. Russian conscript troops train to assault by exiting their APCs and running towards the enemy positions firing their AKs on automatic from the hip. And that is supposed to happen after a massive bombardment designed to leave no one alive to assault. I have seen pretty much that level of skill on the internet videos out there, the difference being that the standard US Civilian is firing from the shoulder as he does the Hollywood line walking towards the targets.

When you move from individual reaction drills to fire and movement, you are using a combination of cover and accurate fire to maneuver, either towards or away from the enemy. You may be crawling, moving in ‘dead ground’ out of sight of the enemy or conducting short rushes covered by your buddies. However, whenever you are not moving, you are in a fire position in cover. If you are not firing or moving, you are in cover. I always train from the very basic level that if you have any stoppage on your weapon, from an empty magazine to an actual stoppage/malfunction, you are at least getting down onto one knee to simulate taking cover. If you are on a movement lane then you will actually take cover.

If you happen upon a chance contact, let’s say it’s out there in the woods, and you deal with the first guy or two with your well drilled carbine skills, you simply don’t know where the rest of them are. Don’t stay up on your feet going all Hollywood. Take Cover. If you are with a team, at least two of you, which I hope you are, then you will go into fire and movement either to assault forward and clear, or to break contact back out of there.

This leads me onto a related topic, that of ‘bounding overwatch’. I take issue with how bounding overwatch is mistermed and also with some of the ‘tacticool’ madness that I see creeping in. Ok, so here it is:

Fire and Movement: This is the principle where movement under enemy direct fire is achieved through the combined use of suppressive fire and cover. If there is no cover (think billiard table) then you rely solely on your suppressive fire to allow maneuver. The principle of fire and movement (or maneuver) can be summarized by the words “no movement without fire.” This applies at any element from a pair up to a battalion. It’s not the size of the elements that matters, it that fact that they are fire and maneuvering.

Bounding Overwatch: This is where you are not actually firing at the enemy. There is no enemy seen but you believe the threat to be high. You are placing elements in position to provide potential fire support. So think of it like ‘dry’ fire and movement. Again, it does not matter what size elements you have, from two buddies up to two platoons. Think about having to move over some open ground and you think there may be enemy in the area: you place an element down in cover on the hill to give potential fire support. You then move an element across the open ground, they take up fire positions, and the original cover element then moves up. If at any time it goes hot due to enemy contact, you are immediately going into fire and movement. In this sense, bounds taken in bounding overwatch can be further than the usual “I’m up, he sees me, I’m down” short bounds usually done during fire and movement.

Ok, so now we have established the difference between fire and movement and bounding overwatch, we can now see the utility of being able to switch between the two and also use bounding overwatch as a way to conduct a high threat move or clearance through or towards an objective. Watching some of the prepper shows, I saw some tactical madness with buddy pairs ‘moving tactically’ in an exaggerated half crouch back to back. Front guy walking forwards, rear guy back to back walking backwards, moving slowly in the open. NO.

This is where this kind of madness creeps in. Nobody is supervising this and it just spreads because people think it is the thing to do. Let’s go back to our solid basics. If you and a buddy had to move through an area where you had to clear, or move to an objective where there was a high threat of enemy contact, what would you do? Bounding overwatch right? Yep.

But what about covering the rear, I hear you say? Well, you are moving through and over the ground so you are covering that ground and the rear is the ground you just covered. You check rear anyway as you are moving, but you don’t walk backwards. This was learned from years of experience on patrol: it used to be done, for example on endless long patrols by the British Army, but you just don’t walk backwards anymore. You will trip and fall. Turn and look, then resume. There is nothing wrong with coming together in your pair for a halt, and placing one covering front/flank, the other rear/flank. That is a basic security formation for a halt.

So in summary, what has this article been about? It’s been about the need to build a good solid foundation of basic skills. I have said this before, and I chuckle to say it again, but that's all there really is: good solid basics, practiced until they become slick second nature drills. Don’t be misled by tacticool snake oil salesmen. Learn to run your gun in the standing, kneeling and prone positions, learn to use cover with your fire positions; learn the importance of taking cover.

One final thing: PT. PT is crucial. Fire and movement under enemy direct fire is an anaerobic activity – you will not be able to suck in enough oxygen to make it comfortable. However we are all training to survive here and you may be older or in not such good physical condition. This does not disbar you from these techniques. Yes, when conducting rushes during fire and movement the faster you can cover that ground the less likely you are to be hit. But there is an important distinction between speed and momentum.

Momentum is keeping up the pressure on the enemy by the use of accurate suppressive fire that is killing the enemy or making them keep their heads down in cover, allowing you to maneuver. If you can locate the enemy and generate such suppressive fire you will allow yourself to move. You may be able to move in a steadier fashion, talking account of your slower speed and utilizing adrenalin to spur you through it. On my ranges, if you are less physically capable, I will not exhort you to efforts beyond your capability. At the very least, this would compromise safety. You will do the techniques at a steadier pace, and take away the fact that you need to work harder on your PT.

Max Velocity

Live Hard, Die Free

Counter Ambush Tactics

Are you an accident just waiting to happen by blindly walking into an ambush, or do you take the tactical “high ground” to avoid such an event? Rarely do the “bad guys” announce their intended attack upon you. Rather, they lie in wait to seize the element of surprise. They pounce when you are least aware. A burglar creeping through your house won’t turn on the lights or make unnecessary noise to give you a chance to arm yourself. A mugger won’t stand in the middle of the sidewalk and risk you taking a detour away from the “fatal funnel.” And, you won’t find a person about to carjack you leaning up against your car as you approach. Although many violent attacks occur as a result of an ambush, does your training include counter-ambush tactics? It should. 

Most martial arts training start with two opponents facing each other and giving the proper salutations. Western boxers come up to each other before a bout and knock gloves together as a sign of good sportsmanship before the first round. Asian based fighters sharply bow or bring their hands together in a Yin Yang fashion then slip into a combative stance. European Fencers salute one another with their naked blades, as do Filipino Kali practitioners. 
Although this practice is very colorful and rich in tradition it can negatively condition fighters who are in it for purely survival reasons. Subconsciously this practice sends a message to the fighter that there is a preparatory period just prior to combat. To many my statement may sound ludicrous, but ANYTHING we do in training can carry over into actual combat. Let me give you a startling example. 

In law enforcement training many Defensive Tactics (hand-to-hand combat) programs use a hard plastic red colored handgun when practicing gun retention techniques, car stops or subject stops (police contact with a person or arrests). The “red guns” are used in place of real firearms to avoid a possible Negligent Discharge (ND). They are red so that at first glance everyone involved in the training knows that they are a training tool and not the real thing. 

Using real firearms is also a common practice, but it requires weapon safety checks, and marking the barrel with colored tape. The colored guns makes for an overall safer training environment. However, after repeated use of these colored replicas many officers became so conditioned to the red color that on occasion, actors who played the role of the contactee (the person being stopped by the police) pulled out a red wallet or other red object and suddenly found themselves being “shot.” 

Why? because, the officers associated the color red with a threat. It’s for this very reason that many agencies paint their training guns black or silver, or buy products that are already colored similar to that of actual firearms. 

Rituals in training, salutations before combative encounters, are very much like the conditioning of the red guns. Although innocent at first, they can lock a person into a potentially dangerous behavioral pattern. In this article we will examine training methods that will prepare you for sudden violent ambushes.

Before the ambush 

Throughout my law enforcement career, and even today in my current duties, one of my biggest concerns is walking into an ambush. Just last year an officer in my department was killed in an ambush. A man armed with an AK47 assault rifle waited at a mini market frequented by police officers. When the officer drove up to get a cup of coffee the suspect came out of the store and sprayed the patrol car with bullets. The officer never had a chance to exit his vehicle. He was cut down before he knew what hit him. However, you don’t have to be wearing a uniform to walk into the center of an ambush. If you’re not paying attention you can end up walking into a store or a bank and find yourself right in the middle of a robbery as you are doing your errands; many people have. 

Whenever you are going up to an ATM machine, inside a bank, airport, or other potential “targets” you should always observe the surroundings as you make your approach. For example, as you walk up to a liquor store you should scan the immediate area for suspicious vehicles. If somebody is in a vehicle nearby the exit with the engine running it could possible be a “getaway car”. Another telltale sign of a crime in progress, or about to occur, is someone “posted” on the inside who is nervously watching the door and parking lot. This person could be a “lookout” for the accomplices inside.

A few years ago, while off duty, my wife and I were about to enter a drug store for some eye infection medication. As we were about to enter through the double doors I noticed a young woman holding the electronic doors open by standing still in the sensor area. At first I thought she was just being polite and holding the doors open for us, but it soon was apparent that she was looking past us and nervously scanning the parking lot. I sensed that something was wrong and grabbed my wife’s arm to pull her back. Just then two men jumped the store guardrails and were about to run right over the top of us. They had just committed a commercial burglary and were making their escape. Without thinking I pushed my wife aside, sidestepped, and purposely tripped the first suspect with a sweep. The case of beers that the suspect was clutching onto tumbled in front end over end of him on the sidewalk as he skidded to a stop on his palms. The second suspect in hot pursuit leaped over his fallen partner in crime like a clumsy hurdle runner, then turned around to “take care” of me. I pulled my concealed pistol from my pancake holster and ordered him to stop. The surprised attacker, dressed in gang attire, decided that dying for a few beers was not worth it, turned and fled, leaving his accomplices. In the commotion the other two scurried off. I was no’t about to stop them without a radio, vest, or back up. Plus, a violent encounter was not worth it for some stolen bottles, and my wife standing next to me. I decided to be a good witness instead. 

When approaching, or walking through a potential ambush area, always follow the first tactical rule – Stop, Look, Listen. In my example of the drug store incident, the moment I sensed something “unusual” or “out of place” I stopped, I looked, and I only had a split second to decide what I was going to do when the two men came running at me. Had I not been paying attention as I was walking to the entrance of the store the thieves would have plowed me and my wife over. 

Whether you’re in a military unit walking through hostile territory or you are walking through a dark city alley, you should stop, look and listen every few minutes, even if there is no apparent danger. If is quiet, move on. If you hear or see something, prepare yourself. 

Stop, Look, Listen exercises 

In the Australian military manual, Patrolling and Tracking, Section 5 No. 74 it reads, “Patrol leaders must try to anticipate where contact with the enemy (ambush) is probable. Action to be taken must be planned and rehearsed before the patrol moves out.” In a martial arts training environment you can do a simple exercise that will help you learn to “anticipate” contact with the “enemy.” I call this exercise Walking the Gauntlet. It will develop alertness, mobility, and attack. 

Have several participants line up, spread out evenly, on each side of the room facing inward. Place a student (the trainee) in the middle of the two lines and have him or her walk down the center through the two lines. Prior to conducting the exercise the trainee faces the wall as the instructor selects a couple of attackers on each side of the line. Each trainee that will walk through the Gauntlet will receive a different configuration of attackers. The trainee is then told to turn around and walk through the midst of the participants. The trainee, unaware of who was selected for the attack, cautiously moves through the “crowd” until a noise or aggressive movement from one of the selected attackers catches his or her attention. The trainee quickly defends against the sudden attack. After the appropriate action has been taken against the attacker (be it knife defense training, hand-to-hand, etc.), the trainee returns to the place where the attacked had just occurred, and picks up where they left off to walk the rest of the Gauntlet. 

I do this exercise often to prepare police officers for walking through agitated crowds, such as parties, labor strikes, bars, etc. Not everyone in a crowd is going to jump you, but you have to be prepared for those few who might. It makes for a very nervous trainee, but it helps them get use to possible ambushes. 

Attack the attacker 

In an ambush the ambusher has the tactical advantage. Whether it’s a military operation or a crook waiting to jump you, the ambusher will have done their homework prior to the attack; they will have studied the terrain in which you will pass, note the fields of fire and observation, cover, concealment, obstacles, and avenues of approach and withdrawal. Then, when you come walking into the “killing zone” the attack is launched. In the case of an attempted rape, robbery, or other criminal assault the ambush will be what we call a “near ambush.” In other words, the attack is right on top of you, as opposed to a “far ambush” such as a sniper attack. In a near assault the US military teaches its personnel to attack the enemy if caught in an ambush. By doing an immediate action drill, suddenly counterattacking the enemy even under concentrated close-range fire, moves you out of the killing zone, and prevents other ambushers from closing in on you. 

Although each incident must be weighed separately, most criminals expect their victims to comply when faced with the threat of violence or with violence itself. Whenever you submit to a criminal you can never know the outcome. You are at the mercy of the criminal. Although fighting back can get you hurt, a sudden violent counterattack may catch the attacker off guard affording you the opportunity to move out of the “killing zone.” 

In any ambush the natural instinct is to take cover and save your skin. However, that’s exactly what the enemy is hoping for and picks you off as you cower in a defensive position. For survival, sometimes you must go opposite your instincts and meet the danger head on. As the famous Chinese guerrilla fighter, Mao Tse-tung, once said, “In every apparent disadvantage, some advantage is to be found.” 

When I am training correctional personnel how to survive a jail or prison riot, I purposely put them at a disadvantage in order for them to find some advantage. I have an exercise where I simulate a worst-case scenario – a group of hostile inmates have blocked the escape route for the correction staff. The natural tendency is for officers to separate from one another and push directly to the exit or to huddle in a corner and fight defensively. However, these methods are almost always doomed to failure. The proper tactic is to stick together and follow a wall so the inmates cannot come up from behind. In order to have a chance of getting out they have to move together as a group and violently push through. To do the exercise I usually put five officers on one side of a room (fitted with protective gear) and seven “inmates” (also geared up) on the other side of the room blocking the exit. The goal of the exercise is to move as a team and get all five officers past the inmates and out the door. Students learn very quickly that if they do not push for the door and attack the inmates with what the Marines call “violence of action,” they never make it to safety. Of course this exercise can carry over into civilian applications, such as training your family to stick together and push through as a unit. 

Think like the crook 

Of course, to outsmart an ambusher you have to think like one. When you walk anywhere, especially high-risk areas, you should always ask yourself these questions: 

1. Where would someone most likely be hiding?
2. Should an attack occur where are my avenues of escape?
3. What would the best tactics be – counterattack, submit, run? 

A good exercise to run, in order to sharpen your reaction skills in sudden ambush situations, is an exercise I named Door number 1, 2 or 3. 

Stack cardboard boxes up vertically to create a few “walls” the attacker can hide behind, or hang a few sheets of black painters plastic from the ceiling to the floor. As the trainee makes their way from one end of the room to the other, the attacker lies in wait behind one of the walls. When the trainee comes within range, the attacker, or attackers (it’s good to sometimes have multiple attackers) launch an attack; be it a hold-up, knife attack, a fist fight, or whatever other realistic simulation you can come up with. The trainee will soon learn some valuable lessons in avoiding, or reducing the consequences of an ambush: 

1. When turning corners, make wide turns to give more reaction time.
2. Use “noise discipline” (don’t make noise) as you approach a hostile area, so the bad guy can’t hear you coming.
3. Anticipate likely hiding areas that an attacker may take.

Final thoughts 

Awareness is the key to avoiding many potentially dangerous situations – such as ambushes. But just talking about it does not train you for an actual event. You must put these principles into practice so that they become “muscle memory” (ingrained reactions). The next time you’re about to spar with your partner, try having them pop out of somewhere and engage you. By doing this you will be better prepared for the real thing. 

Thanks for the article, Officer Jim Wagner
http://www.jimwagnertraining.com

Marksman/Observer Team (Tips)

Unit Organization 

The marksman/observer team consists of two men, both fully qualified marksmen, or sniper in some cases. If they are a Designated Marksman (DM) team then they will both be qualified DM, if they are a Sniper team, then they will both be qualified snipers.

In order to function effectively, however, one will shoot (the marksman/sniper) while the other watches the objective (the observer/spotter). These two will rotate duties on a regular basis during a engagement.  In most cases with sniper teams the observer/spotter is the more experienced member, because he is the one making all the wind, elevation, and other calls to the marksman/sniper, all the sniper has to do is ensure he agrees with the calls from his spotter then make the shot.

From this point on in this post I will be using the term marksman to refer to both a DM, and a sniper, and the term observer to refer to both the observer and the spotter.

Compatibility, a readiness to share, and a willingness to rotate duties are necessary qualities of the marksman/observer team members. The member with the most experience should be in charge, but his primary task is to educate his partner and elevate his skills on a par with his own so they can rotate jobs completely yet suffer no decline in compatibility. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Marksman / Observer 

1. Writes Operations Order Obtains and prepares any special gear
2. Coordinates with other units Leads in normal movement
3. Leads in stalking movement Follows in stalking movement
4. Follows observer in normal movement Shares in the construction of the "hide"
5. Selects "hide" location Draws sketches and range cards
6. Detects and announces targets Shares range estimates with marksman
7. Adjusts scope for wind, range and angle Identifies targets by priority
8. Shares range estimates with observer Estimates wind
9. Decides engagement priorities Backs up marksman’s shot
10. Engages human and material targets Operates radio
11. Records information
12. Coordinates other teams
13. Operates diversionary devices

Due to liability, police snipers do not rotate weapons. Each marksman/observer should have a rifle assigned exclusively to himself. The marksmen/observers must also rotate/rest/share, or they won’t be able to last during a long-term engagement. Most marksman shots are fired only after all viable options have been expended. 

Marksman/Observer Selection 

What does one look for in Marksman/Observer candidates? Being a good marksman involves three main skills; – marksmanship (duh), fieldcraft, and tactics. The candidate should have experience, interest, or a demonstrated aptitude within at least one of these areas. Training will round out the other two remaining skills. 

Marksmanship 

When it comes to marksmanship, the candidate should be at least an expert rifleman. He had better like shooting, because to hone and maintain marksman-level skills he must shoot frequently. The candidate should have an interest in firearms and technical subjects beyond the common layman, a natural curiosity about things like ballistics, bullets, and optics.
Hunting experience is especially useful because the sniper candidate already will have learned the consequences of inaccuracy or sluggish reflexes. 

Fieldcraft 

Fieldcraft includes skills such as wind estimation, camouflage, and observation. Hunters of elusive game can become excellent marksman, but may not ever have what it takes to become a sniper, there is a huge difference in a DM and a sniper. Bowhunters are also excellent candidates. Sportsman also learn to read the weather, see tracks in a natural setting, understand field maps, observe live game, and move to avoid being seen. 

Tactics 

An appreciation for tactics can only be developed through their study and application. Marksman must take the survival tactics that have been learned in basic training, police school and range training and build on it in a way that will benefit field operations. Extracurricular study of military tactics is also advantageous and is encouraged for all candidates. The marksmans ability to hide from and deceive the enemy is paramount to a successful mission. 

Sniper Operations: 

Overall Mission of the Cover Element

1. Establish an inner perimeter to contain the threat. Containing the threat to one location will hopefully expedite its resolution and prevent additional persons from hindering or becoming involved in the operation.

2. Cover the movement of an entry team. The inner perimeter personnel provide security for the entry team as they move into position for an entry should an entry become necessary.

3. Provide intelligence attained to assist the tactical team in their primary goal of saving lives. While on the perimeter you become the eyes and ears for the tactical team as they conduct their planning elsewhere. Any information regarding the situation, activity, descriptions, etc. should be passed forward to assist in planning and decision making. 

4. Eliminate a High Value Target (HVT)

Tactical Considerations of the Cover Element 

Equipment:

All items necessary for prolonged operations should be taken into positions upon initial employment. Consider the time and effort spent moving into the area undetected, then having to leave the area to get something which was forgotten. The more movement, the greater the chance of detection. 

Radios: – 

Ensure extra batteries are available. Also have frequencies and call-signs for all necessary communications during the operation, and are capable of being operated as near to silent as possible

Night observation devices:

–Ideal for some situations. Extra batteries are a priority. 

Movement: 

Cover and concealment:

The shortest route usually is not the best route. Use terrain and/or existing structures for protection 

Avoid detection:

We never know what effect our presence may have on a suspect. If it might have an adverse effect, don’t be seen. 

Suspect (enemy) vs. Sector:

Both members of the team must be aware of their priorities when the suspect is in the sights.

Sniper’s responsibility:

The sniper will maintain target acquisition on the greatest threat. 

Observer’s responsibility:

The observer will monitor other suspect(s) or hostage(s), movement of the entry team, and the rest of the sector, and be ready to provide fire support himself if the need arises.

Planning and Tactical Setup: 

Avenues of Approach 

Once the Sniper Teams have been assigned or chosen their position, they must then consider routes that will take them to that location. 

The following is a list of those considerations: 

1. Avoid moving directly through or on the subjects position
2. Utilize terrain that offers good cover and concealment. Cover is protection from small arms fire. Concealment is protection from subject observation.
3. Use terrain which will allow you movement during the hours of darkness. Try to avoid rocky areas or areas of heavy vegetation.
4. Don’t automatically dismiss difficult terrain. This may be your best choice of approach in terms of cover and concealment, especially during daylight movement.
5. Avoid silhouetting yourself. Stay off skyline and low on rooftops.
6. Avoid areas that may afford the subject a field of fire on you. Such as open, flat areas, (i.e. open fields or playgrounds).
7. Stay within the perimeter. This will prevent contact with locals and the media.
8. Plan an alternate approach in the event that your primary cannot be navigated. 

Detection

You need to keep in mind who could be watching you. Two ways that you can be detected are:
a. Direct Observation, and Indirect Observation
b. Direct Observation 

In order for the subject to shoot you, they must have an idea of where you are. The subject may have access to binoculars or other sight enhancing items. A telephoto lens on a camera will work well. 

Indirect Observation 

Television - This might be a media event, so be aware of cameras.
Night Vision - Hope that your adversary does not have access to this technology.
Smell - The subject may detect your odor, so don’t wear cologne.
Sound - Remember that the subject can hear you approaching if your noise discipline is poor. 

Concealment and Cover 

The best way to avoid detection is by utilizing concealment and cover. There are six factors which will give you protection from subject observation. 

They are: 

Shape - From any distance your outline will give you away. Change you shape to match that of your surroundings. 

Shadow - Stay in the shadows and don’t allow your own to be seen. When it comes to your position, only you and your shadow should know. 

Shine (or texture) - Beware of smooth surfaces such as watches, weapon barrel, glasses. Smooth surfaces are areas that reflect light. 

Color - Blend in with your surroundings. Bright colors attract unwanted attention.

Position or Setting - When choosing your position, make it appear as though nothing is out of the ordinary. 

Movement - Motion naturally attracts the eye. Even a little movement at an inopportune time will warrant attention. 

Rules for Day Movement 

1. Movement must be slow and well planned.
2. Avoid disturbing animals such as dogs and birds.
3. Take advantage of noise such as wind, rain, or vehicles moving.
4. Cross roads which provide the most cover and/or concealment. Use ditches and wood lines. Attempt to minimize the amount of time you are in the open. 

Rules for Night Movement 

a. Move by bounds. Stop, listen, then move again.
b. Take advantage of other noises.
c. Avoid running. This causes noise and increases anxiety.
d. Preserve night vision. Don’t look at lights.
e. Avoid silhouetting..
f. Avoid dry brush and tape loose equipment. 

Thanks to Bender for some of the information.

Video you need to see

The Aussie Peelback

Aussie Peelback

The peel, fade away or actually Aussie Peelback is not meant as method to engage the enemy. It is a means of extraction under contact. The firing off of a magazine on full auto is pure and utter garbage. ALL firing should be done with well-aimed shots or short bursts. The spray and pray method works fine for Hollywood but not in real life. The team members do not fire their weapons dry during the withdrawal but enough to keep momentum up during the action.

The drill we use is as follows;


1. Lead man comes under contact, drops to cover, and engages. Immediately the rest of the element splits left and right 2 paces. 


2. The lead man withdraws through the opening left giving the #2 man a slap on the shoulder as he passes indicating that the #2 mans arcs are clear, and so on through the element. 


3. When the #3 man hears the firing up front and after moving off the path he prepares a smoke or WP grenade, when he sees #1 move through #2 he throws the grenade and prepares his weapon to fire to cover #2 when he moves through.


4. The #4 man if so equipped prepares his Claymore or other IED and sets the fuse, when #3 has withdrawn through his position he fires and pulls the igniter. 


The #1 man will determine the length of each bound by setting up to cover each man as they pull back. After 1 or 2 bounds (depending on the terrain) the element moves into an extended line formation and conducts the withdrawal back to the last RV point by pairs fire and movement or can set up hasty ambushes on the enemy if they are still advancing. This drill takes a lot of practice to be done correctly.


With a 2 man element it is better to withdraw by bounds firing only enough rounds to keep the enemies heads down. Firing off of a full mag takes too much time and slows the rate of withdrawal down. The drill must be practiced to include wounded members and stoppages of weapons. 


Practice this tactic with your unit at your next FTX, it is a great tool to have in your tool bag of tactics.


Start out with  "Dry Fire" exercises. When you have the movement down, train using your primary weapon systems.

Rural Patrolling

Rural patrolling is very demanding so here is an article about some of the tactics and procedures for performing it proficiently.

The military description places it into the two distinct categories of ’combat’ and ’reconnaissance’ patrolling, with a clear task or purpose for the mission . Combat patrols are further defined as raid, ambush, and security patrols. Which may be conducted in close proximity to a main party or facility for the purpose of defense ( the security patrol) or they may be sent deep behind enemy lines with the intent of attacking and/or harassing the enemy.

Reconnaissance patrols are generally tasked with the gathering and confirming of information and are dispatched with the intent of avoiding direct contacts with an enemy. The information sought can very from determining the size, activity , or location of an enemy or tracking their movement .It may be tasked with identifying a route for movement through an area , such as locating a place to conduct a river crossing or possibly establish a secure perimeter to base operations from. The reconnaissance patrol may be utilized to establish contact with friendly forces or sister units to report intentions, status, locations, etc.

Military patrols may be very small entities such as a fire team, or they may be conducted at squad or platoon strength, and likely have subordinate teams with in the structure. The overriding conditions of their existence and effectiveness at the task at hand must allow them to operate in an independent manor, relying on its self for immediate security, maintenance, navigation, and its ability to perform the operational orders that it is tasked with , such as breaching obstacles, securing of prisoners, the seizing of objectives, documenting intelligence, photographing/mapping terrain, etc.

The civilian police world incorporates patrolling into a variety of circumstances, some similar and some less so than the military application in a infantry context. Again we can identify a task or objective as the governing factor determining the methods utilized, as well as size, capabilities, and expectations of the patrol.

The ‘street’ officer may be assigned with a general ’security’ task such as simply responding to any calls for service in a particular precinct or jurisdiction, maintain presence in an area for the purpose of identifying and deterring crimes, or tasked with a more specific purpose such as enforcing traffic laws in a congested area and/or conducting collision investigations as they occur.

The ’security’ application of patrolling is applied in the protection of VIPs in both public and private sector. Prisons and correctional institutions conduct such activities outside the perimeters of the facility as well as with in the walls, layering security patrols on foot, in vehicles, and in fixed location such as control pods and towers for the purpose of maintaining order and custody with in the facility.

Special operations with in the police world call for more specific applications of patrolling with certain objectives to achieve. I have conducted patrolling operations tasked with the purpose of gathering information, collection of intelligence, observing and surveillance of locations for evidence of criminal activity ,etc. Having conducted counter narcotic interdiction/eradication operations with multi-agency/jurisdiction task forces, many of these activities focused on gathering information for the purpose of securing warrants by means of placing video cameras and audio recording devices, photographing people, places, vehicles, and establishing the presence of trafficking and manufacturing of drugs. These details often incorporated support elements such as forensic technicians, aviation support, the use of crime informants or undercover personnel.

We always performed reconnaissance patrols prior to the service of arrest/search warrants for the detailed planning of those operations, maintaining real time current information on the location and its inhabitants, and to maintain ‘eyes on’ surveillance of persons of interest to the legal system. At times, providing protection of persons/places resulted in the tasking of similar patrols to survey the ‘arena‘ ahead of time.

The circumstances that I have conducted such details have varied from camo fatigues and painted faces laying in a creek bed behind a spotting scope and note pad, too t-shirt and shorts sitting in the beer garden of a busy pub taking photos of ’the band’ and certain persons of interest that might be conducting business in the area as well, or on several occasions sitting in a U haul trailer positioned in a parking lot all night, taking shifts starring through a fish eye lens with some other lucky fellow. The nature of these type operations were similar to the ‘reconnaissance’ category found in the military circles…covertly maneuver to a location, occupy a ‘hide’, gather Intel, with draw undetected.

Police Patrol operations at times share attributes with the ambush/raid flavor of military patrolling, but having much different rules of engagement. My involvement in such has included fugitive/inmate recovery teams, conducting activities traditionally referred to as ‘man hunts’ for individuals or groups that have taken flight to avoid prosecution or escaped containment of an agency or venue having custody over them. These patrols usually take on a more aggressive pace, conducting road blocks, check points, and tracking operations with the intent of capture . Similar patrols may conduct searches for missing and/or abducted persons, locating a downed aircraft, all using movement techniques designed to search and contact.

Police patrolling may employ a couple of detectives, a dozen members of a special response team, or consist of multiple agencies with various specific tasks assigned to them numbering hundreds. As with the military unit, the activity revolves around a specific task or purpose, (although sometimes with secondary mission considerations), that the ‘patrol’ carries out with the purpose of achieving the objective or task at hand.

Now that we have an example of what traditional ‘patrolling’ activities may entail, lets identify why the civilian operator should study them and incorporate them into the ‘tool box’. First though it is important to establish where this fits into our training path. Mission number one needs to focus on individual operator skills- your shooting disciplines, hand to hand skills, emergency medical knowledge, vehicle operation, an understanding of how a single operator might negotiate a building or structure, etc.. We move from there into our multi-operator training as Suarez International provides via our HRO Team Tactics 1 & 2, CQB, etc. The application of everything we developed as an individual gets performed in groups, thus allowing larger and more complex tasks to be performed in a safe, efficient manor as a group. The formation of family members, neighbors, friends ,etc. into a functioning unit, where several operators actions are used to compliment each others efforts for a greater task is critical. The old adage of two working together can do more than ten working alone reigns true.

Based on the above descriptions of patrolling, we can describe the action as the application of moving about our area of operations in a overt/covert manor, using persons arranged in a tactical formation to observe people, places, and events, for the various purposes of learning about them, assessing their capabilities, equipment, indentations, sometimes contacting them, avoiding them at other times, possibly inflicting our will upon them, and on occasions attempting to influence, effect, or eliminate situations favorable to allow others to inflict there will on us.
It is the activity that allows us to be the ’king of the hill’ so to speak, and function in our given environment. It allows us to maintain control over areas deemed ours and it also allows us to explore areas that may belong to others.

Patrolling skills are necessary so that you, those you are responsible for, or have common interests with, can conduct activities to include securing properties ,locations, buildings, etc. from threats in the event of societal breakdown (think: your neighborhood watch on steroids) or if your business requires you frequent more dangerous locations around the globe, good patrolling skills allow for a element of safety while you travel!

Do any of you live in one of the rural counties of this nation that have been advised that there isn’t enough capital left in the budget to provide for law enforcement services….who watches the ranch then folks? The ability to maneuver and negotiate our way around the planet in small groups is critical when the need to escape/evade/relocate from an area that has become untenable, sometimes requiring flight on foot and maintaining safety in your numbers.

The understanding of how to conduct counter surveillance on a foe that may be targeting you and yours for abduction, assault, or theft, is most important in this day and age. Wouldn’t it be desirable to be able to deploy a patrol to discover the whereabouts and perform the rescue of a lost or abducted family member or friend in times of trouble.

What if you need to reach a downed comrade in an emergency. Many times in our nations history (as well as most others) and seemingly with a greater frequency, we find ourselves left ‘on our own’ to provide for the safety of our family and communities for varying durations and in different scenarios, as our elected officials fail to respond in a timely manor or are under equipped to deal with overwhelming events.

As civilian operators, responsible citizens, prepared families/communities , guerilla fighters, what ever banner you rally under- a knowledge of and application of patrolling should be a familiar topic in your bag of tricks. It must include ambush/counter ambush techniques, the understanding of conducting deliberate raids or assaults…do you know how to assemble your team into a line, file, or wedge and take the fight to the enemy ? How bout immediate action and contact drills to break the enemies attacks? Tracking/counter tracking operations….are you being followed? Do you have the skills to button hook your trail and conduct a hasty ambush? Traveling techniques, small unit formations, security halts, proper crossing and negotiation of various terrain, identifying bottle necks, fatal funnels, and other danger areas. Can you move your group safely up a ridge or conduct a river crossing? Is enemy contact likely? Do you understand how to move your team with traveling or bounding over watches through an open area? Can you keep the group together and on course in the thick timber? Can you establish a tight 360 degree perimeter for the night and allow every other member arranged like the spokes of a wheel to get some much needed rest, yet retain the ability to instantly and silently kick them to alertness in the event of compromise or danger? These things performed much easier having an understanding of how to do them and prior practice at it.

General navigation skills are a must. Can you read a topographical map and orient your self in the big scheme of things. Can you position yourself using terrain association and triangulation?

How about the use of satellite navigation technology? I am of the opinion that it is a good thing to know where you are, how to get where you need to be, and return to where you came from, at all times! The understanding of how to organize, plan, and conduct patrol operations in varying terrains, environments, and conditions is critical.

The knowledge required for establishing patrol bases, hides, security/ defensive perimeters in both urban and rural environments is important . If you are being watched, would you want to know about it and have the ability to loose your tail and conduct counter surveillance?

All very important stuff for the civilian operator to know in our uncertain world! Remember the one person you can always rely on is you, and in hard times it is likely others will look to you as well. Will you be able to lead them? Be as reliable as you can.

The safety of your ‘team‘, particularly over protracted events, boils down to your ability as a group to be able to shoot, move, and communicate. Those three things are the foundation. The study and application of patrolling is the method in which you maintain that safety in both the reactive and proactive side of events while on the move or ‘in camp‘. If you don’t possess the skills to advance to the fight, pick the fight, avoid the fight altogether, or flee from the fight if it found you- I submit you are not as combat effective as you ought to be and its time to develop these skills. Lots of material in this area of study will be available from Suarez International and its many talented instructors in the very near future. I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to become as complete of a warrior as you can be. ….your life and other’s lives just might depend on it.

Eric W. Pfleger

Staff Instructor

Suarez International

Engaging moving threats

Engaging moving targets, an essential part of Dynamic Marksmanship


I just wanted to talk a little more about engaging moving targets, and give some ideas on how to make moving targets that you can do yourself.

The first idea is to string a cable or good rope between two trees that have a safe impact area behind them. Take your cable or rope and tie one end of it about 8-10 feet above the ground, then take place a simple pulley on the cable. Go over to your other tree and tie this end of the cable about 3 feet off the ground.

Then you can attach a target to the pulley. Then attach a rope, string or such (550 cord works well) to the cable on the low side of the pulley in such a way that when you pull on the cord it comes off the cable, thus releasing the pulley to begin it's decent to the other tree.

Take the cord out to about 100 yards (or whatever distance you can muster) and use that as your beginning shooting position.

From that point you can pull the cord, releasing the target, as the target moves you practice engaging it until you have that method down. Then try it standing to start, pull the cord, then drop to another shooting position, practice until you master all shooting positions.

Then move on to more dynamic engagements. Pull the cord, then run up to another shooting position and engage the target using all shooting positions.

You can get as advanced as you want. You can pull the cord then engage the target as you are moving towards it, away from it, sideways both directions, and any other way you can think of. The more you practice the better off you will be in any situation.

You can also practice using your primary or your secondary, or a combination of both.

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Dynamic Marksmanship

Dynamic Marksmanship

First off let us take a look at what is wrong the static training that most people use for their “training”.

Problems

Threats are not "static" - they are dynamic, they move quickly and are very difficult to hit accurately under stress.

The most effective way to respond to a threat is usually not via static methods - the operator must make himself a difficult target by moving. For maximum effectiveness you must learn to hit and hit well while moving.

Many times you will find yourself behind the power curve from the beginning - often your presentation and first shot must be delivered while moving to concealment, or preferably cover.

You need to keep in mind that multiple threats are common in many situations - you must move while engaging the threats effectively in order to avoid being accurately engaged yourself.

Threats are seldom easily incapacitated, even with good hits - if you are not under cover after you have made some good hits, you may still be in danger.
You fight exactly as you train. If you fail to train with movement, during or after engaging the threat you will fail to do it when the actual situation presents itself.

The goal of Dynamic Marksmanship training is to equip you with superb marksmanship ability while simultaneously employing dynamic movement and tactical techniques.

Tools for Dynamic Marksmanship

Engaging threats on the move - and actually hitting.
Engaging moving threats.
Engaging moving threats while you are moving.
Engaging bobbing and weaving threats.
Engaging threats while moving to and arriving at cover.
Engaging threats from behind cover.
Engaging threats with minimum exposure time.
Training to avoid repetitive exposure at the same place.
Train to move immediately after shooting.

You can be sure that Mr. Murphy will show up when you least expect it, and when you really do not want any more problems. You are already under stress; then something happens to your primary. Then you have to have trained on immediate action drills, and or transitioning to your secondary.

You can enhance your odds of survival by having trained and practiced over and over until it is second nature. Supposedly it takes over 10,000 repetitive motions to have your action be instinctive.

So my final words are TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN, then TRAIN some more. Take the time to train enough so that it becomes instinctual. Purchase good quality primary (Long arm), and secondary (Sidearm) firearms, use good quality ammo, and take the time needed to take this process seriously, it may very well save your life, or the lives of someone you care about.

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