possum
Member
Who:
Instructor (me), safeties (TL’s), 2 Infantry squads a couple attachments, 22 M4 shooter, and 4 SAW shooters. With our current mission set of downed aircraft and pilot recovery we are broke into 2 sections, one section is on 24 hour shift while the other is “off” normally “off” means that we are training. So I went out with my section, and the guys and squad leaders went out with there section the following day. I really wish I could have been there for the other section to ensure that they were getting trained right and getting the most out of it, for the most part the squad leaders of the other section have no idea what I was trying to do, even though we did PMI 3 days, and I broke everything down for them on multiple occasions. Additionally one of their main problems is that they have too much pride to know when to admit that someone else is better than them at something. Anyway, enough of that rant there. As far as experience levels all the soldiers to be trained have/ had been through the Army CQM and advanced CQM and SDM training so they had a very weak basis to work off of. None of them have ever been to a training course outside of the army.
What:
The Co of the new Unit that we work for is all about training, and he heard about me and my love for training. There for he asked if I would be able to come up with a good training plan for an upcoming range that he had scheduled. I had already had one made up since Kuwait, just on the off chance that we might be able to do something along the lines of the way that I normally train. The plan was a 2 day format much like a Training course would be and a round count of 14000rds. Going in I knew the biggest issues that I was going to run into were going to be getting enough ammo and secondly being able to run the range the way that it should be without all the Army gayness. Well we only got about half of the ammo I asked for (I asked for 40,000rds) however I knew I could make it work with what we had. Additionally I briefed him on my plan of what drills I wanted to do and such, and honestly he no idea what I was talking about for the most part. So I wrote him 5 ½ pages worth of why and how, about the various drills and pretty much broke it down Barney style for him, and I think that helped a lot. Even though my PSG kept telling the CO things like “we will never use that in the Army” behind my back, the CO still told me to go on with the plan and train the guys. Thanks Sir! Some of my stuff they didn’t want me to do, like shooting supine, and moving when not shooting, like side stepping, moving while fixing a malfunction, and or while reloading. That’s ok I am going continue to work on them. So end the end I got what I wanted, and the soldiers got training like they deserve. This is not the last time that we will be able to go to the range so I am going to continue to add on more drills, and “harder more complex” scenarios to the training. Ammo wasn’t an issue we had plenty and ran out of time before I was able to add anything else to the day, we did get all the drill I originally set out to do and then some. I had only one day instead of 2 however there is always next time.
A)Targets were composed of E type silhouettes with 6 inch dots (spray paint).
B)Guns and gear was your normal army issue m4’s all with ACOGS, flashlights, lasers etc. various slings, mostly one point as I have shown most of them the light on that topic before. The ones that don’t have one point are ordering them. The SAWs had short barrels, collapsible butt stocks, and M145’s. Even though it was tough for some of the SAW gunners they worked through it and trained to fight with the tool that they are going to have when the fight happens.
C)Body armor was IOTV’s and k pots for everyone. Many people have there own chest rigs. Most common is the HSGI “woosatch” like I wear. But there was examples form BDS, Blackhawk, army issue MOLLE, and others.
D)For magazines we used GI issue magazines for the simple fact of not unloading our ammo from our magazines, use them all day and the load them at the end. I had no issue with that but for some reason the LT did, anyway it worked out and there were very few magazine issues.
E)Ammo was standard army issued 62gr 5.56 ball, and for the saws they worked with linked 5.56 4-1 ratio. No ammo issues that I saw.
F)Drills
1) Offset. Most of the guys had a good understanding of this from classes that I had given them in the past.
2)F.A.S.T. I explained it, why it is important and how to do it.
3) Re-active and proactive reloads. Every shooter got lots of reps on both types of reloads, and by the end of it were doing it like second nature. Which really came to light when I started adding math, cognitive, stress and buddy teams to the equation.
4) Malfunction clearance all three types. One thing that I will do better next time is have some dummy rounds for the guys. We did train on all three types, but not like I wanted too.
5) Figure “8” Drill, Individual and multiple. (9 targets) I also did this drill with a buddy team of saw gunners, everyone did great, ran their guns while maintain situational awareness, and getting hits on target.
6) 1-5 drill. From various ranges, working on there rhythm from shot to shot, and target to target.
7) Positional Switch, standing, Dynamic kneeling, and Dynamic Prone. Working on the guys’ ability to get into position quickly and get rounds on target fast and accurately.
8) Magpul Barricade. The first iteration shooter shot the 4 corners strong side only. Then support side only. Then switching shoulders as they needed too. Then the “holes” triangle, circle, SBU and urban prone strong only. Then support only. With the ammo they had left I had them switch from left to right shoulder back and forth. The hardest thing to impress upon them was minimizing exposure, and leaning more than anything else. As well keeping their rounds from hitting the barricade.
9) High, med and low squats, urban prone, SBU, standing and kneeling, all form cover. How to lean out from cover exposing as little as possible. Not crowding cover.
10) Team movement and communication drills. moving around each other, peels etc. who reloads first etc.
11) Cognitive drills, lots of targets, math problems lots of numbers and so much more
12) Strong side and support side shooting.
13) Shoot no shoots, adverse angles etc.
14) Multiple targets
G)Round count
1) Between 300-350rds for each M4 shooter, 200-250 per SAW shooter. I wanted more ammo for the SAW gunners but that is all we had. I also wanted for the guys to shoot more rounds overall, but with the time limit, the amount of shooters, and the lone instructor we did withwhat we could. As well even with all that against us I believe that it was a success overall and everyone learned a lot a did a lot of things that they have never been exposed to before. It got great reviews from the LT and the soldiers of my section. “Best Range ever” many of them said. That coupled with the fact that I taught them something that might save one of them, and or me in the future makes me feel that I accomplished exactly what we set out to do.
Where: Memorial Range (COB Speicher). The range is huge, basically large flat sand and a few berms, but it worked. We stayed on a 50meter wide by 25meter length part of the range. Most of the drills were fired at 5-15yds, with some at 25yds.
When: 8 Dec 2009. 0900-1430hrs
Conclusion: I wanted more ammo for the SAW gunners but that is all we had. I also wanted for the riflemen to shoot more rounds overall, but with the time limit, the amount of shooters, and the lone instructor we did with what we could. As well even with all that against us I believe that it was a success overall and everyone learned a lot a did a lot of things that they have never been exposed to before. It got great reviews from the LT and the soldiers of my section. “Best Range ever” many of them said. That coupled with the fact that I taught them something that might save one of them, and or me in the future makes me feel that I accomplished exactly what we set out to do.
Next time
Add on more drills, more complex.
More ammo for saw gunners
More buddy team and even fire team level drills.
Buddy aid medical drills
1-5 drill
1-5 drill three guys going at it
FIGHT!!!!!
Figure 8 (i couldn't fit all 9 targets in one shot and make it look good.) 1st pic of left side, 2nd pic of the right side.
Mag out mag in, working on speed reloads.
magpul barricade in use.
lots of mags and ammo were gone through
walking the line
watching for corrections to the shooters
Instructor (me), safeties (TL’s), 2 Infantry squads a couple attachments, 22 M4 shooter, and 4 SAW shooters. With our current mission set of downed aircraft and pilot recovery we are broke into 2 sections, one section is on 24 hour shift while the other is “off” normally “off” means that we are training. So I went out with my section, and the guys and squad leaders went out with there section the following day. I really wish I could have been there for the other section to ensure that they were getting trained right and getting the most out of it, for the most part the squad leaders of the other section have no idea what I was trying to do, even though we did PMI 3 days, and I broke everything down for them on multiple occasions. Additionally one of their main problems is that they have too much pride to know when to admit that someone else is better than them at something. Anyway, enough of that rant there. As far as experience levels all the soldiers to be trained have/ had been through the Army CQM and advanced CQM and SDM training so they had a very weak basis to work off of. None of them have ever been to a training course outside of the army.
What:
The Co of the new Unit that we work for is all about training, and he heard about me and my love for training. There for he asked if I would be able to come up with a good training plan for an upcoming range that he had scheduled. I had already had one made up since Kuwait, just on the off chance that we might be able to do something along the lines of the way that I normally train. The plan was a 2 day format much like a Training course would be and a round count of 14000rds. Going in I knew the biggest issues that I was going to run into were going to be getting enough ammo and secondly being able to run the range the way that it should be without all the Army gayness. Well we only got about half of the ammo I asked for (I asked for 40,000rds) however I knew I could make it work with what we had. Additionally I briefed him on my plan of what drills I wanted to do and such, and honestly he no idea what I was talking about for the most part. So I wrote him 5 ½ pages worth of why and how, about the various drills and pretty much broke it down Barney style for him, and I think that helped a lot. Even though my PSG kept telling the CO things like “we will never use that in the Army” behind my back, the CO still told me to go on with the plan and train the guys. Thanks Sir! Some of my stuff they didn’t want me to do, like shooting supine, and moving when not shooting, like side stepping, moving while fixing a malfunction, and or while reloading. That’s ok I am going continue to work on them. So end the end I got what I wanted, and the soldiers got training like they deserve. This is not the last time that we will be able to go to the range so I am going to continue to add on more drills, and “harder more complex” scenarios to the training. Ammo wasn’t an issue we had plenty and ran out of time before I was able to add anything else to the day, we did get all the drill I originally set out to do and then some. I had only one day instead of 2 however there is always next time.
A)Targets were composed of E type silhouettes with 6 inch dots (spray paint).
B)Guns and gear was your normal army issue m4’s all with ACOGS, flashlights, lasers etc. various slings, mostly one point as I have shown most of them the light on that topic before. The ones that don’t have one point are ordering them. The SAWs had short barrels, collapsible butt stocks, and M145’s. Even though it was tough for some of the SAW gunners they worked through it and trained to fight with the tool that they are going to have when the fight happens.
C)Body armor was IOTV’s and k pots for everyone. Many people have there own chest rigs. Most common is the HSGI “woosatch” like I wear. But there was examples form BDS, Blackhawk, army issue MOLLE, and others.
D)For magazines we used GI issue magazines for the simple fact of not unloading our ammo from our magazines, use them all day and the load them at the end. I had no issue with that but for some reason the LT did, anyway it worked out and there were very few magazine issues.
E)Ammo was standard army issued 62gr 5.56 ball, and for the saws they worked with linked 5.56 4-1 ratio. No ammo issues that I saw.
F)Drills
1) Offset. Most of the guys had a good understanding of this from classes that I had given them in the past.
2)F.A.S.T. I explained it, why it is important and how to do it.
3) Re-active and proactive reloads. Every shooter got lots of reps on both types of reloads, and by the end of it were doing it like second nature. Which really came to light when I started adding math, cognitive, stress and buddy teams to the equation.
4) Malfunction clearance all three types. One thing that I will do better next time is have some dummy rounds for the guys. We did train on all three types, but not like I wanted too.
5) Figure “8” Drill, Individual and multiple. (9 targets) I also did this drill with a buddy team of saw gunners, everyone did great, ran their guns while maintain situational awareness, and getting hits on target.
6) 1-5 drill. From various ranges, working on there rhythm from shot to shot, and target to target.
7) Positional Switch, standing, Dynamic kneeling, and Dynamic Prone. Working on the guys’ ability to get into position quickly and get rounds on target fast and accurately.
8) Magpul Barricade. The first iteration shooter shot the 4 corners strong side only. Then support side only. Then switching shoulders as they needed too. Then the “holes” triangle, circle, SBU and urban prone strong only. Then support only. With the ammo they had left I had them switch from left to right shoulder back and forth. The hardest thing to impress upon them was minimizing exposure, and leaning more than anything else. As well keeping their rounds from hitting the barricade.
9) High, med and low squats, urban prone, SBU, standing and kneeling, all form cover. How to lean out from cover exposing as little as possible. Not crowding cover.
10) Team movement and communication drills. moving around each other, peels etc. who reloads first etc.
11) Cognitive drills, lots of targets, math problems lots of numbers and so much more
12) Strong side and support side shooting.
13) Shoot no shoots, adverse angles etc.
14) Multiple targets
G)Round count
1) Between 300-350rds for each M4 shooter, 200-250 per SAW shooter. I wanted more ammo for the SAW gunners but that is all we had. I also wanted for the guys to shoot more rounds overall, but with the time limit, the amount of shooters, and the lone instructor we did withwhat we could. As well even with all that against us I believe that it was a success overall and everyone learned a lot a did a lot of things that they have never been exposed to before. It got great reviews from the LT and the soldiers of my section. “Best Range ever” many of them said. That coupled with the fact that I taught them something that might save one of them, and or me in the future makes me feel that I accomplished exactly what we set out to do.
Where: Memorial Range (COB Speicher). The range is huge, basically large flat sand and a few berms, but it worked. We stayed on a 50meter wide by 25meter length part of the range. Most of the drills were fired at 5-15yds, with some at 25yds.
When: 8 Dec 2009. 0900-1430hrs
Conclusion: I wanted more ammo for the SAW gunners but that is all we had. I also wanted for the riflemen to shoot more rounds overall, but with the time limit, the amount of shooters, and the lone instructor we did with what we could. As well even with all that against us I believe that it was a success overall and everyone learned a lot a did a lot of things that they have never been exposed to before. It got great reviews from the LT and the soldiers of my section. “Best Range ever” many of them said. That coupled with the fact that I taught them something that might save one of them, and or me in the future makes me feel that I accomplished exactly what we set out to do.
Next time
Add on more drills, more complex.
More ammo for saw gunners
More buddy team and even fire team level drills.
Buddy aid medical drills
1-5 drill
1-5 drill three guys going at it
FIGHT!!!!!
Figure 8 (i couldn't fit all 9 targets in one shot and make it look good.) 1st pic of left side, 2nd pic of the right side.
Mag out mag in, working on speed reloads.
magpul barricade in use.
lots of mags and ammo were gone through
walking the line
watching for corrections to the shooters
