USN Commander on Training... (from John Farnam)

[Fred Fuller]

Training Hints

11 Aug 09

Training comments, from a retired USN commander, and one of our Instructors:

"After years of running emergency drills on US Naval vessels, I learned (mostly the hard way) a few vital Principles of Training.

In a real emergency, our students will invariably rise to the level of their training- not their, nor our, expectations! So, the more painful, relevant, hard, and emotional our training, the better we respond when bad things happen.

As an example, when fire breaks out inside a submerged submarine (something that happens a lot more often than is ever reported) visibility degrades to near-zero, usually in less than a minute. Yet, we routinely trained in bright light, and could not turn off the lights, due to the need to operate the reactor-plant safely.

One of my sharp, young sailors suggested stuffing the inside of our emergency air-breathing apparatus with black trash-can liners, in order to simulate low visibility, and bad air. We did it that way, and quickly, unhappily discovered that our previous training had been utterly inadequate. Our first drill, thus encumbered, was a fair imitation of a Three-Stooges movie!

I began to realize precisely what you emphasize in Classes: Good training is ever scary, demanding, and makes you feel inadequate and stupid. When you finish and 'feel good about it,' you probably weren't pushing yourself hard enough. Learning takes place when you fail, not when you succeed!

Thus, any training worthy of the name is going to be both frustrating and 'dangerous,' no matter what safety procedures are in place. But, failing to train is even more dangerous, and the consequences ever appalling and irrevocable. Ask any commander who has lost a battle!

And, failing to train because those in charge are more worried about their next promotion than the lives of their crew-members, is criminal!"

Comment: Naive "administrators" about whom we're talking fully expect a chocolate cake to emerge when they dump together vinegar and baking soda, and are astonished when it doesn't happen!

"We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears."

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

/John
-- http://www.defense-training.com/quips/11Aug09.html

 

[Fred Fuller]

Training this Fall

02 Aug 09 Training: Some say that they would "... rather be lucky than good," preferring to avoid the hard work of training. It has been my experience, however, that who train enthusiastically and regularly are most often the "lucky ones!" The shallow focus on objects, such as guns, to act as a talisman, but only the naive really believe in good-luck charms. Self-deception may represent a temporary refuge for some, but a fraudulent one that will predicably unravel when the Test comes. Since last fall, there has been a mad rush among Americans to acquire firearms and ammunition. While diminished somewhat, the feeding-frenzy is still ongoing. However, when newly armed, the untrained are still unarmed, just as a new piano-owner is not automatically a "musician." Capable training provides skills necessary to run guns competently. Superior training provides a moral compass, correct mindset, and interactive skills. While physical skills are critical, they are incomplete without a practiced philosophical overlay that is true and right. And, while superior training is expensive and requires serious commitment, when were you ever sorry that you had the best of anything? My friend and esteemed colleague, Tom Givens, says superior training is always: Realistic, Relevant, and Recent. When was the last time that applied to you? Come and train with us in Columbia, SC this 24-25 Oct, where Rich Wright and I will be offering a Force-on-Force, Scenario-Based training Program, a combination of live-fire and Airsoft. Learn how to run your gun, but, more importantly, learn within the context that will enable you to emerge victorious from your next fight. Get hold of Rich at [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) . Other, similar Programs are scheduled for other places this fall. Get hold of me at [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) for details. /John
- http://www.defense-training.com/quips/02Aug09.html

 

[BullfrogKen]

I'm sure that's going to be a great class.



Luck favors the prepared.

 

[YammyMonkey]

But…but…but…that’s dangerous!

IMO, what people fail to realize when they see “dangerous looking” training is that, in most cases, the people running the training & the people participating in the training are able to do that stuff without hurting each other. If you can pay attention, follow the four rules & stay calm then running around other people with loaded weapons, shooting while others are farther down range, turning more than 180 degrees, etc are all much more safe than some dingleberry who can’t keep his booker hook off the bang switch cleaning his gun in the basement.

At some point you have to put on the big kid pants, do the work & learn the lessons. You don’t become a world class fighter, racer, artist or scholar by sticking to kindergarten rules.

 

[SSN Vet]

I was the drill coordinator on an SSN for a little over a year.... and I'll just add these few thoughts...

Conducting realistic drills that pump up the crews adrenalin and closely simulate real casualty circumstances is both very difficult and dangerous. (Heck, just walking quickly from one end of an SSN to the other without cracking your head or knee on something hard is an accomplishment). Sailors have been seriously hurt and even killed conducting drills.

Knowing both your equipment and environment like the back of your hand goes a long ways toward surviving in a real casualty.

Guess what? Fires are flippin' hot! Which is not easy to routinely simulate. They've got one of the most modern fire fighting training facilities in the world at the New London, CT sub base. When they hit the trainees with the simulated hull insulation fire, it's just about enough to singe your hair and knock you backward onto your arse. Until you've been through that simulator, or the real thing, you'll never really understand what it's like.

It cost a LOT of money to train effectively and frequently. And when the liberals go fishing to finance their social programs on the DOD budget, money for training is always one of the first items to get cut.

Properly training a crew is a serious commitment and cluttering up the schedule with dozens of idiotic PC topics such as "sexual harassment training" doesn't (imho) help.