I recently got the unique opportunity to attend a closed course at Haley Strategic Partners designed to build thinkers before shooters, called Disruptive Environments.

Industry professionals from a variety of different markets converged in Montrose, CO for instruction focused around teaching skill-sets and sustainment tools. Disruptive Environments put participants into situations encountered by a modern warfighter for a 3-day glimpse of what it takes to fill their shoes.

We went through everything from weapons manipulation to Dynamic Assaults and even an FTX (Final Training Exercise) where we found ourselves in a 14,000 ft. mountain range suspended 600 ft. in the air by nothing more than a rope and a little metal. Needless to say it was right up my alley!

Haley Strategic Partners

Travis Haley, previously CEO of Magpul Industries and Magpul Dynamics, has recently broken away to start his own endeavor at Haley Strategic Partners, where he’s formed an operation that I’m truly proud to endorse. Not only as a company, but Travis himself. After spending a few days getting to know Travis, I found him to be a completely down-to-earth person that I respect considerably in this industry.

I found many similarities in not only the integrity with which he runs HSP, but in his enthusiasm and passion that he exudes, as I do with ITS Tactical. It’s refreshing to see that in an industry that I’ve found to be close-minded on more than one occasion.

Along with Chief Creative Officer Jon Chang and Instructor Brannon LeBouef; HSP provides training, consulting, product T&E and marketing to the industry. We’ve even got something in the works with HSP that will be coming very soon to ITS Tactical!

Disruptive Environments

As mentioned, the Disruptive Environments course takes industry professionals that might not be otherwise exposed to the realities of the modern warfighter and gives them a glimpse into what they encounter and better understand the needs of their end user; be it peer or client.

I found the course to be a fantastic representation of a broad range of skill-sets that I typically look for in courses that I attend. While many can attend a typical multiple-day shooting course, I’ve been drawn more and more to courses that step outside of this mold as the Disruptive Environments course did.

Weapons Manipulation – Day 1

Throughout this AAR you’ll see me mention the insight that Travis provided during each course of instruction during the 3-day Disruptive Environments curriculum. I was grateful to hear about his experience as it related to everything we were instructed on, especially what did and didn’t work for him.

The first day was spent learning about some of the intricacies of shooting from a combat perspective. The basics of pistol and rifle were stressed, including zeroing, basic manipulation and focusing on fundamentals that helped everyone from many different backgrounds and abilities. I really appreciated Travis’ teaching style and presentation of information. I could also see everyone develop as the day progressed and attribute that to great instruction!

In addition to Travis’ guidance, we had the fortune of learning from accomplished shooter and President of Practical Shooting Academy, Ron Avery. Ron has a unique way of teaching the fundamentals of pistol that I hadn’t been exposed to before. His hands-on demonstrations, such as taking a stick and showing how a higher grip would control the weapon better, was something that I’d heard before from instructors but had never been shown quite like that. I consider myself a visual learner and appreciated the applications that Ron showed us.

Urban Entry and Assault – Day 2

While I’ve been exposed to working in close quarters in both the Navy and in previous courses I’ve attended, the 50,000 sq. ft. abandoned warehouse HSP was given access to use during our course was about as disruptive of an environment as you can get. With sparse light and areas of complete darkness, manipulating throughout the structure proved challenging and to be unique experience.

Travis really stressed the importance of Cell Team Tactics and their use in entry and assaults. While traditional close-quarters work takes an element that uses individuals trained in different specialties and can be large in size, Cell Team Tactics utilize a smaller element that has been cross-trained to not only work as a team in the traditional sense, but that also knows each others jobs and doesn’t depend on a single man to handle certain obstacles that can be encountered.

We learned how to work together as small Cell Teams to complete individual objectives that contributed to the overall mission plan. Utilizing UTM (Ultimate Training Munitions) and role players added the realism necessary to properly train and progress from a crawl to our final dynamic force-on-force movements throughout the objective.

I can’t stress the importance of getting yourself into a sim-type training environment and the benefits it provides from not only a physical nature, but a mental one as well. It’s a different animal to face paper versus a real-life opposition that fires rounds that hurt and have the potential to inflict consequences for taking the wrong action.

Trouble Shooter – Day 3

The culmination of our training was put to the test in our FTX (Final Training Exercise) which took place on the third day. It not only integrated the tactics we’d previously been exposed to, but a skill-set near and dear to me, intelligence gathering. Interacting with locals and using social engineering to extract information is a skill-set I don’t often get to practice.

Without giving away too much of our FTX, our class was split into two elements, each required to gather important operational intel that would lead us to our objective. The end goal being to locate a terrorist cell responsible for DOS (denial of service) communication disruption attacks and conduct a site exploitation before extracting. Our mission brief was very well thought out and planned. The details that were put into each sub-objective came right from real-life mission profiles.

Utilizing many of the skill-sets I’d previously learned, my group converged on the small mountain town located in the shadow of a mountain we’d soon be traversing towards our objective. Our link-up with our contact required a call-sign confirmation that would prove to be a challenge in obtaining the critical intel we needed.

Once our element gained the necessary intel, we made our way to the nearby mountain and Via Ferrata route we’d be traversing with our firearms converted to UTM. A Via Ferrata is a mountain route equipped with fixed cables and metal ladders. The main event of our particular Via Ferrata suspended us a few hundred feet in the air as we moved towards our objective in locating the terrorist cell we’d been tracking.

This was the first time I’d ever been on a Via Ferrata and it was an awesome experience! There were literally moments that I was suspended with nothing more than a single hand and a foot hold. Thanks to Arc’Teryx and the HSP Mountain Rescue Team, we had redundant protection that ensured even if something happened we were always clipped into the cable. It was exhilarating nonetheless!

While our loadout wasn’t even a third of what our troops overseas are humping through the mountains, it certainly gave everyone an appreciation of what those on the pointy end of the stick are exposed to on a daily basis. Our opposition lay just beyond the Via Ferrata and little did we know what awaited us as we got both feet back onto the ground to move towards the objective.

After a four mile hump and climb up 12,000 ft. mountains, our two elements moved around the final turn and were bombarded by a well placed ambush. Utilizing the high ground, and well dug-in locations we were forced to think outside of the box and engage the opposition force. I’ll say that this was the first time throughout the course I’d been hit with a 375 fps 5.56 UTM round and I definitely felt it on my thigh after the adrenaline of the FTX wore off.

I gave chase up a mountain-side to encounter one of the role players and wound up getting a sizable boulder rolling down the mountain and appearing to be coming right for my face! Luckily it took a southerly direction and I was able to grab a nearby tree and move my leg just enough to avoid it making direct contact with my knee. While it did strike my shin and still hurts with pressure even today, I got lucky and appreciate the authenticity that the FTX provided. I’m a strong believer in authentic training and Haley Strategic doesn’t disappoint! It’s that old Chinese proverb made popular by General Patton, “the more you sweat in training, the less you’ll bleed in war.”

After neutralizing the opposition we conducted a site sterilization and extracted any intel we could off the role players before egressing down the mountain another mile and a half to the admin area. With our mission complete and debrief underway we got the chance to decompress and take in what we’d accomplished as a team throughout the course. With new friendships forged and my second time in the mountains of Colorado, I not only look forward to getting back to Colorado, but to also train with Haley Strategic again!

Notes and Equipment

Throughout the course we had the unique ability to try out some great products from other industry professionals. Arc’Teryx not only provided the climbing harnesses we utilized on the FTX, but also provided the clothing from their LEAF line I wore for the better part of the Disruptive Environments course. I’ve been T&E’ing a pair of Arc’Teryx Sphinx Pants, Alpha LT Jacket and Atom LT Jacket since the GORUCK Ascent in Colorado and the items provided the durability and warmth I needed in the mountains.

HSGI provided their AO Small Chest Rig to everyone to utilize during the FTX and I liked the fit and function of it and their included TACO pouches! Corbon Ammunition provide the live rounds we utilized during day one and UTM provided the non-lethal life fire training rounds and protective equipment utilized on day two. Bravo Company Manufacturing, Aimpoint, Surefire and Impact Weapons Components provided the weapons, optics and mounting solutions utilized in live-fire and force-on-force training portions.

The videos in this article were also filmed entirely on a Contour GPS Camera that we’ve had access to since the GORUCK Ascent and it continues to impress. Look for more on the Contour GPS and Arc’Teryx LEAF clothing in an upcoming article on the gear of the GORUCK Ascent.

I’d highly suggest looking into future Haley Strategic classes for your training needs. Travis and the HSP crew are on my short list of go-to instructors that provide a real-world curriculum that can be utilized in your everyday life. I appreciate the opportunity to have been offered a slot in the course and to continue to train in situations that stress the importance of overcoming adversity through being adaptive and increasing survivability.

What’s more attractive than women and guns? Women with guns who shoot with accuracy and precision!

I had the privilege of visiting a local women’s hand gun league in June with my friend Maggi Andersee. Maggi serves as the Cowtown Pistol League Chairperson for Diva WOW, an organization run by women for women to improve their confidence, skills and knowledge level when it comes to outdoor sports.

Maggie was introduced to Diva WOW through her husband’s involvement in a local sporting club and has been a member for about two years. “I love shooting, the sport of it, and I saw a niche. Too many women at the range were intimidated by male teachers,” which is what led Maggi to become a licensed pistol instructor herself.

Diva WOW

Diva WOW has clinics and sporting events throughout the year that promote not only the skill development with pistols but also AR-15 rifles, shotguns, crossbows and many other shooting related activities. By participating in these types of clinics and leagues women are able to regularly practice their shooting skills and hone in what improvements might be needed for accuracy and confidence.

One of the things I liked about meeting the women in the Cowtown Pistol League is that there is a healthy level of competition and encouragement among the group. All of the ladies were friendly and supportive, and there was recognition for the top shooters as well as the ones who had improved the most.

Maggi’s level of experience and training enables her to provide instruction to those who might need help with form and technique. “Ladies are different at the range; sometimes they start out turning their pistol slightly [as they pull the trigger]. Seeing the confidence level increase [as form improves] is rewarding.” This is such an important detail for me since I’m not only looking for more practice and experience, but I also need fine tuning and honest critiquing that will help me to be a better shooter.

Changing your Mindset

I know we have ITS ladies who are already in the groove of shooting with precision. Some of these women are in law enforcement, some are military and some are civilians who’ve immersed themselves in shooting sports and/or self-defense training for any number of reasons. For too many years, before marrying Bryan, I was one of those women who thought guns outside of LE and military were for guys and hunting season. I didn’t give much thought to what I could do to protect myself and my family.

With that being said, I’ve had to work rather diligently over the past several years to get over my reservations when it comes to not only shooting a firearm, but also in regards to carrying. I’ll admit it’s been a slow process for me. Once my mindset became more tactically motivated I began consistently thinking about what I could do in order to be better prepared for self-protection.

For those women who might be trying to adopt a new way of thinking you may be asking how this transition happened for me. I started with just listening and observing, becoming receptive to the subject matter, probably without being noticed. My husband has consistently talked to our son and his friends about firearms, shooting skills and drills since I’ve known him. He makes time to meet up and shoot with friends on a regular basis. That’s a pretty good environment to provide exposure to the subject matter and promote learning.

As I heard bits and pieces of Bryan’s conversations I would sometimes go back and ask questions. I’d also ask to go to the range and then chicken out, but other times I would have the courage to follow through. More recently I’ve been asking lots of questions and initiating opportunities to look at gear and resources for a higher level of tactical learning. My brain has stopped looking at self-protection as just one of things I “should” do and now looking at it as something that has to be done.

Like-Minded Individuals

So now that my head’s in the right place, what’s next? For me it starts with associating with more like-minded women. Since the beginning of this year I’ve been determined to be more active in the learning process instead of being an inanimate sponge. I’ve found that most of my close friends aren’t comfortable talking about guns let alone heading out to the range with me to shoot. Recently I was invited by my friend and neighbor Sandra to visit a local gun range on Ladies Night, but that’s the only time an opportunity like that has presented itself to me outside of talking with Maggi. Granted, Sandra’s in law enforcement so she’s always thinking tactically, but that’s the kind of mindset I need to surround myself with more often.

Ladies, if you’re like me and you’re looking to improve your abilities and confidence, and you want a group of women to support your training, then just reach out. Fortunately we live in a country where this type of training is available to women across the nation. We just have to take the time to find out what is in our area and what will suit our needs best. Diva WOW was founded over 10 years ago in Texas, but has expanded their reach to other states with the training and events they offer. If Diva WOW isn’t convenient for where you live then ask for information on training for women at your local gun range or dealer. There are organizations all over America that can help you become more prepared.

Invest in yourself by investing time and effort into training. Perfection may not be achievable in every scenario, but I damn sure won’t fend off the wolf by standing around grazing with the sheep.

The graduate school of tactical training you say? really? I was a bit skeptical myself when I first saw the sign upon entering SCG International in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but that skepticism soon faded as I came to understand the level of detail in which the crew from SCG operated.

Rather than focusing on a single class from SCG, I’m going to give you the overall picture of what my experience has been like training with them for a total of 109 grueling hours. This includes, but is not limited to getting rolled up by Law Enforcement, collecting intelligence, operating on little to no sleep, and yes, even being required to get a woman’s phone number.

SCG International

Founded in 1996, SCG International provides government and private sectors with domestic and international security, logistics and training services. They specialize in protective security details, logistics, event/location security, corporate security, travel services, intelligence, film & television technical consulting, training, mobile training, risk & vulnerability assessment and K9.

SCG is led by former Central Intelligence Agency Officer Jamie Smith, who came on board as the CEO in 2002. Prior to taking the position, Smith served after as the first director of Blackwater Security Consulting. A company deeply rooted in tradecraft, SCG’s HUMINT (Human Intelligence) course, one of the two I attended, is actually modeled after the Central Intelligence Agency’s Field Tradecraft Course (FTC).

Headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA, they have offices worldwide and run their in-house classes at the SCG Training Center, located 30 miles south of Memphis in Holly Springs, Mississippi.

Sitting on 1,500 acres, the training center features a variety of ranges purpose-built for their unique course offerings, including indoor and outdoor simulators, reactive steel target ranges, moving steel ranges, 360 degree ranges and a 5,000 square-foot fully ballistic live-fire shoot house.

Training Courses

My training at SCG includes their Operator/PSD Selection Course which I went through back in October of last year, and their Tactical HUMINT Operations course which I attended in June of this year. There was a lot of carry over between the two classes which definitely helped reinforce the TTP’s (tactics, techniques and procedures), yet the two courses were very different and challenging in their own ways.

The largest difference between the two was that in the OSC we weren’t always given the lesson and academics to train up on prior to kicking us out for the practical exercises. This was done to determine our baseline of knowledge, pattern of thinking, and reasoning skills. Did we have a team focus and what would we do under the stress of a dynamically changing environment?

While we were taught the way SCG does things vs. other PMCs (Private Military Companies), for the most part your were being evaluated on what you were bringing to the table. In the HUMINT course we were truly being “taught” how to complete the objectives.

While the HUMINT course was based on gathering human intelligence and detecting & reporting hostile surveillance, the OSC was largely focused on PSD (Protective Security Detail) operations. The OSC is also a pre-requisite to gaining employment with SCG.

Even though I mention that the OSC was largely focused on PSD operations, all employees of SCG need to be able to have a firm understanding in HUMINT operations, as that’s one of their functions as a company. So there was plenty of carryover in regard to what was presented in the HUMINT course.

HUMINT is paramount in COIN (counter insurgency) operations. The struggle between the government and insurgents for loyalty and support of the populace has tremendous implications that HUMINT can manipulate. The greatest threat to insurgents is effective HUMINT.

Instruction

Both of the classes I attended were taught and evaluated by “D” and “Ski,” who are two of the sharpest, most knowledgeable instructors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with either in the Military or civilian training. All of SCG’s instructors are active operators in the company, which added a realism I haven’t found in other courses. Not to say I haven’t attended courses by those who have “been there and done that,” but the real-world examples that were given to us really drove home the instruction.

One of the fundamentals behind SCG courses is the continuous mention of these three questions:

• Why are we doing it this way / will it work?
• Is it necessary?
• Can we duplicate it under stress?

I can’t stress how important it is to question anything you’re doing and constantly evaluate it. SCG isn’t just teaching the how, but the why.

All their training exercises and evolutions at SCG come straight from their real-world operations and what they’ve experienced. The good, bad and the ugly. Also, you can fail their courses and be sent home. We had that happen to a guy during the OSC I attended, so there’s no guarantee you’ll earn a certificate of completion in any of their courses.

Political Instability

Let’s get into the nitty gritty of my experience and the scenario that unraveled from the minute I entered the AO during both classes.

Something that truly rounded out the attention to detail SCG puts into all their instruction, were the periodic intelligence updates during the course. Just as real intel is disseminated to the field, our team received real-time updates that were pushed out via email and text message.

As we knew from our welcome packets, we were entering DROK, or the Democratic Republic of Krasnovikstan. A comprehensive break down of the current political climate, laws (including that Sharia Law was imposed) and travel advisories was also made available to us before entering. This was just like a mix between the travel advisories from the Department of State and information from the CIA World Factbook (you do read this stuff before you travel, right?)

It was clear that from the moment we received our packets that the role-playing and scenario was in full effect and we should assume we’d be under surveillance at all times in DROK. This kind of nervous anticipation does numbers on you both mentally and physically and only adds to the ghosts, or suspicious people, you think are around. Remember from The Moscow Rules, one sighting is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.

Ski really hammered it home that you should always mentally note anything that looks out of the ordinary and write it down later. It may be nothing, but at least there’s a record of it that can be referred to if it happens again.

Objectives

The objectives of each of the courses at SCG were similar, but different in many ways. My team in the OSC was on the lookout for the same Al-Qaeda courier as we were in the HUMINT course, and we were gaining intel on captured americans in both courses as well.

With the OSC our objective was to actively use our IO (Intelligence Officer who was a role-player) to gain that intelligence, report it up the chain, and act as the boots on the ground to find the captured americans. In HUMINT, we were acting as IOs ourselves, much like we would in a small-unit HUMINT operation overseas.

Our objective here was to gain intelligence, report it up the chain, and detect and report hostile surveillance. Not necessarily act on the intel ourselves.

Each course had multiple role-players, which added to the realism of walking into meetings and weapons buys not knowing who you’ll encounter. That coupled with active participation from local Law Enforcement made for one stressed out week of training, make that two weeks.

Area of Operations and Cover

The Holly Springs area is a small town where everyone knows everyone. This is something you could definitely run into on an intelligence gathering assignment, and one where your cover is truly a priority.

As some of you may know already, there are two types of cover. Cover for status and cover for action. Basically this means that you need to have a reason for being in or working in a country (CFS), and an explanation for your movements and purpose in everything you’re doing (CFA).

For instance, I carried a carpenter’s measuring tape with me in the vehicle to play into my cover for status as a construction worker building resources for DROK. Medical related professions and public relations are also good cover for status overseas.

To effectively use your cover you must be prepared to answer questions that might arise from the attention you attract in a small town. Much like the questions you’d be asked by a Customs Agent when traveling, What is your business here? Where are you from? How long will you be here?

There’s definitely no place in the world of intelligence for the meek. You have to be sharp witted, able to think on the fly, and know your cover and stick to it.

When working with a team, it’s imperative that everyone is on the same page when it comes to your cover. I, along with my team, learned this the hard way when Law Enforcement rolled us up during a mobile meeting. When the officers that detained us started poking around and searching our vehicles they found body armor, issues of SWAT Magazine, and my concealed carry weapon (on me). Yes, I wasn’t using my head. I was more worried about protection than thinking about the role-playing scenario, which was a disconnect I was able to fix when going back for my second class at SCG.

As I’ve made evident in the above example, another important aspect when working under a cover is proper sterilization. Nobody realized how important it was and everyone took it for granted. With those simple mistakes our whole cover was blown. How could we explain those things under the cover we were under or the political climate we were in?

Let me also add to know your AO by conducting good area fams prior to hitting the ground and getting eyes on once you’re there.

Busy Work

While we were being fed our regular intel updates, collecting our own intelligence to move our objectives forward and developing our tradecraft (see below), there was never a shortage of busy work or taskers.

Our taskers kept us constantly moving and on our feet ready for anything, alternatively this also ensured we were in condition orange 24/7 (bordering on red). Unlike other courses you may have been to that stop for lunch and end the day with everyone sitting around bullshitting, this isn’t one of them. There’s always work after class to prepare for the next day’s brief, a late night call to meet with a source, or worrying whether tonight will be the night DROK Police come to search your room while you’re sleeping.

The taskers usually included developing our ability to case the establishments where we ate lunch and additionally develop our HUMINT gathering abilities. Casing? Yep, just like a Sniper draws detailed maps, so did we. We knew the ins and outs of a building, where the fortified structures were, where the entrances and exits were, colored structure references (see photo, right), even how many people were working.

I actually continue to practice this skill often when my wife and I are out to eat or at a bar. I’d always paid attention to exits before, but never could I sit down, make one trip to the bathroom, and be able to sketch the building layout, camera locations, and everything in-between on a bar napkin.

did I mention that everything we were assigned to do had to be briefed afterward or the next day? Our briefs always included presenting detailed maps and sketches of the area on the white board while verbally running through our every move on site. I’m usually good at public speaking, but the breadth of the information and detailed timetables I was presenting felt overwhelming at times.

One thing that I was guilty of in both classes was carrying around copious notes containing sensitive information. Obviously my example of sketching a building on a bar napkin doesn’t fly when you’re trying to be discreet, but neither does thinking your going to eat your notes if you’re in trouble.

Developing Tradecraft

So what exactly is tradecraft? Tradecraft is acquired methods and natural talents used to get the job done. Simple as that, essentially it’s skill-sets.

Our tradecraft differed a little bit in the OSC than HUMINT, but again there was a lot of carryover. Below is just a taste of the content presented at SCG:

Protective Security Detail

What we didn’t get into during the HUMINT course was PSD (Protective Security Detail) work. While we were expected to have a firm understanding of PSD work in the OSC, we went over fundamentals like attack-on-principal, formations, covering and evacuating the VIP, drop-offs and pickups, IADs (immediate action drills), and vehicle bailouts.

In all PSD work the objective is to protect your VIP from harm, harassment and embarrassment while providing concentric rings of security.

Surveillance Detection Routes

SDRs are pre-planned, timed, routes of travel and stops, executed to detect and, if necessary, manipulate surveillance in order to accomplish an operational objective. SDRs are the tradecraft ace in the hole.

Through the use of these routes you’ll be focused on detecting surveillance through the route you plan, not chicken-necking to get a glimpse of who’s potentially following you. SDRs are also a great way for your team to run counter surveillance on you to see if you’re being followed.

For instance, during our HUMINT class, our team spent countless hours calculating SDRs to and from clandestine meetings with sources. We were lucky to have a member of our team that had lived in the AO and was truly a valuable area expert.

Using our SDRs we were able to have a vehicle running counter surveillance along our SDR by simply parking along the pre-determined route and noting if we had surveillance on us. Communications are also invaluable in this situation.

Dead Drops

I think one of the coolest parts of the HUMINT course was learning about Dead Drops and getting a homework assignment to create our own one night before class the next day. I’ve always had an affinity for the history behind Dead Drops and was excited to create my own. We had to subsequently use one to pass money for some information from a source.

If you’re unfamiliar with Dead Drops, these are simply an impersonal communication method to pass a message covertly.

Combatives and PT

One area that I feel made the SCG truly shine was their instruction on combatives and focus on fitness. During the first hour of the OSC there was a fitness test with a timed run, push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups. They strive to ensure their operators are in top physical condition, to truly be able to handle any situation.

The SCG Combatives Program teaches you how to handle yourself in situations where your hands are your only weapons. It’s not realistic to think that you’re going to shoot your way out of every situation, and bringing a gun into certain environments could ruin your cover and potentially take an operation months or years in planning and ruin it, just like that.

Rather than continue to explain SCG Combatives, I’d like to segue into a video I was able to film with D explaining the program.

Remember… Buddies, Weapons and Options…

Weapons Training

While the OSC or the HUMINT course weren’t dedicated shooting courses, we did spend a lot of time on the range. This was not only to ensure everyone qualified during the OSC, but to drive home the correlation between armed and unarmed combat.

Combatives has a large carry-over into range techniques, where the same stances that are the baseline for combatives are also the baseline for drawing from a holster. Watching someone’s hands rather than their face is also an important consideration when dealing with a potentially hostile individual.

While your brain is the first line of defense, ensuring you have marksmanship fundamentals down certainly doesn’t hurt. The one-on-one instruction I received during some of the HUMINT concealed carry pistol work was especially beneficial. D was able to spot an inconsistency in my sight alignment that I’d never noticed before, and once corrected, dramatically improved my performance.

You’ll see him in the photos and video watching me like a hawk!

Shoot House

During the OSC we were able to get into using the SCG Shoot House, which is truly a remarkable live-fire facility. 5,000 square feet of ballistic AR500 steel complete with a simulated airplane fuselage, jail cells, and meth lab.

Here’s a video walk-through of the awesomness! You’ll have to excuse the sound in this particular video, it was raining during the walkthrough and it sounds like static.

Wrap Up

I’ve never quite connected with training courses like I did with these from SCG International. I attribute that to the level of dedication, professionalism and passion for teaching that both D and Ski brought to the courses.

SCG looks at training from the “whole operator” perspective, which is how I feel that we should all look at our lives and training programs. Mental and emotional discipline, physical ability, managing stress, integrity, thinking on your feet, and having the intelligence to make the right decisions at all times are what separates the sheepdog from the flock.

My personal take on SCG is nothing short of outstanding, they hold themselves to an ethical standard that I both admire and respect. I wouldn’t hesitate taking another class from them to further my experience and knowledge base.

A special thanks to not only D and Ski, but to all my classmates from both classes, who I look forward to training and working with again in the future.

Two years ago, after going through CERT and a bunch of Red Cross Training, I decided it was time to really up my firearms training.

I started with the basics of renewing my Texas CHL (Concealed Handgun License), took some private tactical handgun and rifle lessons with a USSS (United States Secret Service) firearms instructor, took a more intensive 16 Hour tactical handgun course, and did some tactical shotgun training.

Eventually I realized that while I had tactical rifle training, I did not have more traditional rifle skills. Sure I could now clear a building, I could “run & gun”, but could I take down food or a threat at a meaningful distance with a rifle?

After making some calls and getting a lot of “Huhhh, I don’t know…” the best I could come up with was to shell out the cash and go to a Sniper School. The issue here is that if your skill level is not already to a certain level, you will not get your moneys worth. Fortunately I started to hear about the Appleseed Project before signing up with a Sniper School.

I researched Appleseed only a little before signing up and going. The price was right and they did not seem like tinfoil hat wearing nuts.

Not really knowing what I was getting into and not having the time to research them fully I went ahead and signed up for their RBC (Regular Boot Camp). All I knew was they were going to teach me how to shoot a rifle properly over eight days. By the time I left I had had an almost religious experience and made some life long friends in the process.

What is the Appleseed Project

The Appleseed Project is a program through the RWVA (Revolutionary War Veterans Association) that seeks to reignite the patriotic and liberty-oriented mindset that these United States were founded upon. The organization is not political, and endorses no candidates.

Appleseed is not a militia nor are they trying to raise an Army in anyway shape or form. This gets repeated pretty regularly in addition to, “Change will not come through the end of a barrel. Our forefathers already did that so we would not have to. Change comes at the ballet box.” Instructors give and students receive “Instruction” not training.

They are a 100 percent volunteer organization that is all about taking men, women, and children of all skill levels and teaching them to be “Riflemen”.

Rifleman: A Person who has learned to shoot a rifle accurately – accurate enough to score “expert” on the Army Qualification Course.

Here’s the secret, come in close – shhh don’t tell anyone, the rifle instruction is the caramel on the history apple. What that means is that the rifle instruction is a way of getting people to come listen to a history lesson in the hopes of exposing, educating, and if possible, re-awakening American. Specifically they teach the history of the events that started the American Revolution “Three Strikes of The Match”. The history and the underlining ideals of liberty of the Revolutionary War are really what the Appleseed Project is about.

Don’t get me wrong. There is a huge focus on Rifle Marksmanship and it is top notch. You will in fact spend 90% of your time at any of the events focused on becoming a better shot. However, if you are paying attention while you are there, you will take away so much more from the history aspect.

Quality Of Instruction

The lead instructor from my RBC had just come from spending a week at White Sands training 50 soldiers. This should tell you something about the quality and level of instruction you are getting. The US Army is now hiring Appleseed to train their soldiers that need to be able to make long range shots, but not be snipers. I can’t claim to know the regularity of this, but it is happening.

You could call the instruction a regression, not in a derogatory sense, in that it is more traditional rifle marksmanship instead of all the rifle courses out there that are either CQB our full-blown sniper school. Appleseed is a lot like what the Army used to teach and what really only the Marines teach these days in boot camp – last I checked.

Where Do I Signup?

Getting involved with the Appleseed Project can be a little convoluted at first. I love the organization, but their idea of getting info is “go read our forum”.  If you are like me, time is short, and you would rather not wade through countless threads trying to figure out everything you need to know. However, with some quick explanations, you will be on your way in no time. Let me save you some trouble and confusion.

Classifications Of Events

There are three kinds of events. First there are “Appleseed Shoots” (AS). These are two day basics classes or better termed as “foundational” classes. Believe me, no matter what you think your shooting level is, attend at least one of these first. Second, there are “Boot Camps” also known as RBCs (Regular Boot Camp). RBCs last for eight glorious days.

You get five days (8-9 hours a day) of rifle marksmanship instruction with a few breaks for history lectures. The sixth day is instructor’s instruction. You learn the fundamentals of teaching rifle marksmanship and the history. The seventh and eighth day you act as an Instructor In Training (IIT) at an AS  – providing you make Rifleman and accept the offer to be an instructor . Third type of event is for instructors only and is known as an IBC or “Instructor’s Boot Camp”. This is an intensive two day course for instructors and IITs wishing to further their teaching abilities and move up the instructor ladder of the program.

Who Can Go and What Does It Cost

Here is the best part. Appleseed is incredibly inexpensive for what you get out of it. For 2010 the fees for AS are: $45 a day or $70 for the weekend. Free for Women, Youth Under 21yrs, Active Military, Guard or Reserve with ID. “Pay at the door” fees: $50 a day or $80 for the weekend. Participants may be required to pay a range fee to be collected by the range.

As you might expect the the majority of participates are white males ages 30-40. While this is the majority (my observation only), it is not the whole. Every event I have been to has had a cross section of men, women, and kids.

Signing Up

Appleseed Shoots are held very regularly. In most areas there is one a month; sometimes more. You can find the scheduling information on their “Appleseed Locations” page.

RBCs are held less frequently because of how long they are and availability of facilities. You can find the RBC schedule on the “Appleseed Boot Camps” page. Be sure you are signing up for an RBC and not an IBC.

The Appleseed Project Forum stays pretty active and is a great resource for all things Appleseed. Everyone on it is friendly and answers come pretty quickly.

10 Quick Tips For A Good Event

1. Take the recommended amount of magazines – 6. Take an extra one if you can. Ten round magazines are best. Bigger is not better.
2. Pay special attention to the safety briefings.
3. Sun Block
4. Take food that is easy to prepare. You don’t get much break time during the day and at night you are so tired you won’t want to cook.
5. Leave what you know at home and come with an open teachable attitude. Do not show up with an “I already know how to shoot” attitude.
6. Do not obsess over making Rifleman. You will only stress yourself out and turn it into an unpleasant experience. Learning what they have to teach is more important than the patch.
7. Take rain gear. If it rains, you do not stop shooting.
8. Did I mention Sun Block?
9. Take lots of water and hydrating drinks like Gatorade.
10. Be sure you have at least the recommended amount of ammo. I recommend a buffer surplus. 22 is cheap.

What You Gain

The Appleseed Project RBC, simply put, can be an almost religious experience – if you let it be. I made some great friends and learned more than I would have imagined. It is an experience I highly recommend to anyone wanting to improve his or her marksmanship and really do something to make a difference.

Before finding Appleseed Project I was really at a loss for learning practical Rifle Marksmanship. There really is nothing else out there, that I could find, between the NRA hunters class and an expensive sniper school that would be a waste at my level of rifle experience. I can’t stress strongly enough that everyone should go to even just one two-day shoot.

Hope to see you on the firing line.

Editor’s Note: Please Join us in welcoming Aaron Frankel as a contributor on ITS Tactical! Aaron is a fellow Texan, and long time supporter of ITS. He has recently launched is own Survival Blog at www.intherabbithole.com

RSKTKR Consulting will be holding a 3.5 day Fighting Rifle class on July 19-22 2010 in Hoover, AL, hosted by the Hoover Police Department SWAT Team.

The class is open to vetted Military and Law Enforcement only and there are limited seats available. One of these seats will be held open for a deserving MIL or LEO Scholarship opportunity.

ITS Tactical is helping to sponsor the class, and along with all the other sponsors, will vote on who is most deserving of the free slot in the class. What we’d like everyone here to do is put together a few paragraphs on who you that is deserving, and why.

Email your submissions to doc@rsktkr.com where he’ll pool them all together and announce the deserving student. Further details on the class can be found in this PDF and online at RSKTKR.com

The rain apparently didn’t get the “Don’t mess with Texas” memo, as we definitely saw it on Sunday during the RSKTKR 1-Day Combative Pistol Class we hosted in Greenville, TX.

Despite the rain and eventual mud on the range, the class was a huge success! Jacob’s Plain Gun Range, where the class was held, proved to be less than ideal for a class our size though.

RSKTKR had originally capped the class at 20 people but let 2 more register since there’s always a few that don’t show up for various reasons, I know I’ve seen that at all the classes I’ve been to.

Well, everyone decided to show up, including two walk-ons. It proved to be a non-issue though, as the individual bays at the range only held about eight shooters across comfortably and we would have wound up having three relays anyway.

The range bays while a decent size for a pistol class, would not have given us the room we needed had this been a rifle class.

Instructors

Our instructors for the class were Mike “Doc” Hewett and his wife Andrea, along with assistant instructors Casey Bohn from The Caskell Group and Justin Springer of XS Sight Systems.

The crew did a phenomenal job relating the course material to all the different skill levels in attendance. We had quite a wide range of shooters, from those who had never been to any kind of formal training, up to those with Military, Law Enforcement and multiple classes under their belts.

Everyone seemed to take just what they needed from Doc’s instruction, which is the definition of a great instructor in my book. Doc had a unique way of explaining each of the class fundamentals with real life examples… despite having to give the fundamentals lecture under a tin roof in a heavy downpour (I could have sworn I heard hail too).

Gear Selection

The class was largely Concealed Carry based, which didn’t go to well with the Safariland Drop Leg Holster I was running, but I made it work. I was running a Sig Sauer P226 with a Surefire X200 WeaponLight, which ran like a champ. Despite dropping my mags in the mud with every mag change and emergency reload I had no failures to feed or any malfunctions.

The MSA Ranger Single Comm Hearing Protection I ran also took the rain just fine without any issue. I wore Oakley M-Frames with Amber lenses which truly helped with the overcast day. I’m not a big fan of the 1st Gen. M-Frames digging into my head beneath comms, but I’ve heard the 2nd Gen. frames are much more comfortable.

On my belt I wore two Emdom CQB Mag Pouches affixed to a Down Range Gear Belt Stabilizer. DRG was also a sponsor for the class (more later). The 215 Gear URB did a great job of holding my mag pouches and Safariland Holster throughout the day without sagging.

And I can’t forget to mention my Crye Precision Field Pants AC. While this will obviously vary for everyone reading this, these pants fit me perfectly. You know, that great feeling you get from a good fitting pair of blue jeans. Definitely the most comfortable tactical pants I’ve ever purchased.

Cold Quals

We started the day with a brief introduction and moved into Cold Quals, which is the equivalent of how it happens in real life if you’re involved in a shootout. Unless you’re a tier one shooter, odds are that you won’t have just been on the range when the bullets start flying.

The Cold Qual encompasses the two major points in Concealed Carry situations: Draw & Fire, and Emergency Reload. During the CQ the instructors were also looking at the shooter for the first time, noticing things like stance and grip.

Doc mentioned that there were a lot of stance and grip issue with this class due to the number of new shooters.

Due to the sudden downpour, which forced us all under the tin roof covered picnic area, only about half the class wound up getting through the Cold Qual. Doc expressed his disappointment with this, as it’s proven to be a valuable training tool to gauge results after the qual is run again at the end of the day.

Draw & Fire

Next we moved into draw and fire exercises where we worked on stance, grip, draw stroke, sight picture and trigger squeeze. Emphasis was placed on drawing your thumb straight up the rib cage, meeting and greeting your support hand and punching straight out to the threat.

A few people were corrected for fishing (throwing the gun down in an arc) and scooping (bringing the gun up in an arc) on the draw. The more efficient the draw the less chance there is for the bad guy to exploit an opportunity to take your weapon in a CQC situation.

Emergency Reload

The emphasis during the emergency reload practice was increased efficiency and economy of motion. Cutting out unnecessary movement reduces the time it takes you to perform the reload.

This is also one of the most time consuming pieces in a concealed carry situation. As Doc says, “You have the rest of your life to fix it.” Those seconds may not seem like they would matter, but those are seconds that could mean the difference between life and death.

The goal is to keep the Emergency Reload to sub 6 sec. while keeping your eye on the threat, cutting out extraneous movement and relying on instincts to perform it.

Doc also stressed that this is the time to develop your rituals, and carry them over into your daily routine. If you carry concealed, don’t just get into the habit of taking your gun out a the end of the day and placing it on your dresser.

Every time your hand goes to your weapon, use it as an opportunity to practice your draw stroke, scan & assess and back to high ready. Get into a ritual!

Doc doesn’t emphasize the “Tactical Reload” for concealed carry, which is retaining a partial magazine and topping off a weapon during a lull in the gunfight. The Tactical Reload definitely has its place, but I tend to agree that in a Civilian Concealed Carry situation I’ll be shooting until empty before reloading.

Malfunctions

After the Emergency Reload we moved into Malfunction Drills, which consisted of just one drill. Tap (tap the bottom of the magazine to ensure it’s seated), Rack (rack the slide to clear the malfunction), Ready (back to the ready position).

It used to be Tap, Rack, Bang, but Doc mentioned that somebody decided that Tap, Rack, Bang gives off the impression that as soon as the Tap and Rack is executed one should fire automatically.

I know that if I have to clear a malfunction I’m more than likely trying to shoot already, so I still prefer the Tap, Rack, Bang… personally. TRB will also clear about 90% of the malfunctions that are encountered with a pistol.

The next step after TRB, if it doesn’t clear the malfunction, is Lock (lock the slide to the rear), Rip (rip the magazine out), Work (work the slide back and forth at least three times), Tap, Rack, Ready.

Transitions

Next up were Transition Drills, where we’d draw down on a threat (the target directly in front of us) and then based on the command would fire 2 rounds to the body and 1 to the head of the threat in whichever direction was called (left or right).

The emphasis on these drills was using your eyes to move to the threat before your gun does. This avoids turreting, which as you can imagine is how a tank turret moves.

Turning Drills

For Turning Drills we faced up range, turning 180 degrees as the command “threat rear” was given followed by the direction we’d turn. We were educated on why you turn towards the front and not behind, to avoid obstacles that could be behind you.

You can’t pick up objects in your peripheral vision like you can turning towards the front, and while it may not save time compared to other turning movements, it will eliminate the possibility of tripping on an object. The other teaching point of this was to pivot on the foot of the direction you’re turning in.

The first step is to look over the shoulder of the direction you’ll be turning in, while making contact with your weapon. Next is the turn to the rear, and then and only then do you draw your weapon down on the threat.

This is to ensure that you have a stable shooting platform before starting your draw & fire. You may be able to unleash a few rounds from an unstable platform, but when you’re having to make transitions and movement you’ll need that stability.

Shooting & Moving

This was the other area we had to trim due to the rain and mud, as there was a safety concern from slipping while running. We did go over how to step while moving and shooting, just not running.

Emphasis here was placed on heel/toe contact to be able to respond to changes in the terrain, having a lower body position and taking shorter steps. If stepping normally while encountering an obstacle, you can correct for it faster using the heel/toe method.

While walking backwards run the opposite, toe/heel contact.

Single-Handed Shooting

Our last exercise of the day was Single-Handed Shooting, where we were taught two different techniques to stabilize our shooting platform when shooting one handed.

The first was “Muscular Tension” where the arm is significantly bent and the elbow is pointed down towards the ground. This creates additional muscular tension around the shoulder and adjoining muscles to help stabilize your shooting platform. I found this technique to work better for my strong side hand.

The other was canting the weapon at 45 degrees inboard to aid in lining the sights up. To me this was particularly important on my weak / non-dominant side as I did feel that it helped me line the sights up better.

Top Shooter

We held a shoot-off for top shooter at the end of class, as there wasn’t a Cold Qual score for everyone to compete with.

Our shoot-off consisted of a modified version of the new Navy Qual, which is much more difficult than it sounds.

I know that when I qualified as Expert in the Navy, it consisted of nothing more than a few rounds from standing, kneeling and prone. This was considerably more advanced.

Schwag

Our top shooter, William W., got first pick from the schwag pile consisting of an ITS Tactical ETA Kit, 2 Gift Certificates for free sights from XS Sight Systems, 2 Gift Certificates for free holsters from Peter’s Custom Holsters, a Down Range Gear Modular Panel Insert with Modular Holster Insert and a Tactical Revolution Plate Carrier.

The next six shooters down continued to pick until the schwag was gone! Congratulations guys!

Wrap Up

We’d like to thank RSKTKR for a stellar class and their level of knowledge, attention and passion that went into a great day of shooting, rain or not.

Thank you to all those that attended, it was great to put names with faces! I think we’ve got a great group that’s interested in training in the D/FW area, and we’re all looking forward to hosting more classes!

If you’ll excuse me, I still have some muddy magazines to clean out.
~ Bryan

Here’s a photo gallery of all the photos from the class! Click here to view the images on Flickr to download.

If you’ve read our review of OnPoint Tactical’s Urban Escape & Evasion Class and wanted to attend, now is your chance.

OnPoint Tactical has teamed up with The Survival Training Center to offer a live, streaming presentation of the next Urban E&E class in Los Angeles, CA February 25th – 27th 2010.

While we truly believe there’s much that will get lost in translation from the live course, it’s a great way to get the overall concepts and save money, time and the hassle of airports.

The online course will enable you to “raise your virtual hand” and ask the instructor questions “real time.”

Here’s a sampling of what you’ll learn:

• Stress inoculation (how to lower your stress)
• Urban Survival Gear
• Urban Caching
• Urban Movement
• Escape from Illegal Custody (escape handcuffs, other restraints)
• Social Engineering
• Disguises
• Improvised Weapons
• Lock Picking (doors, padlocks, etc)
• Automotive Picking/Starting
• Defeating Security

The normal OnPoint Tactical Urban E&E Class now runs $800 plus lodging, airfare and meals. This new online offering costs just $350 and you get $150 in free gear, which includes Lockpicks, Handcuffs, Car Picks, Training Locks and more.

Those interested in signing up can register directly on The Survival Training Center registration page.

The Survival Training Center hopes to build upon the success of this introductory offering from OnPoint, by eventually offering their complete course catalog online.

Unless you’ve been living under a tactical rock for the last few days, you’ve hopefully seen the awesome new trailers from Magul Dynamics.

The two latest DVDs they’ll be releasing in February are “Aerial Platform Operations,” and “Art of the Dynamic Handgun.”

If you aren’t familiar with their first two DVDs, The Art of the Tactical Carbine I and II, check them out here on Magpul.com

We highly recommend these DVDs!

ITS Tactical is proud to announce that we’re hosting a RSKTKR 1-Day Combative Pistol Class here in the D/FW Area.

The class will begin at 0900 Sunday, February 21st at Jacob’s Plain Gun Club in Greenville, TX and run until the late afternoon.

Cost will be $150 for the class and $15 for the range fee. We’re working on a price break and sponsors too, so the class tuition could wind up being a bit cheaper and have some great giveaways as well.

Of course there will be some ITS Schwag to giveaway and the top shooter will win an ITS Tactical ETA Kit ($100 value).

We’ve only got a few slots left to fill, so if you’re interested, drop us a line here. There will be a $50 non-refundable deposit due by January 21st to hold a spot in the class.

Here’s the tentative training schedule:

• Muster
• Instructor Introduction
• Course Explanation and expectations
• Weapon safety / med brief / Range Rules
• Admin Load and press checks
• Cold qualification 12 rounds
• Fundamentals of Combative Pistol
• Practical Application through Dry Fire Drills 7yd
• Warm ups 3 magazines 45 rounds
• Communications
• Threat Front drills 7 yards 3 magazines 45 rounds
• Emergency reloads Dry Fire
• Emergency Reload Prac App 7 yd 45 rounds
• Tactical reload 30 rounds
• Malfunctions and Single Hand Shooting / Practice Rounds (5 each) and 30 rounds
• Multiple Target Transitions 30 rounds
• 180′s 30 rounds
• Finishing Drills 30 rounds
• Shooting and moving 3 magazine 45 rounds
• Monica, Prone, Urban Prone, and other unusual positions VTACS from the 7 magazine 45 rounds

Tenative gear list is as follows:

• Pistol w/ min. 2 mags – preferably four
• 300 rounds of ammunition
• Holster (what you’d like to use, if you typically carry a drop-leg then use a drop-leg, if you carry concealed, then bring that holster, etc.)
• Mag Pouches (if you use them)
• Eye pro
• Ear pro
• Field Hat (Baseball Hat)
• Cleaning equip.

Here’s some further information from the RSKTKR Web site on their Combative Pistol Classes

The Combative Pistol Classes are directly based on my time in the Military with Security Forces as a 9545, in Force Reconnaissance Co. as a 8404, as a Private Military Contractor in the Middle East and Europe, and as a Contracted Firearms Instructor for the Federal Air Marshal Service. The skill sets I teach in this portion are directly related to surviving a tactical situation, and are a stepping stone to higher Tier Level shooting skills.

Stance, Grip, Draw-Stroke, Site Alignment, Trigger Squeeze, Follow Through, And Rituals This course covers all the fundamentals and is a fun day on the range. Starting with a safety brief and progressing to several courses of fire designed to build good habits. We will evaluate and fix down to the smallest detail any shooting problems you may have. We have real world experience as well as thousands of hours of Instruction Time that can be used to your advantage to make you a better shooter.

Additional Skill sets taught in this series of classes will include but is not limited to:

Personal defense skills: Shooters will learn skills to enable them to be able to protect themselves in both combat and non-combat situations. Personal defense skills will directly relate to and enhance the performance of armed combat skills. No skills will hinder the operator’s ability to shoot, and all training will focus solely on tactical operational environments.

Attack the Attacker mindset: Having the shooter attack the attacker and gain the tactical advantage through aggressive movement into the adversary.

Immediate actions: Methods to react appropriately to multiple immediate threats during any situation.

Weapon handling, carriage and stowage (both primary and secondary): Proper procedures on how to safely and effectively handle weapon in a high threat environment. Also learn concealed weapon techniques and proper stowage and handling.

Tactical movement and use of cover: Techniques on how to move and use cover to your tactical advantage.

Target identification, threat assessment and determination and application of appropriate response: Training will include methods to identify targets and prioritize the threat through threat assessment and include realistic training scenarios for shooters to perform these skills under realistic pressure.

Practical evolution and validation exercises (Quick Reaction drills and FTX scenarios) designed for mission specific tasks: All phases of training will include a validation exercise to ensure that techniques learned can be properly applied by all shooters in multiple high intensity combat training scenarios.

Let us know if you have any questions, and we hope you can make it out to the class!

S.W.A.T. Magazine has recently alluded to a new TV show they’ll begin airing in January.

Rather than paraphrase, we’d like to share the show details straight from the Press Release on S.W.A.T.

S.W.A.T. Magazine TV will begin airing its weekly show January 2010, on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on the Outdoor Channel.

The show will mirror the same integrity, professionalism and thorough insight that S.W.A.T. Magazine (www.SWATmag.com) has published for more than 25 years, under meticulous oversight of Editor Denny Hansen.

Rob Pincus, staff S.W.A.T. Magazine writer since 2001 and host of S.W.A.T. Magazine TV, said, “S.W.A.T. Magazine is a trusted and respected magazine, which provides its readers with valuable information on the latest weapons and tactical training techniques.

It was only natural for S.W.A.T. Magazine’s next development to become a TV show. Our goal with the show is to provide the same quality information that we provide in the magazine, but delve further into topics that our readers want to see. We have many great guests that will be appearing, and, they’ll discuss a myriad of topics from what their roles are in providing safety and security to the importance of using realistic targets.”

S.W.A.T. Magazine TV guests include S.W.A.T. Magazine staff writers, instructors, industry representatives and people who are interested in developing their firearms knowledge and tactical skills.

Featured guests include Louis Awerbuck, Tony Blauer, Travis Haley, James Yeager and other instructors currently active in the military and law enforcement professions. Special segments will offer a unique look at the special teams and components of law enforcement, private security and the military world.

Other segments include a feature with S.W.A.T. Magazine columnist Brent Wheat, where he’ll discuss issues that affect everyone interested in personal safety, as well as instructor and team profiles.

Here’s a YouTube clip of the promo: