After Action Reports
sorry folks, with all that we have going on this is the hardest page to give attention to but we try to leave these up so that if there is a learning point you can get it!!!!
Tactical Carbine One
24/25 September, 2011
Awesome is the only way to describe this course. We had great shooters from all over, Maine, Florida, Virginia, Ohio and a fine local representation. We had a Law Enforcement Instructor, a former Blackwater Instructor, a Navy Corpsman, some folks that don't want to be mentioned and some regular folks. All worked to a very high level. I am deeply honored that you guys would pay your money and travel so far to train with MAT and that you local folks keep coming back.
As for learning points, too many to mention. One student shot the course with an H&K 91; 7.62 caliber and 11.2 pound trigger pull, no optics. This is a big, heavy rifle. He was dead on, but it is tough to keep up the firing rate with that heavier recoil and only twenty round mags. The other students did not realize his workload until they fired his weapon at the end of class. If you want to get to be really fast on your standard weapon, train on a higher caliber.
The weekend was hot, we got some rain, but that is what we want with a class like this. We know we can fight under the best of conditions, we want to know what happens when things get a bit more difficult.
There were gear issues right and left. We expect those in level one courses but we want them ironed out when you advance to level two work. Optics, sights, kit/ammo managment, all the regular stuff. Learning about your gear and how to fight through it is a valuable, although sometimes frustrating lesson. The wrong gear and/or not understanding your gear can get you killed as quickly as anything else.
As an instructor, I am also on the job to learn. This class was great for expanding my view as an instructor. We live for the mistakes on the range. That is where the growth really occurs. When a guy can't finish an iteration because he didn't bring enough ammo, or a mag is defective, or I prounounce him dead because he did not scan due to being caught up in his perfect shooting. This is where we want to make those mistakes, not in the real gunfight. You're going to fight like you train, and we train at a rigorous pace in the tactical series. We have the highest caliber of student and that is allowing us to push these courses further and faster.
Many thanks to all of you that participated. Look for bunches of new photos thanks to SN and enjoy the new look on the website thanks to NL. See www.TacticalWeaponsTraining.com for our great new look.
All in all, over 6100 miles were traveled by students to attend this class. That is a new record here at MAT.
What a great life out on the range. You guys make it possible.
Thanks, hope to see you soon! 