Full Spectrum Training

[CT45]

It is not a secret, that shooting is just a part of a complete training process, that needs to cover many other aspects i.e. physical, tactics, first aid, comms etc. There are companies out there, that provide such training outside the military curriculum. Civillians that meet certian prerequisites, potentially, can challenge themselves further in the areas of their interests by taking such courses.

Just recently, I came across an interesting course review, excerpts from which I'll try to translate and leave here along with pictures for visualization. The course was conducted by a trained Russian volunteer civillian, who took part in real combat a few years ago and provides private training nowadays. Hope everyone will find some applicable ideas interesting. Corrections are appreciated...

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The course lasted from the early morning Nov. 7th to Nov. 8th. No night break. The group of participating students was given a theory class the day before, but had never had prior military training of this type.

Mission: Move undetected to a point about 1 hour away using GPS in full gear (30+ lbs) and weapons (airsoft), where further orders will be provided. While moving, the group needed to maintain a simple visual and noise discipline, and avoid any contact - nothing special.




1 hour later the group didn't arrive to the destination. In 30 minutes I made a radio contact with the group, which missed the point by 800 meters and got lost. The allowed error was 100 meters. As a result of mistakes in navigation and topography the group got into an enemy ambush [the instructor gave commands right on the spot]. The last memeber of the group got wounded and because the distance between the group memebers was too long didn't get the medical attention right away - he goes unconscious. Eventually, someone administers him first aid.



Only the group leader keeps firing at the enemy, and loses control of his group. Others just hide. Because the leader fires from one spot only, without changing the position, the enemy focuses their fire on him. He gets a wound to the left arm with arterial bleeding. He is able to apply a combat tourniquet and still able to stay in the fight, but uneffective as a group leader. His immediate commands are not duplicated throughout the group as well. The group completely unprepared for such emergency.




Another group memeber is kneeling behind the tree, thinking the tree is a cover. He is wounded, goes unconscious.



He gets first aid, but the member administering it gets killed himself.

Result: the group is dispersed, practically distroyed. Only the group leader was able to move away from the abmush site, but because of his continued bleeding was tracked by the enemy and killed 30 minutes later.



The group members didn't follow a simple three step proccess in a hasty ambush:

1. Drop down and move from the spot.
2. Immediately open fire towards the enemy.
3. Depending on the orders, using firepower and smoke, move away from the ambush site by coordinated, prearranged movement carrying your wounded.

The combat reality was reproduced in about 40%...

Reset.

The group got its next orders. Again got lost even using the GPS and missed the point by 400 meters. As a result they got onto a mine field. Explosion. A group memeber from the very center gets both legs blown away, but in a shock tries to slide on his belly. The group leader stops others from rushing to him as the ground around must be checked for mines. Only 6 minutes later the wounded gets his first aid.




The tourniquets were improperly administered, had to reapplied. 12 minutes later. Only 15 minutes later they started his body check for other wounds. 20 minutes later the group started preparing him for evacuation.



The training continued throught the night. The group orders were to maintain strict light and noise discipline and move to the next point.




During the move the group heard human noises not far away but in a thick bush. Had to properly ID the enemy and attack him. It went fine, but the approach was too noisy. The killsed enemy was not searched for documents and maps. They also missed a wounded enemy member a few meters away in the bush, who opened fire on them. They managed the thread, but got one member wounded themselves.



The enemy opened mortar fire in the direction of a firefight at night covering the approximate location of the group. The group needed to move under fire away from the spot with their wounded. Their energy really started coming to an end and they had to use all their will power to continue dragging their wounded member. But because it took them so long a mortar landed very close and killed the whole group.

Reset. Moving to the next objective. Enemy detected. Need to manoeuvre and attack providing cover fire for advancing memebers of the group. Energy levels are very low, it is all just will power.



A member gets a neck wound... Everybody gets killed who tries to administer the first aid while in the kneeling position.



Reset.

The group needs to move to the starting point of the day before. The energy levels are way too low. The members need to seek themselves deep inside to keep moving, and follow the orders.

Final thoughts: Not bad for the beginners. But clearly, physical conditioning must be moved higher on their list, as well as their moral toughness. Development of both is my primary purpose as an instructor, along with teaching the proper basics that sometimes are taken for granted.

[26 Inf]

It is not a secret, that shooting is just a part of a complete training process, that needs to cover many other aspects i.e. physical, tactics, first aid, comms etc. There are companies out there, that provide such training outside the military curriculum. Civillians that meet certian prerequisites, potentially, can challenge themselves further in the areas of their interests by taking such courses.

Just recently, I came across an interesting course review, excerpts from which I'll try to translate and leave here along with pictures for visualization. The course was conducted by a trained Russian volunteer civillian, who took part in real combat a few years ago and provides private training nowadays. Hope everyone will find some applicable ideas interesting. Corrections are appreciated...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The course lasted from the early morning Nov. 7th to Nov. 8th. No night break. The group of participating students was given a theory class the day before, but had never had prior military training of this type.

Mission: Move undetected to a point about 1 hour away using GPS in full gear (30+ lbs) and weapons (airsoft), where further orders will be provided. While moving, the group needed to maintain a simple visual and noise discipline, and avoid any contact - nothing special.




1 hour later the group didn't arrive to the destination. In 30 minutes I made a radio contact with the group, which missed the point by 800 meters and got lost. The allowed error was 100 meters. As a result of mistakes in navigation and topography the group got into an enemy ambush [the instructor gave commands right on the spot]. The last memeber of the group got wounded and because the distance between the group memebers was too long didn't get the medical attention right away - he goes unconscious. Eventually, someone administers him first aid.



Only the group leader keeps firing at the enemy, and loses control of his group. Others just hide. Because the leader fires from one spot only, without changing the position, the enemy focuses their fire on him. He gets a wound to the left arm with arterial bleeding. He is able to apply a combat tourniquet and still able to stay in the fight, but uneffective as a group leader. His immediate commands are not duplicated throughout the group as well. The group completely unprepared for such emergency.




Another group memeber is kneeling behind the tree, thinking the tree is a cover. He is wounded, goes unconscious.



He gets first aid, but the member administering it gets killed himself.

Result: the group is dispersed, practically distroyed. Only the group leader was able to move away from the abmush site, but because of his continued bleeding was tracked by the enemy and killed 30 minutes later.



The group members didn't follow a simple three step proccess in a hasty ambush:

1. Drop down and move from the spot.
2. Immediately open fire towards the enemy.
3. Depending on the orders, using firepower and smoke, move away from the ambush site by coordinated, prearranged movement carrying your wounded.

The combat reality was reproduced in about 40%...

Reset.

The group got its next orders. Again got lost even using the GPS and missed the point by 400 meters. As a result they got onto a mine field. Explosion. A group memeber from the very center gets both legs blown away, but in a shock tries to slide on his belly. The group leader stops others from rushing to him as the ground around must be checked for mines. Only 6 minutes later the wounded gets his first aid.




The tourniquets were improperly administered, had to reapplied. 12 minutes later. Only 15 minutes later they started his body check for other wounds. 20 minutes later the group started preparing him for evacuation.



The training continued throught the night. The group orders were to maintain strict light and noise discipline and move to the next point.




During the move the group heard human noises not far away but in a thick bush. Had to properly ID the enemy and attack him. It went fine, but the approach was too noisy. The killsed enemy was not searched for documents and maps. They also missed a wounded enemy member a few meters away in the bush, who opened fire on them. They managed the thread, but got one member wounded themselves.



The enemy opened mortar fire in the direction of a firefight at night covering the approximate location of the group. The group needed to move under fire away from the spot with their wounded. Their energy really started coming to an end and they had to use all their will power to continue dragging their wounded member. But because it took them so long a mortar landed very close and killed the whole group.

Reset. Moving to the next objective. Enemy detected. Need to manoeuvre and attack providing cover fire for advancing memebers of the group. Energy levels are very low, it is all just will power.



A member gets a neck wound... Everybody gets killed who tries to administer the first aid while in the kneeling position.



Reset.

The group needs to move to the starting point of the day before. The energy levels are way too low. The members need to seek themselves deep inside to keep moving, and follow the orders.

Final thoughts: Not bad for the beginners. But clearly, physical conditioning must be moved higher on their list, as well as their moral toughness. Development of both is my primary purpose as an instructor, along with teaching the proper basics that sometimes are taken for granted.

I would say that this trainer tried to move things along too quickly. Talk then do is not a good model. There should have been walk throughs of everything that was thrown at them. And then drills. And then the exercise.

The energy levels are way too low. The members need to seek themselves deep inside to keep moving, and follow the orders I would expect that everyone was down. Folks should understand that combat is a good way to get killed, but these guys were set up for failure. The way to get them to keep moving is to give them the confidence they know what to do. This guy didn't - he is a no go as a trainer as far as I'm concerned.