Preface, I am not going to discuss any tactics etc. for CQB Clearance on an open board.
I will have a more detailed AAR and offer to folks with a .gov type email who are interested in my thoughts.
Instructors: Jason Falla, and Brian (recently retired from NSW Combat Development Group)
Day 1 0800 Class begins with Qualification Shoot, a timed 5yd and 15yd shoot with both pistol and carbine. The standard for the shoot are available on the joining instructions – but basically a 6” bull at 5yds under 2 sec from a turn (left, right, or about). At the 15yd under 3 sec and the pistol bull was opened to 12”. Pass was 90% (or 1 pistol or 1 rifle) out of the bull at each range.
We then removed our kit (pretty much 100% of all of this was shot in full “high level” gear – plates, helmet, though no gas mask for this aspect as several of the LE members did not get the joining instructions before they departed for the class, and Jason decided that he would keep us all the same), and went into the class room for some theory of CQB classes.
Then we went into the house for some dry drills: Prior to entry all kit was checked and live ammo was removed from person, gear and weapons, and re-inspected by one of the instructors.
We had 9 students, broken up into two teams. The student/instructor ratio was amazing, as one team would work certain drills with Jason and then the teams would flip. I was on Yellow Team and we started with Brian for some basic 2 man entry drills doing Strong Wall Center Fed rooms. We flipped later to Jason for Corner Fed. After a period of instruction we then came out and then bombed up to run it live.
All of the instruction was building block based, in a walk before you run concept, using Explanation, Demonstration, and Imitation type of Instruction (EDI). One aspect that was completely foreign to me was the use of high ready. All of my CQB experience before had been from low ready. It took me a while for me to get into using High Ready, but we got an excellent explanation/demonstration from both Brian and Jason as to the advantages of using it in a CQB scenario – and also a rational as to why Low Ready came to be.
TD1 Live Fire in the House ended at 22:15 and we moved into the Classroom for some more lessons, and finished TD1 at around 23:05
TD2 Started at 0800 in the classroom, and then rolled into Dry Drills (again inspected weapons etc) and on to Live Fire Drills. We also started doing 4 man Entry’s on TD2. Continuation of EDI building upon skills, then Live Firing follows Dry Runs. During TD2 we also incorporated the use of DD’s (Expended Bodies being used instead of live bangs) into door mechanics and entries. At 1800 we went back into the house using Low Light/No Light methods, and conducted Dry then Live Low Light Training. TD2 ended at 22:55.
TD3 Started at 0830 with Dry Drill Entries with both Teams, then rolling into Live.
After Lunch we cleared out all the weapons – and went into Sim training. All magazines where verified clear (for pistol or 5.56mm Sim kits) and all Weapons and kit where double checked to ensure no live ammunition was being introduced.
We then entered the Force on Force portion of the class. Since all the rest of the class where LE/Gov personnel, I volunteered to be a Role Player/Hostile, and then the class did several Sim Hits on the house with compliant and hostile role players.
At around 1745 we cleared out of the house for the class debrief, and clean up – finish time was around 1900. At this time Jason also read off the results of the TD1 Qual Shoot – only 1 shooter managed the to pass both the 5 and 15 shoot, and I owe it to my recent Combat Carbine Class with REDBACKONE. He pointed out that no one had failed by a significant margin enough that he felt there where safety concerns and had not wanted to shake anyone with the results prior.
For a 3 day class, it had in excess of 40hrs of instruction/training. REDBACKONE offers this as the Intro portion of their CQB package, with more advanced program of instruction in following blocks. I really enjoyed the class, and found changes in Tactics from what I last did CQB. I had not been in the house since a 5 day CQB Instructor class with LAV, and I was a little rusty. I think I got a lot more out this class, I think we shot a lot less than any other CQB class I’ve taken either in the Military or later, but there were a lot of decision based scenario’s, which considering the LE nature of the class as a primary focus was better (I believe). Every dropped shot in the house (outside the head) was a lap down to the elevated firing tower – and the walk (run) of shame as you and all the team knew you screwed up. I did a lap for a dropped shot that I took upon entry while moving to move position, and Jason pointed out repeatedly that in HR type clearance that it was better at our skill levels to wait until we had a stable firing position for the longer shots, and only engage immediate threat targets on the move.
I think everyone was very happy with the class based on class discussion throughout and I would highly recommend RedbackOne for any entities training requirements.
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Originally Posted by GIFFMANN
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