AAR: ShivWorks Armed Movement In Structures - FEB 2016 - Lincoln, NE

5W's and 1H:
• Who: Craig Douglas - ShivWorks
• What: Armed Movement In Structures (AMIS)
• When: February 26-27, 2016.
• Where: Lincoln, NE
• Why: Armed movement in structures while working as an individual.
• How: Power point, Discussion, Practical Application, Scenarios.

Instructor:
• Craig Douglas, AKA - SouthNarc
• LE Background: 20+ years experience in full-time LE with line assignments in Corrections, Patrol, SWAT.
• Combatives Background: 30+ years experience in Philippine, Indonesian, Brazilian, and Japanese martial arts.

Students:
• Numbers: 17
• Backgrounds: Civilians, Current/Former Mil, 1 LE.
• Group Specific: A large portion, roughly half of the course was composed of an armed church security team.

Topics Covered:
• Individual versus Team Movements in structures.
• How to view structures while working in them.
• Visual impediments in structures.
• Distance in regards to objects and fields of view.
• Shooting platform changes while working inside structures.
• An individuals working pace while in structures.
• Gaining initiative and control.
• Gaining positional dominance.
• Threat engagement - verbal.
• Threat engagement - lethal.
• Low light.

Evolutions:
• Unopposed.
• Opposed - individual attacker.
• Low Light - individual attacker.
• Opposed - multiple attackers.
• Opposed - multiple attackers with simulated family members in the structure.

Structure Details:
• Large, multistory, active, working church filled with all of the things you would normally see in a "working" office building.
• The church contained classrooms, bathrooms, kitchen space, office spaces, closets, storage rooms, stairwells, utility rooms and greeting areas.
• All areas of the structure had the ability to be well lit or darkened down depending on the scenario.

Course Overview:
We started AMIS off with student and instructor bios, then jumped into the introduction portion of the course which included a power point presentation and dissection/ discussion of a an officer involved shooting.

Following the course intro and video, we discussed a variety of topics and then began what Craig refers to as "Chalkboard Hell" where students we called to the front of the classroom to discuss and diagram how they would negotiate a structure that was drawn on a dry erase board.

Once the "classroom" portion was complete we were broke up into teams and were directed to our team specific area to start working on the topics we covered in the classroom. The structure we were using was large and allowed us to have four separate training "lanes". We worked through lanes, rotating through individually for 30 - 60 minutes and then rotated as a team to other lanes. Initially we worked unopposed, as the course progressed, opposition was added as were low light and multiple threat problems. Craig worked between the groups providing insight in to negotiating areas and problems.

Just as the other courses of Craig's that I've attended, AMIS was a well planned out and organized course that provided a great deal of benefit to those that may have to deal with a structure while alone. As I've witnessed all of his courses, Craig provided excellent direction and guidance and constantly provided feedback throughout the entire course.

V/r - Rob