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HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit to Provide Immersive Training with Scenarios Created by Strategic Operations

Friday, September 28th, 2012

A Developing World Village Movie Set to be Constructed as a Realistic Environment for Counter-Terrorism, “Zombie Apocalypse” and Disaster Response Scenarios –

The HALO Corporation, a private security firm, and Strategic Operations, a provider of pre-deployment training to over 600,000 military personnel, today announced the details of the immersive Hyper-Realistic training scenarios that will take place at the upcoming HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit (Oct. 29-Nov. 2, San Diego).

According to Strategic Operations’ Executive Vice President Kit Lavell, “In a massive training effort that has rarely been conducted outside of military facilities, Strategic Operations will construct a developing world village on site at Paradise Point (aka ‘HALO Island’) utilizing Hollywood magic. As the backdrop for daily training scenarios, this parking lot-sized movie set will feature state-of-the-art structures, pyrotechnic battlefield effects, medical special effects, vehicles and blank-firing weapons.”

Utilizing the unique island setting, the HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit is designed from the ground up to simulate real-world scenarios where operators can apply information safely in a controlled environment, without real-world consequences. By partnering with Strategic Operations, the Summit is able to offer Hyper-Realistic training, which provides such a high degree of fidelity in the replication of battlefield conditions in a training environment that participants willingly suspend disbelief and become totally immersed in the training environment. The resulting “stress inoculation” effect for military and law enforcement personnel results in enhanced training and increased situational awareness in real world situations which hopefully will save lives. Conference attendees will be able to observe three different themed scenarios that will run twice daily (during daylight and at night).

Downed Pilot Rescue Scenario – Oct. 30
The first-day scenario will feature action in the village, and in the air above Mission Bay. A downed pilot is trapped in the village and an airborne quick reaction force (QRF) will parachute onto HALO Island (weather and other factors permitting) to attempt to extract the downed pilot while the opposition force fires rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and small arms fire at them. The quick reaction force fights off the opposition, fights its way into the village, locates and administers aid to the pilot, extracts him and egresses. The airborne QRF will be comprised of former Navy SEALs called the Elite Frogs.

Zombie Apocalypse Scenario – Oct. 31 (Halloween)
A VIP and his personal security detail (PSD) are trapped in a village surrounded by zombies. The VIP is in a building with his PSD, meeting with local officials. As the team begins to depart, a zombie-driven truck with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) enters the area and is engaged by the security detail, resulting in early detonation of the VBIED. The VIP is wounded and his team must move through town while taking small arms fire and RPGs from the enemy. An armored vehicle arrives to extract the VIP and his team under fire. Shooters and PSD personnel are trapped in a walled-in compound by zombies. A firefight ensues, killing zombies, many of which fall and get up, needing to be shot several times before dying for good. Two members of the PSD are bitten by zombies outside of the compound. Once all zombies are dead, shooters take personnel to a field medical facility for security, decontamination and medical attention.

Medical Civil Action Program (MEDCAP) Scenario – Nov. 1
A MEDCAP mission in a remote village comes under attack by drug criminals. A quick reaction force will subdue the criminals. Once the initial fire fight is over, the quick reaction force will then infiltrate into the village and subsequently secure the MEDCAP personnel and deal with the immediate aftermath of the attack, including casualties. Once the casualties have been stabilized, and the area is secured, the quick reaction will then extract the MEDCAP personnel out of the hostile area.

*All scenarios are subject to change.

There’s still time to register for the 2012 HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit. It is being held Oct 29 – Nov 2, 2012 at Paradise Point Resort in San Diego, California. You can register with EOY funds and use new year travel money to get there. For information or to register, call (619) 881-9125 ext. 3, email info@thehalocorp.com or visit www.TheHaloSummit.com.

Gunfighter Moment – Mike Pannone

Saturday, September 22nd, 2012

“There’s no substitute for good marksmanship. For that very reason you have to learn to love the things you hate to do. Don’t practice what you’re already good at, work on your deficits and keep a log of times and scores as well as the schematics of the course of fire and weapon/ammo used. Maintain your strong existing skills but spend the bulk of the time on those things you are challenged with and you’ll see your performance increase dramatically. Training time and ammunition are finite resources so use them wisely and efficiently. A perfect example is bull’s-eye shooting. It is particularly skill intensive but is the foundation for all rifle and pistol marksmanship. Times may vary from gun to gun but good marksmanship never changes. If you can’t shoot slow and straight you certainly can’t shoot fast and straight.”

-Mike Pannone

Mike Pannone retired from the Army’s premier assault force (1st SFOD-D) after an explosive breaching injury. A year after his retirement America was attacked on 9/11 and he returned to help serve his country as the head marksmanship instructor at the Federal Air Marshals training course and then moved to help stand up the FAMS Seattle field office. In 2003 he left the FAMS to serve as a PSD detail member and then a detail leader for the State Department during 2003 and 2004 in Baghdad and Tikrit.

In 2005 he served as a ground combat advisor of the Joint Counter IED Task Force and participated on combat operations with various units in Al Anbar province. Upon returning he gave IED awareness briefings to departing units and helped stand up a pre-Iraq surge rifle course with the Asymmetric Warfare Group as a lead instructor. With that experience as well as a career of special operations service in Marine Reconnaissance, Army Special Forces and JSOC to draw from he moved to the private sector teaching planning, leadership, marksmanship and tactics as well as authoring and co-authoring several books such as The M4 Handbook, AK Handbook and Tactical Pistol shooting. Mike also consults for several major rifle and accessory manufacturers to help them field the best possible equipment to the warfighter, law enforcement officer and upstanding civilian end user. He is considered a subject matter expert on the AR based Stoner platform in all its derivatives.

www.ctt-solutions.com

Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Alias Training & Security Services. Each week Alias brings us a different Trainer and in turn they offer some words of wisdom.

Gunfighter Moment – Pat McNamara

Saturday, September 15th, 2012

“I encourage those that I’m training to consider training the way a professional athlete would. The professional athlete does not focus on the outcome.  Outcome based training is an anachronism.  The pro athlete uses performance based training.
We are consumed by outcomes; how many, how much,  how fast? vs. ‘how well?’
When we are consumed by the outcome it will sabotage our ability to perform.
Slow down and perform the perfect repetition.  Be introspective. Self coach and self critique.  The probability of achieving the outcome you desire will increase once you let go of the need to have it.
If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.”

Patrick McNamara
SGM, US Army (Ret)


Patrick McNamara spent twenty-two years in the United States Army in a myriad of special operations units. When he worked in the premier special missions unit, he became an impeccable marksman, shooting with accurate, lethal results and tactical effectiveness. McNamara has trained tactical applications of shooting to people of all levels of marksmanship, from varsity level soldiers, and police officers who work the streets to civilians with little to no time behind the trigger.

His military experience quickly taught him that there is more to tactical marksmanship than merely squeezing the trigger. Utilizing his years of experience, McNamara developed a training methodology that is safe, effective and combat relevant and encourages a continuous thought process. This methodology teaches how to maintain safety at all times and choose targets that force accountability, as well as provides courses covering several categories, including individual, collective, on line and standards.

While serving as his Unit’s Marksmanship NCO, he developed his own marksmanship club with NRA, CMP, and USPSA affiliations. Mac ran monthly IPSC matches and ran semi annual military marksmanship championships to encourage marksmanship fundamentals and competitiveness throughout the Army.

He retired from the Army’s premier hostage rescue unit as a Sergeant Major and is the author of T.A.P.S. (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting).

tmacsinc.com

Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Alias Training & Security Services. Each week Alias brings us a different Trainer and in turn they offer some words of wisdom.

Chris Costa Announces RockTape as New Syndicate Partner

Friday, September 14th, 2012

Chris Costa has announced a new syndicate partner. I’ll certainly say that Costa uses what works. Below is the story of how he learned about RockTape and adopted it. The take away here is that for him, RockTape works but he doesn’t want you using it unless you need it. Otherwise, it would be like hobbling around on crutches when your ankles are fine.

For those that saw me earlier this year I was wearing an ACE wrap on my left arm due to all the shooting and ground work I have been doing this year. I just haven’t had a chance to give my arm a break and there is really no let up in sight. A student that does cross fit showed up in my class recently with this tape on her arm and when I inquired to what it was and did it really work, she wrapped my arm up with this product called RockTape. I, like many others, figured I would just fall victim to a placebo affect and believe that having stretchy tape on my arm was really helping me. I have to say I was dead wrong. My arm normally twitches when I shoot, that twitch was gone and my arm felt almost normal when I was shooting. It gave me support but also increased blood flow that is normally restricted in that area.

RockTape makes many different types based on how aggressive and what environment you may find yourself in, for example water they make a H2O tape. One of the cool things is that this tape lasts for about five days, and yes that means taking a shower with it on. Is RockTape for everyone, NO. Don’t wear it to look cool, wear it if you need it. There are many other applications based on problem areas with the body. Please stop by and check them out.

www.costaludus.com

BHI Introduces New Defensive Pistol Course for SOF

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

Blackheart International developed their Defensive Pistol Course specifically for special operations personnel who are deployed to high-risk areas (individually or in small teams) devoid of regular military presence or support, and who require a low profile as part of their Force Protection Plan. As such, their individual posture is not that of a standard kinetic deployment. This course is designed to train the student on tactics to be utilized by SOF operators in high-threat areas where full kit cannot be worn due to the high profile generated by the use of such operational gear as body armor, long guns and helmets.

This is a five-day course which covers the following:

• Proper wear and use of concealed carry equipment (e.g. holsters, mag pouches, low-profile body armor, etc.), discussion of the various types of equipment available, and the ability to train with multiple rigs.

• Basic concealed carry shooting skills, drawing from concealed carry, shooting, remedial and immediate action, and tactical and combat reloading.

• Threat response in a real-world environment; responding with a concealed weapon and fighting to a designated area (e.g. a vehicle or a long gun); Hard-pointing a structure with minimal personnel and equipment. Training includes scenario-based live-fire evolutions, with full debriefs of each scenario provided by the instructor staff.

• Scenarios also include responding to threats that arise in normal situations that a SOF operator may find himself in (e.g. engaged in a meeting with host nation personnel, contact while driving a non-tactical vehicle or responding to a flash mob or multiple assailants.

• Threat recognition and positive identification of potential threats prior to engaging.

• Medical briefing covering treatment of gunshot trauma.

The main emphasis of the training focuses on the operator’s ability to respond quickly and correctly to a scenario that rapidly escalates from a low-stress to a high-stress situation requiring the immediate and/or sustained use of force.

Course includes necessary holsters and equipment. BHI can modify this course to your specific unit needs.

Course length: 5 days Minimum students: 5 Maximum students: 8

www.bhitraining.com/defensive-pistol

Gunfighter Moment – John McPhee

Saturday, September 8th, 2012

SGM (ret) John McPhee served a distinguished career in U.S. Army Special Operations for over 20 years, retiring in 2011.

John has spent his adult life in Special Operations and Special Mission Units. He is a Master Instructor in all aspects of special activities, missions and operations. He has over 6 years of private special activities consulting and is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in: Special Activities, Operational Preparations, Limited Signature Operations, Reconnaissance, Singleton Operations, High Threat Dignitary Protective Services, Extreme Long Range, Designated Marksman, Advanced Precision Rifle Marksmanship, Combat Marksmanship, Live Fire CQB/CQC, Advanced Pistol Marksmanship, Advanced Carbine Marksmanship, Ariel Gunnery (Rifles, Shotguns, Ariel Personnel and Vehicle Interdictions, Mechanical, Ballistic and Explosive Breaching, Freefall Instructor Programs, Infiltration/ Exfiltration Techniques, Ground Mobility, Unit Pre-Deployment Training, and Research and Development of; Soldier Systems, Weapons, Ammunition, Thermal and Night Optics.

Qualifications;
Special Forces Target Interdiction Course
US Army Sniper School
NRA Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun, Instructor
NRA Range Safety Officer
Advanced Mountain Sniper Course, Instructor
Advanced Freefall, Instructor (Ratings Current)
Freefall Coach (Ratings Current)
California Personal/ Executive Body Guard Certification (Rating Current)
2005 Budweiser World Cup Super Heavyweight Jiu-Jitsu Champion
2004 Presidential Security Detail (Ariel Heavy) Cartagena, Colombia

He has trained countless U.S. Special Operations forces, thousands of International Tier 1 Operators and Special Forces around the world. He is one of the handful of operators with over a decade of combat having served in multiple theaters from Bosnia and South America to recent war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Alias Training & Security Services. Each week Alias brings us a different Trainer and in turn they offer some words of wisdom.

Panteao Gun Team Hosts Free Shooting Sports Clinic

Friday, September 7th, 2012

The Panteao Gun Team will be hosting a free Shooting Sports Clinic during the IDPA Nationals on Sunday, September 23rd. It’s open to all participants of the IDPA Nationals and the instructors will be Panteao Gun Team members Bob Vogel, Tom Yost, and “Super Dave” Harrington.

The Clinic is limited to 40 participants, so please RSVP as soon as possible to secure your spot. You can email Panteao Productions at info@panteaoproductions.com. The Clinic will start Sunday at 9:00 AM and run till approximately Noon. Participants should bring score sheets from the match along with gear and ammo.

In addition, Panteao Productions will be filming the Clinic for an upcoming video, so here is your chance to be in one of the Panteao videos.

www.panteaoproductions.com

Jon Canipe Joins Magpul Dynamics as Director of Carbine Operations

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Magpul Dynamics isn’t the same company that it was even a year ago. They continue to adapt to advances in training methodology, weapon employment and equipment development. Today, as part of that continued improvement process, they officially announced that Jon Canipe has come on board as the Director of Carbine Operations, “in order to support the training schedule as well as support the development and testing efforts.” Canipe should be no stranger to readers of SSD. His weekly “Canipe Correspondence” series leverages his 12 years of military experience serving in US Army Special Forces. He will now offer his combat experience and time as an instructor at USAJFKSWCS to students of Magpul Dynamics. Congrats to Jon and Magpul Dynamics!

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They are building a great team over there. Make sure you check out their philosophy at www.magpuldynamics.com/mission.