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Archive for the ‘Training’ Category

Make Ready with Paul Howe – Tactical Drills

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

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This is the fifth instructional video from Paul Howe in the ‘Make Ready’ series. ‘Tactical Drills’ is a concise video featuring the benchmark range drills taught by Paul Howe. Paul is a high-risk training instructor that served 20 years in the US Army, ten of those in Special Operations, including service in battle of Mogadishu that was later portrayed in the motion picture ‘Black Hawk Down.’

Paul takes you step-by-step through drills like the plate rack from a vehicle drill, engaging multiple targets from cover, interior movement drills, line drill, immediate threat drills, forward movement drills, dealing with wounds, 100-7 drill, battlefield weapon recovery, and the granddaddy of all drills – the 500 yard Scrambler.

Panteao is accepting pre-orders for the DVD and expects it to be released in July.

Sneak Peek – Haley Strategic Partners – Disruptive Industries Day Four

Friday, June 15th, 2012

UTM will leave a mark…

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Look for additional coverage of the culmination of HSP’s Disruptive Industries next week, here on SSD.

www.haleystrategic.com

Haley Strategic Partners – Disruptive Industries Day Three

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

Disruptive Industries is a unique, invitation-only event bringing together industry, military, and law enforcement. It is designed to teach, inspire, build relationships, open communications and create new channels for innovation in the defense sector. Every experience has been devised to accomplish each of these tasks in one way or another, from training classes to meals as well as other organized social events.

We’ve already experienced two days of shooting, physical conditioning, and associated tactical training. Oddly enough, day 3 kicked off much like day 2, with another ass kicking from former Russian Spetznaz operator Saulius “Sonny” Puzikas. Except, this time, he really did kick our asses. During the various demonstrations of Systema hand to hand, pretty much every one of us got a chance to take a blow or two from Sonny. Naturally, we got to knock each other around a little as well. The training was no nonsense and focused on staying out of a grapple and incapacitating your aggressor. All in all, it was fantastic.

Next up were classes on surreptitious entry and restraint escape by Bryan Black of ITS Tactical. After lunch we ran through various room clearing drills. Scenarios focused on PSD work but the lessons could be applied to multiple scenarios.

As I mentioned earlier, D1 is very much about fostering innovation and relationships. One of the best things about Disruptive Industries is the opportunity to network and cross-talk. This includes all participants. Everyone has learned from our esteemed instructors and I’d hazard to guess that they have picked up a few things from us as well. Additionally, Mil and LE have been able to compare notes and share experiences with each other as well as interact with the industry reps. For the industry folks, this experience has been invaluable. In some cases, different companies have been able to discuss collaborations and, in every case, industry has gained knowledge from the interaction with military and LE attendees.

It’s been great working with the military and LE members as well as HSP’s industry partners HSGI, G-Code Holsters, Impact Weapons Components, Arc’teryx LEAF, Outdoor Research, US Palm, B5 Systems, Emissive Energy/Inforce, UTM, Rifle Dynamics, Dark Mountain Research, PNW Ammunition and Kill Cliff as well as media reps from ITS Tactical.

Don’t forget, ITS Tactical is also on hand so make sure you visit their site for additional photos. Look for the simultaneous release of an AAR from both of us soon. Until then, enjoy our serialized look at HSP’s Disruptive Industries.

www.haleystrategic.com

BHI “Wrote The Book” On Popular Soviet Bloc and NATO Weapons

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

Blackheart International Training is recognized as a leader in advanced weapons training for special operations groups around the world, particularly when it comes to foreign (former Soviet Bloc) light and heavy weapons. But, did you know that Blackheart International literally “wrote the book” on non-standard foreign weapons ranging from the Makarov pistol to the DShK heavy machine gun and the RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher? It’s true.

The Blackheart International Training Operator’s Guide Series manuals are the same publications used by BHI Training students in the classroom and on the range. These are also the same books used by BHI Training instructors to “train the trainers.” I used these very manuals during my recent Foreign Weapons Course and have relied on many of them over the past few years as an invaluable reference.

You won’t find more current, up-to-date, full color manuals anywhere in the world on the most common Soviet Bloc and NATO weapons currently in use around the globe. The Operator’s Guide series of manuals are authored and published in a joint effort by former U.S. Army Special Forces personnel from Blackheart International, utilizing their practical in-the-field experience with these weapons, and verified source data (unlike the poor and often incorrect translations seen in other publications).

Each manual gives the reader:

– background/specifications of the weapons
– instructions on their operation
– disassembly and assembly procedures
– proper firing procedures
– malfunction/misfire procedures

Operator-level maintenance is also detailed to allow the reader to understand and become competent in the use and maintenance of all weapon systems.

Soviet Bloc weapons manuals include: AK-47/AKM & AK74, DShk & DShKM, Makarov Pistol, PK/PKM, PPSh-41, RPG-7 and SVD Dragunov.

NATO weapons manuals include: HK-69A1, M2 .50 Caliber, M203, M240B/MAG-58, MK19/MOD 3 and M79.

In addition, BHI will soon be releasing six new publications of Soviet Bloc (TT-33 Tokarev, PPS-43 and PA-63) and NATO (Remington 870, Glock and Beretta 92) weapons.

All current Operator’s Guide Series manuals are available to the public and ready to ship. For more information go to www.bhigear.com.

Haley Strategic Partners – Disruptive Industries Day Two

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

The day started off with an ass kicking for the Mil/LE group from former Russian Spetznaz operator Saulius “Sonny” Puzikas. Actually, he didn’t kick anyone’s ass, he just offered us the opportunity to wear ourselves out with about 45 minutes of Systema-based stretching and calisthenics followed by some serious weapon retention training.

Sonny would demonstrate each technique along with a student partner multiple times, explaining variations and then set the participants upon one another to practice the various means of prevailing in the close quarters fight. Sometimes you retain the weapon and sometimes you let it go and engage the threat through other means. Sonny sent the participants away with a new tool bag of techniques for further practice and application.

After another excellent catered lunch, Rifle Dynamics took over. Jim Fuller and Billy Cho brought a variety of ComBloc weapons including numerous AK variants as well as an RPK and my favorite, the PKM. Both groups took to the range with familiarization fire. Watching HSGI’s Gene Higdon go Rambo with hip fire from the PKM certainly was a sight.

Next, both groups were given a demonstration on vehicle operations in threat environments by Travis Haley and Kane Smith. After a quick class, practical application was offered to those who wanted to practice assuming various positions from behind a vehicle. Throughout the day, there were plenty of opportunities to roll around in the dirt.

The entire group moved back to the hotel conference room for lectures on TCCC and Mass Casualty and Triage. While these sessions were theoretical, feedback was solicited from the audience and a variety of life saving tools were demonstrated including dressings and different tourniquets.

HSP topped the evening off with a working dinner with presentations by several of the vendors who revealed new products, some never seen before.

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Boardroom To Battlefield

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

Here are some impressions from attendees of Invictus Alliance Group’s Boardroom To Battlefield.

www.invictusagi.com

Haley Strategic Partners – Disruptive Industries Day One

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

Since I’m one of the most disruptive guys around, the folks at Haley Strategic Partners asked me to attend Disruptive Industries, an invite only experience where members of the tactical industry and representatives from military, government, law enforcement, and contractors get the opportunity to interact through a series of learning and social events. So far, I have only experienced day 1 but it has been great. They divided the 40 of us attending the event evenly into Mil/LE and Industry groups. Over the four days, both groups will experience the same tracks, which remind me of a smorgasbord of training samplers. However, both groups will not experience them at the same time due to range size restrictions. However, this means the instructors can tailor the training to the experience level of the group on the fly, adding or subtracting drills and instruction to keep pace with the participants. For the industry participants, they get to experience a few days of life as an operator. Those on the job get to not only interact with industry, seeing behind the curtain on a few new technologies, but they also get a taste of what HSP has to offer.

Our group started the morning with Ron Avery of the Practical Shooting Academy who provided pistol instruction, applying his knowledge of the “why” we shoot the way we do and made each of us look at our pistol handling skills in a whole new light. Check out his video on pistol handling skills for a very small taste.

After an excellent catered lunch, we finished up pistol instruction and transitioned to carbine manipulation with Travis Haley. If you’re impression of Travis is based solely on the original Magpul Dynamics videos I can tell you that he has grown as an instructor, striving to improve his craft. The instruction and drills were great and challenged all. He is a true student of the gun.

ITS Tactical is also on hand so make sure you visit their site for additional photos. As ITS was paired with the industry group and SSD with the Mil/LE crew, we are both able to offer a slightly different point of view. Look for the simultaneous release of an AAR from both of us soon. Until then, enjoy our serialized look at HSP’s Disruptive Industries.

www.haleystrategic.com

Special Forces PT Test (Upper Body Round Robin)

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

From the RE Factor Tactical Blog


Photo – US Army SSG Curt Squires

Special Forces PT Test (Upper Body Round Robin)

The Upper Body Round Robin AKA the UBRR is a commonly used physical fitness test among many Tier I and Tier II Special Operations Units. This pt test goes well beyond the typical scoring of pushups, sit-ups and a run. Have you completed the UBRR? Tell us how you did! Send us a video of you completing the workout for a chance to get some free swag!

The UBRR events include –

Bench Press
Pushups
Situps
Pull-ups
Dips
Rope Climb
Kipp Up
Shuttle Run
5 Mile Run/Ruck

UBRR SCORING SYSTEM (more…)