Training with insight and keen intellect is important. On the topic of ‘Train like you fight’, which I’ve ranted on this forum I the past, it isn’t so much about what you wear during training. But, since I’ve noticed a recurring theme, I will address a few sticking points.
Many of you live in a tactical world, so it is necessary to kit up during training, at times, to insure you can work out of your kit, wear it comfortably, maneuver in it without leaving a yard sale behind you.
Too many of us civilians, who do not live in the tactical world, are kitted up during training like we are going on a raid.
A drop down leg holster, plate carrier and chest rig with a hundred MOLLE attachments are probably not necessary components to your range gear unless your job involves high risk warrants or assaulting on an HVT’s strong hold.
I am a minimalist on the range because, I am a civilian. A good holster that retains my side arm without flopping around, a single mag pouch and an extra mag in my pocket are typically what I run with during training.
Additionally, a Wal-Mart bought, leather thumb break holster is not the way to go either. I am not saying that we should not own a good plate carrier and chest rig, I certainly do, but I do not run day to day operations in it. My range setup closely mimics my day to day wear with a few exceptions to make it easier for me to teach on the line.
Patrick McNamara
SGM, US Army (Ret)
![Pat McNamara](https://ssdaily.tempurl.host/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Pat-McNamara-440x660.jpg)
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). He also served as the Principle of TMACS Inc.
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.