Tactical Training Drills

Brought to us courtesy of a really awesome subscriber. I think this is some good training and am going to be adding some, if not all of it into my training. Michael

1FCC - 11 July 20 Field Combat Class (Session 1)

Attack them where they aren’t or at least where they are few. Fight to destroy the enemy,

not to take positions or locations.

Our fight plan is to 1. Remove the target. 2. Deflect if possible. 3. And counter. This

fighting philosophy must be used and incorporated into our every technique and

movement. GBL

Breathing and concentration.

Firearms Safety Rules for a Combat Area

Rule No. 1 – Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you have

made the decision to shoot.

Rule No. 2 – Never let your muzzle cross anything you are not willing to destroy. This includes yourself which you are more likely to point at than anything else.

Rule No. 3 – Be sure of your target and what is in line with it, both in front of it and behind it.

Rule No. 4 – Treat all guns as if they are always loaded.

Whistle Signals: 1 “tweet” will be for the command “Fire” if it is designated as such.

Otherwise, 1 “tweet” will be for the command of “Shift Fire” for the base fire element only

during flanking movements, and 2 “tweets” will ALWAYS be for the command “Cease Fire.”

Multiple tweets during flanking movements will designate “Lift Fire or Cease Fire” for the base fire element only.

Readying Equipment as needed.

Zeroing rifles at 50 / 200 (.223, .308, 7.62 X 39, .30 carb.) or 100 yds. (.308 LR) as needed.

Train like you will fight. Improvise, adapt, and overcome. You must develop the ability to

recover from mistakes. Work through your problem situations – NEVER GIVE UP!!! Once you

commit yourself to a fight or an attack, you must carry through with it no matter what goes

wrong. You can’t stop your action and say, “Oh wait! I made a mistake. Let me try that

technique again.” You simply have to change your direction or method of attack and follow it through to a successful conclusion (victory). Start practicing this in training, and it will carry over into any real event.

Economy of Movement – using your equipment and in everything you do, strive for the highest amount of effect in your effort by moving the least amount necessary and using the least amount of work possible.

Double knee falling forward to prone position: Land on both knees at the same time and use the support hand to control the fall forward. Gun should be out from underneath the operator’s face with the muzzle pointed at the target or in an upward direction toward the target. Angle the base of the weapon slightly to the outside, so if the lower parts of the weapon strike the ground, they won’t leave the operator a nasty surprise remembrance to his head. Remember to open your mouth when going to ground, and turn your head slightly away from the gun.

To get up, roll and come into a kneeling position, scanning and covering forward as you move.

Squatting in place into prone position: Drop down onto your right knee (firing side) while squatting onto your left leg and holding yourself up controlling the fall downward with your left hand. Thrust the left leg out to the same length as the other, and lower your body to the ground.

The gun should be out from underneath your face with the muzzle pointed at the target or in an upward direction toward the target. Remember to open your mouth when going to ground, and turn your head slightly away from the gun to provide yourself protection from your dynamic prone positioning (drop).

To get up, roll and reverse the process just completed, and come into a kneeling position, scanning, and covering forward as you move.

DRILL (Practice Step 1)

Using marked targets – 25 yds.

Acquire sight alignment and picture in prone position.

Support hand holds in a controlling hold while Firing hand holds correctly, pressing trigger straight to the rear without moving the sights – there must be NO MOVEMENT in the sights when the trigger is pressed and the hammer drops.

Dry Practice – 15 X each side (5 with eyes closed, then open to see if sights have moved – 5 with eyes open – 5 with the second trigger finger)

Loading or Admin. Loading and Chamber Check (Practice outside in a designated firing

area.)

Check position of 1st round in mag.

Load mag. into mag. well.

Charge weapon, first with firing hand – second time with support hand (reach under or over).

Alternate hands with each exercise of procedure.

Take mag. out and check that the 2nd round that was across from the 1st round is now in 1st position.

Re-insert mag. in mag. well.

Press Check or Chamber Check

Take your mag out of the mag well on your weapon to check and see that it is fully loaded or almost completely loaded by either looking or feeling the rounds in the top with the hand holding the mag (Low-light / no-light technique). Feel for the weight of a loaded mag, as well. Then, reseat the mag back into the mag well, tap, and pull on the mag to verify that it is locked back into place.

Pull back the slide part way with the support hand (HK-series, FN-series, or AR-series) or with the firing hand (AK-series or M1A/M14-series), depending on the type of weapon used.

Look into the ejection port to see that a round is in the chamber…….

OR stick the firing side index finger into the ejection port to feel that a round is in the chamber if you are in a low-light environment.

Let slide fly forward to close and lock it back into battery. DO NOT ASSIST IT FORWARD. Either look to check and make sure that the bolt locked back into battery or use your firing side index finger again (for low-light situations) to verify that the bolt did reseat. If it did not, tap the forward assist or charging handle on the weapon, depending on the weapon’s configuration, or retract the charging handle part way and let it fly forward again to get the bolt to lock into place.

Then, check again to verify that it did, indeed, lock into battery.

This check may be done with the Weapon Safety either ON or OFF on all weapons.

Point at Target and Pull Trigger

15 X – Right Side with pistol, then 15 X – Right Side dry firing while using sights.

15 X – Left Side with pistol, then 15 X – Left Side dry firing while using sights.

15 X – Right Side with rifle, then 15 X – Right Side dry firing while using sights.

15 X – Left Side with rifle, then 15 X – Left Side dry firing while using sights.

Both-Eyes-Open Sighting

Shoot with both eyes open when using a Red Dot Sight. Shoot with both eyes open with Iron Sights if possible. If it is not possible, then don’t. Close the support side eye if you have to. Closing any eye diminishes the amount of area that you can see of the fight area.

Use CONTROLLED PAIRS as opposed to Double Taps. We need 2 separate sight pictures on the target – one for each shot.

How to position your hands while holding your rifle

Firing side hand is always on the grip ready to press the trigger.

Support side hand is on the forearm holding barrel down with thumb and pointing at the target with the index finger, as well as cradling the forearm of the rifle with the palm and the other three fingers of the support hand.

Firing Positions

Off Hand Stance: Feet parallel and pointing the same direction. The body is standing upright and balanced and turned slightly sideways to the target area, presenting a smaller target to your adversary. Your arms are holding the rifle with your elbows pulled in toward your body.

Assault Firing Stance (AFS): Light Forward Bo Stance. Feet parallel with both feet pointing the same direction. Front leg bent with foreleg 90 degrees to the ground, front toe and back heel in a straight line, and back leg almost completely straight. Body is upright and turned slightly to the target area, with arms holding rifle and elbows pulled in toward the body. Body leans forward toward the targets and the rifle if multiple rounds are fired.

Single knee kneeling: Kneel in such a way that your support arm is resting on but just over your support knee, which should be the one that is up. You should be able to spring into movement from this position with little difficulty.

Single knee kneeling high: Kneel in such a way that your support arm is in the air over your support knee, which should be the one that is up. This is a semi-standing position. You should be able to spring into movement from this position very easily.

Double knee kneeling: Kneeling on both knees in a semi-standing position, ready to fire and /or come to your feet into movement very quickly.

Ready – Weapons Posture

Weapon is shouldered in a ready-to-fire position. AFS will probably be assumed. Operator is looking through the sights at the target, is pointing at the target, and is ready to fire with his finger on the trigger.

Low Ready – Weapons Posture

Weapon is shouldered in a ready-to-fire position. AFS may be assumed. Operator is looking just over the rear sights at the target and basically pointing at the target with muzzle slightly down – just not completely in firing position. Weapon can be snapped into position and sights aligned very quickly this way, and immediate firing can be brought on the target(s). This is an instant ready position.

Complete going from this position to Ready position 5 X ea. side.

Down or SUL – Weapons Posture

This technique is used for muzzle consciousness and to assure the safety during maneuver of the shooter’s fellow operators or innocent personnel who may be caught in the line of fire between the shooter and his target(s). The shooter may be in any type position to use this posture, but most likely he will be in an upright position. This is an arms technique only. The system may be brought into a straight-down or a down-and-to-the-side position in order to keep from inadvertently pointing at a fellow team member or an innocent bystander.

Complete going from Ready position to this position 5 X ea. side.

DRILL

Complete going from Field Ready to High Ready or Low Ready position to Ready position to the SUL posture 5 X ea. side (360-degree spins included when in the SUL posture).

Magazines and chambers are empty during this drill.

Tactical Magazine Change

During a lull in the fight, you should be under cover. First scan the area to make sure that you are not under any new threat. If your mag. is half-full or less, you should change mags. to fill up your weapon.

Bring your weapon up into your working space or in front of your eyes where you can see what you are doing to your weapon, AND you can see what is going on in your surroundings.

Using a Right-side hold

Take a fully loaded magazine out of your mag. pouches, preferably toward the rear of your harness / vest set up.

Clamp the mag. with your hand at about a 90 degree angle to the mag. in the gun, either forward or backward or straight up, in parallel to the mag. in the gun. This will all depend on the shooter and the weapon he is using.

With the firing side hand, push the mag. release button and pull the mag. out of the weapon with the hand that is clamped around both mags.

Rotate your hand that is holding the mags. and put the fully loaded mag. into the weapon. Hit the bottom of the new mag. with the heel of the hand holding the old mag. to make sure the new one is seated in the mag. well.

Put the used mag. away, again preferably in a back mag. pouch or in your shirt, depending on what you have the time to do.

Grab the new mag with your support side hand and tug on it to verify that it is locked into the rifle’s mag. well.

Press check your weapon to make sure you have a chambered round.

Close your magazine pouch if necessary.

Scan the area again.

Move out of your cover from a different way than you went into it.

Using a Left-side hold

Take a fully loaded magazine out of your mag. pouches, preferably toward the rear of your harness / vest set up.

Clamp the mag. at about a 45 degree angle and high on the mag. that is in the gun. The mag. placement can be forward or backward or straight up, in parallel to the mag. in the gun depending on the shooter and the weapon system he is using.

With the support side hand, the hand you are clamping both mags. with (and probably using the thumb for the AR and HK systems), push the mag. release button and pull the mag. out of the weapon. All other weapon systems would use the Left hand which would now be the firing hand to press the mag. release button.

Rotate the hand that is holding the mags. and put the fully loaded mag. into the weapon. Hit the bottom of the new mag. with the heel of the hand holding the old mag. to make sure the new one is seated in the mag. well.

Put the used mag. away, again preferably in a back mag. pouch or in your shirt, depending on if you have the time to do so.

Grab the new mag with your support side hand and tug on it to verify that it is locked into the rifle’s mag. well.

Press check your weapon to make sure you have a chambered round.

Close your magazine pouch if necessary.

Scan the area again.

Move out of your cover from a different way than you went into it.

DRILL

Tactical Magazine Change – 3 X ea. side for Rifle.

– 1 X ea. side TIMED.

– 3 X ea. side for Rifle with eyes closed.

– 3 X ea. side for Rifle on the run.

F.A.S.T. Principle

F.A.S.T. is for Fight – Assess the situation – Scan the area – and Top off the magazine in your

gun.

Firing Through the Notch

For close targets out to 10 yds., line the top of the Rear Sight to the base of the Front Sight and sight with the tip of the Front Sight on the target where you want to hit.

DRILL

Firing Through the Notch -- 10 yds. distance or less.

5 X – Live Fire, slow -- For each side, R and L.

5 X – Dry Fire, picking up speed -- For each side, R and L.

5 X – Live Fire, fast -- For each side, R and L.

4 X – Live Fire, Timed -- For each side, R and L.

Height over bore ratio – Aim slightly high when in close, 20 yds. and less.

…..Fire 2 rds.

…..Dry practice 15 X

…..Live fire 4 X

…..Live fire for speed 4 X

Using Cover

Give cover space. Stay back from directly behind it.

Use cover to support your weapon by placing it on the top – sometimes – not highly

recommended.

Be careful of “shoot through” areas of cover. .223 Rem. and 7.62 x 39 do not cut quite so deeply through the edges of cover, but .308, .30-06, and other similar calibers do. .50 cal. BMG especially takes a considerable amount of substance to stop it. Hardened substance or smothering substance such as sand is particularly essential to stop rds. of these calibers.

DO NOT stand against or lie on hard surfaces like concrete. Bullets ricochet and scoot along the surface of harder materials. Stay out a little way from walls in such attacks. Crouch or kneel down when under attack in those areas where you are on hard flooring. Your chances of being hit diminish considerably and even place you in a better position to respond to the situation. In the same type of area, lie flat if under grenade or explosive attack because those items tend to blow up and out. Take one very quick step and dive away from the device and onto the ground, keeping your shoe soles together to help shield your body from the effects of the explosion.

Also, close your eyes, open your mouth, and cover your ears with your hands to help protect yourself from the blast. If you are wearing a helmet, drop in place and turn your head toward the explosion if you are far enough away, 10-15 feet. This can also help to shield your body by using the helmet.

Watch out for the shrapnel effect from taking cover behind material such as rocks or concrete. A bullet hitting the cover right in front or slightly to the side of your position can create massive amounts of shrapnel that can severely injure you, even if the bullet doesn’t hit you.

Going to Cover in Open Areas

In Grass – For reaction to gunshot………..Go Prone.

--Then, stay low and look for better cover and the shooter’s location.

In Grass – For reaction to grenade thrown into your area………..Take one step away low, dive away low from where the grenade is, and lay on the ground.

--Keep your feet towards the grenade. If you have a helmet on, try to turn it toward the grenade instead of using your feet to protect you from the blast and the shrapnel.

--Cover your ears with both hands.

--Open your mouth.

--Close your eyes.

--After the blast, scan the area if you can, search for better cover, and move to it as soon as possible. Watch for an ensuing attack.

On Concrete or hard surfaced floors

– For reaction to gunshot………..Crouch low to the floor or surface.

--Do not lie down on the floor or hard surface.

--Seek cover of any type.

--Look for the shooter’s location in order to react to him or get away from him.

– For reaction to grenade thrown into your area………..Respond the same way as you did with the grenade in the grass above.

Mimic Run Forward and Backward

Mimic Run is the way you should run when you are going to fire your weapon while running.

Otherwise, run as fast as possible to acquire speed.

Mimic Running is heel-to-toe running from the knees down (forward) to create a rolling motion and sound while running. It mimics the rolling sound like a squirrel, chipmunk, skunk, rabbit, etc. would make if it were walking through leaves or grass instead of revealing the sound of a human taking a step in the same material. This would be used in another application demonstrating stealth techniques. In the present application, it is used to minimize “wobble” while moving and firing. Toe-to-heel stepping is used with the same leg motion when moving backwards.

Run with 1 foot in front of the other like moving on a balance beam to remove the side-to-side

“wobble factor.”

Tighten abdomen for more control as you move in this method. Absorb the shock of your movement with your knees and the same with your elbows while holding your gun. Let your knees and elbows act as shock absorbers so that your weapon floats over the change in the terrain and greater accuracy is achieved.

Run from cover to cover that is already picked out. This cover should be only a short distance away, using an exposure time of only 3 seconds. You should be able to call out to yourself, “I’m up. He sees me. I am down.” in order to restrict your exposure time.

Lateral movement is HARDER to track when being shot at. The shooter has a much more difficult time hitting you when you are moving like this in relation to his position. USE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!

Use your upper body like a tank turret. In other words, point, rotate, and fire toward the target as it moves in relation to where you are. Focus your hands and all three of your “eyes” on the target while your hips point toward the objective / cover that you are moving to, and the legs and lower body carry you there.

Shift walking or running from forward to backward to keep your “turret” on target if you have to, in order to make your firing more effective and easier.

Lead the target slightly when moving laterally, depending on your distance to the target and the speed of the bullet.

Check Drill -- For Level 2 Malfunctions such as Rip-Work-Tap-Rack-Bang Immediate Action

Drills (IAD’s) and / or for Tactical Reloading.

The commands used are:

Operator 1 – “Check or Cover!” (requesting cover to change mags.);

Operator 2 – “OK!” (granting 1 the permission that 2 will cover 1 while 1 does what is

necessary.);

1 – “Ready!” (Operator 1 has completed what he needed to do and lets 2 know that he is back in the fight and ready to work with 2 again.)

Problems arise during Check:

1 – “Check or Cover!”;

2 – “Hold!” (means 2 has a problem and cannot cover 1 sufficiently.);

2 – “OK!” (2’s problem is clear, and he can cover 1 now.);

1 – “Ready!”

Never say, “Reloading!” or “Loading!” unless you want to draw in your adversary so you can and are ready to neutralize him. Otherwise, to let your team know that you are reloading, yell out, “Changing!”

If more than one of the team need to top off their mags:

1 – “Check or Cover!”;

2 – “OK!” (granting 1 the permission that 2 will cover 1 while 1 does what is necessary.);

3 – “Check 2!” (requesting cover for his reload as well.);

2 – “OK!” (granting 3 the permission that 2 will cover 3 as well, while 3 does what is necessary.);

1 – “Ready 1!”

1 2 o f 1 2

3 – “Ready 2!”

A minimum of 1 operator in a team of 3 must cover during a check drill. Make sure to communicate to each other what your statuses are. If the “check” is asked for and another operator cannot cover, state so, and let the third operator take the responsibility of providing cover,……..but get the readiness level of your team back up to maximum as soon as possible.

DRILL

3 X ea. side – with 1 of 3 men needing to Tac Change or IAD.

4 X ea. side – with 2 of 3 men needing to Tac Change or IAD.