Annual Tactical Conference Report
The Tactical Conference and Polite Society Match was conducted Friday through Sunday, March 1-3 at Rangemaster. The event was a huge success.
One hundred and fifty trainers, attendees and Rangemaster staff spent three days training and testing their skills. We had 25 presenters this year, who gave two-hour blocks of instruction on everything from immediate field trauma care, to criminal psychology, to flashlight searching and shooting techniques and tactics, to setting up a training program. There was hands on training in weapon retention/disarms, knife defense, and managing unknown contacts, including some Sims and airsoft scenario work against live opponents. The shooting match involved an “active shooter” theme, requiring both accurate shooting and fast decision making. Good stuff!
The list of trainers who participated reads like a virtual Who’s Who of the training industry, including Massad Ayoob, John Farnam, Southnarc, Wayne Dobbs, Darryl Bolke, Rob Pincus, John Hearne, William Aprill, Greg Ellifritz, Chuck Haggard, Karl Rehn, Caleb Causey, Paul Pawela, Skip Gochenour, Shane Gosa, Steve Moses, Leslie Buck, Dr Troy Miller, “Doc K”, Spencer Keepers, Jon Hodoway, Claude Werner, Kathy Jackson, Marty Hayes, and Tom Givens. Todd Green and Dr Gary Roberts were scheduled to attend, but both were sidelined by health issues and couldn’t be here.
The match was fired by 136 shooters. There were 20 currently serving law enforcement officers who shot. The High Lawman Award went to Indiana police firearms instructor Jerrod Baugh, followed by David Hicks and Dave Garren in second and third places. A Total of 16 females shot the match, with the High Lady Award going to Anita Hopkins, followed closely by Lynn Givens and Gail Pepin in the second and third places. The overall winner was Dave Reichek, followed by Randy Richardson and Karl Rehn in the second and third spots.
Twenty five members of Rangemaster’s staff provided support services throughout the event, including running the match twelve hours a day and logistical support behind the sales counter and elsewhere. Our sincere thanks to them, as the event could not go on without them.
Next year’s event will be at Rangemaster on Feb 21-23, 2014. Make your plans to attend now. We already have some new trainers committed to present topics at this event, plus the usual suspects. Registration forms will be available soon.