I apologize ahead of time for any vagueness, omissions, or mistakes in the AAR, as my notes are a bit incomplete, due to the fast tempo of the class and large amount of organic discussion that arouse.
This was my second formal medical course, and the first with an emphasis on self-care and firearms-related issues. I had some prior medical knowledge due to being through first responder training, as part of my volunteer firefighting. This was also my second carbine course. I had previously taken a CSAT Tactical Pistol/Rifle course, and some informal carbine training from friends. Beyond that, I had taken multiple pistol courses from various well-regarded instructors, including several low-light courses, along with some edged weapons work and some combatives.This course teaches students how to keep themselves and their team members alive and fighting in a critical injury situations.
Students will master basic lifesaving emergency medical skills using equipment available under field conditions. Training scenarios presented also include basic weapon manipulation and live fire, while simulating high risk situations. Other topics covered include suppressive fire techniques, evasive action, and preparing wounded team members for evacuation and advanced medical care.
Due to an unfortunate series of events, my notes for the first two days of the course are no longer available to me, so I will not have my usual narrative for those two days, so I will only provide a brief overview of them, as I can best remember those days.
Kerry Davis was the primary instructor of this course. He started out as a medic in the Air Force, and also worked for some time as a paramedic in the civilian world. He also taught for Magpul Dynamics for some time, before he moved to Sig, and also starting his own company, Dark Angel Medical.
Both TD1 and TD2 were spent purely indoors for the course, as they were primarily lectures. Kerry provided a complete print-out of the PowerPoint presentation he used. Each student was also provided a practice TQ, matching the TQ that they had bought with their D.A.R.K.s; I was the only student to use the SOFTT-W, while all other students utilized the CAT. Kerry would sporadically call for us to apply the TQ to ourselves on a specific appendage. The bulk of the first day was spent mostly on the physiological functions of the body, while the second day was spent mostly on how to stabilize and/or fix specific issues that we would encounter, while utilizing either common IFAK components or else improvised objects. Beyond the general firearms training/combat related injuries, a large amount of emphasis was also placed on more mundane civilian-type emergencies, generally injuries sustained from MVAs. 10 minute breaks were called every hour or two, giving us time to stretch our legs. Lunch was not provided on the first day, but dinner was, as was lunch and dinner on TD2, and lunch on TD3. Both TD1 and TD2 had blocks of hands-on applications (stuffing fake wounds, practicing inserting nasopharyngeal airway kits on dummies, etc.), though TD2's block was definitely much longer, and included some basic buddy TQ applications.
All of the students at the course had been vetted to a certain extent. Overall, the student group almost all civilian, with only one active duty LEO; there was also several veterans and retired LEOs, including a disabled veteran, Jonathan, who was there on a comp slot, due to an arrangement that Falcon Tactical had with Warrior Shoot Event Group. Jonathan's experiences in the field were very illuminating, as he had only been out relatively recently, especially in the blast injury portion of the course, as he had lost his foot and part of his leg due to an IED that destroyed the MRAP he was in. He was also kind enough to gift me a CAT, as I had discussed with him my idea of carrying both a SOFTT-W and a CAT, the former for leg injuries, the latter for arm or single-hand use. Beyond the veterans, we also had a literal rocket scientist (whose phone blew up on TD3, due to the failure of the SpaceX launch), a dermatologist/cosmetic surgeon, and a veterinarian (who showed up with a broken strong arm, which certainly made for good adverse shooting practice). Certainly a more diverse group than usual.
TD3 started at 0900. Matthew Shockey was the AI. Weather was hot and humid, with intermittent cloud cover and very sporadic wind; temperatures reached ~90 °F. Rain was also forecasted. We lost three students for the day, so we had a total of just nine at this point.
Due to the possibility of rain and the excessive Texas heat, I did not attempt to run the course in my EDC set-up. Attire was a Velocity Systems Rugby Shirt, Otte Gear Alpine Pants, Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 GTX, and Arc'teryx H·150 Riggers Belt. PPE used were Oakley M-Frames 3.0, MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X with gel earpads and OC Tactical headband, and Arc'teryx Knee Caps; Outdoor Research Firemark gloves were added for the carbine portion.
For the pistol portion of the course, I used an H&K P30LS with the Grayguns Reduced Reset Carry Perfection Package carried in condition 1, with an X400 Ultra - Green laser mounted with the DG-11 and zeroed for 25 yards. Sights were a Trijicon RMR RM06 mounted by L&M Precision, with a Dawson Precision suppressor height front sight and Ameriglo suppressor height rear sight mounted behind the RMR. Lube was FIREClean, magazines were modified with Taylor Freelance Border Special +5 magazine extentions with the included Wolff springs (these were the first generation product that I loaded only up to +4). Holster used was Safariland 6004-39512 modified to carry a P30LS with an RMR, with a single strap shroud. Round count was at 15314 at the start of the class. I simply open carried with the Safariland, and carried extra magazines with a Kytex Shooting Gear open top magazine carrier and an ITW FastMag Pistol pouch; the training SOFTT-W was folded up and tucked into the elastic strap of the 6004 shroud.
For the carbine portion of the class, I used an AR-15; the upper was a PWS MK110 Mod 1 (with a Surefire SFMB-556 and AXTS Raptor), while I personally put together the lower (AXTS AX556 lower with mostly LWRC small parts, Vltor A5 RE, Slash's Heavy Buffers A5 with custom weights, Geissele SD-C, Magpul CTR, IKH SLAP, BCM Mod 1 Grip, BAD ASS, Sprinco Green Spring). Accessories on the rifle were as follows: Surefire M600 Ultra with an SR07 on an IWC Keymod Thorntail, Aimpoint T-1 2MOA on a GDI MT6-OSM with TD iO, EOTech G33, Magpul MBUS Pro, SOB QD Bitch sling, Surefire SOCOM556-RC, Warsport Suppressor Sock held in place with a SOB Combat Band, and Magpul rail ladders. Lube was FIREClean, magazines used were Magpul PMAG MOEs and Lancer AWMs, with Magpuls mounted sideways. Round count was at 1316 at the start of the class. I used a TYR Tactical XFrame Brokos belt with their Assaulter's Base Belt-Tail and Emdom-MM Battle Suspenders. Attached to the battle belt, from the left side moving counter-clockwise, were a single ITW FastMag Pistol, a single ITW Gen3 FastMag, BFG Ten-Speed Ultralight Dump Pouch, a Gear Keeper retractable pistol lanyard, the Safariland 6004 on a UFA, and the Dark Angel Medical D.A.R.K.. I also had on a BFG PLATEminus, which had three BFG Ten-Speed Single M4 Mag Pouches and a MSM Shear Pouch mounted horizontally on the top MOLLE row (carrying some cheap trauma sheers that I had been issued by the fire department), and carried Paraclete LCTT-IVs (level 4 stand-alone) in size small.
Student weapons on the pistol side was quite varied, with an H&K VP9, a S&W M&P9, a Springfield XD-type of some sort, a Sig P22X, with the rest being Glocks. On the rifle side, it was all AR platforms, with the exception of a Tavor; there was a Wilson Combat .308 (which was run suppressed with a full-sized SF SOCOM can for most of the rifle portion of the class), along with two shorties, both suppressed.
We started out the day with a safety brief. Kerry would be running a hot range; an emphasis was placed on knowing the condition of one's weapon and muzzle awareness. There was also a medical evacuation brief, in which the options for transport were listed; directions to the nearest trauma center and Life Flight coordinates were provided on a print-out. Diluted Gatorade and bottled water were also provided, in order to minimize any heat-related injuries.
The first drill of the day was a simple "keyhole" drill. Standing at 3 yards, upon Kerry's call to engage, we were to shoot 5 times, with no time limit, at the cardboard IPSC target and attempt to keep all the shots within one hole on the target at the end. This was to maximized one's fundamentals, striving for accuracy under zero stress, as once that is introduced, groups will naturally open up. Kerry also noted that he would occasionally call "zombie" instead of more standard calls to engage (e.g., "gun"), which would mean that we were to engage only the head; beyond just making it a little more fun, Kerry stated that it would also force us to pay attention a little closer to his calls, rather than just acting blindingly to his voice, along with forcing us to be accurate. He also wanted us to conduct scans and assesses after shooting, not only to check for other threats, but to also help break tunnel vision, as under stress, people tend not to breath, which would of course reduce oxygen intake, thus degrading performance. In order to do a 360° scan, one could utilize the high compressed ready, a high port, or even a temple index; these positions could also be used later during movement drills.
While I was one of the few able to generate only one hole on the target, I was unhappy with my group size, which was about a half inch; too much nicotine and caffeine had my hands shaking a bit, and I was unable to properly steady them. The use of the red dot certainly amplified the perception of that shaking, too.
After the keyhole drill was ran twice, we then moved back to the 5 yard line and ran headshots only. This was run once, then we then moved to 15 yards, and focused on COM.
My groups at the 5 yard were about the same as my keyhole drill, which I guess was pleasantly surprising. I simply placed the dot on the 'A' on the IPSC target and used that as a consistent point of aim. At 15, I had little issues, either, although I was still shaking a bit.
Kerry noted here that any issues seen at this distance could be several factors, but all fundamental issues, such as breathing control, utilizing the front sight correctly, etc. As he put it, we should be "pulling the front sight through the rear sight". He also noted that when speed is needed, one should be fast with the draw, but to never rush the fundamentals; ideally, the faster one is out the holster, the more time one has to focus on applying the fundamentals to get a good shot in.
Kerry then went over his ideas on SOTM, or specifically, why he's not a fan. The general idea is that, under stress, one can only do one or two things well; thus, one's groups naturally open up when under stress, even when not moving. The introduction of movement adds yet another element in the shooting situation, thus further degrading one's accuracy. Beyond that, if one is moving, there is almost always a reason for it (especially in the civilian world), whether it be to rendezvous with a friendly, extract a friendly, move to cover, etc. When SOTM, to have even a ghost of a chance of having good shots, one will have to slow down a bit, thus making the movement even slower. Thus, Kerry prefers to simply move quickly, and leave the shooting for right before the move or after the move. Ideally, one would attempt to suppress the opponent, then give a quick scan of the terrain to make sure it is conducive to movement, move to the location need, and then continue returning fire.
The discussion on SOTM segued into questions about moving in a crowd, and the various considerations there, especially ready positions. In a low ready, while one could keep a lower profile of the pistol while moving, one is unable to really utilize a muzzle strike or trigger guard strike, along with possible retention issues or inability to raise the gun again if that crowded. For standard movement, Kerry personally preferred the high port. It was noted that ready position should reflect one's surroundings and realities: while down is the standard ready position on a square range, that obviously isn't the safest direction to point the weapon if on the second story of a building and there are friendlies on the first story. It was noted that if one was on the second story of a three story building, and there were friendlies on both the first and third floor, there wasn't really a truly safe direction to point the weapon.
We then ran some movement drills. Starting at the three yard line, we were to engage the target with three to four rounds, scan and assess, move to the ten yard line, scan and assess, and once everyone else on the line was on the ten yard line, engage the target. Obviously, with shooters in front of one at the ten yard line, one would have to be very cognizant of muzzle direction; Kerry noted that this was an instance where the much maligned temple index would be a great option to use. Kerry also noted that he didn't like to give out set number of hits, as in a real engagement, one fires as many shots needed to end the fight, but asking for ten or fifteen hits would obviously be prohibitively expensive in ammo cost. He related an anecdote where a CA LEO double-tapped an opponent with an edged weapon at about seven yards; due to muscle memory, while he got two good hits COM on the attacker, he ended up holstering right afterwards, despite the threat still closing in. The threat ended up slashing the LEO's throat, killing him.
I simply placed the pistol in high port to move, which is how I typically ran with a pistol, which made it very easy to move to a temple index once I had reached the ten yard line.
This drill was then ran in reverse, where the shooters done first would have to wait on the ten yard line until the last shooter was done, and then move to the three. While waiting, once should be constantly scanning.
We then pulled out the VTAC barricades and ran what Kerry called the U-drill: start at the 5 yard line, engage the target, then move to the barricades, and engage from both the kneel and the standing on both sides of the barricades. Kerry also stated that upon changing elevation, one should try and scan and assess first before moving elevations. Kerry was also a fan of bilateral shooting, in order to maximize the use of cover. While it may feel awkward at first, Kerry stated that one can definitely train out of it, which is what he did, by running a two day pistol course completely from his left side. While about to demo the drill, Kerry also stressed the importance of press checking, as it confirms the condition of one's firearm, without any negative losses. He related how at the Sig Academy, if one tries to engage with an empty chamber, one has to run up to a gong and hit it 10 times, all while shouting "dead man". It was also explained the issues with kneeling, whether one should go outside leg down or inside leg down; while inside leg down might offer some more mobility and stability, it also exposes more of the outside leg's vital arteries and veins to incoming fire.
Humorously, everyone that put on kneepads at this juncture busted out with the Arc'teryx Knee Caps, myself included. Other than that, I found the bilateral shooting part to be annoying, as I'd rather just go with WHO shooting, due to familiarity; I was sometimes low-right when shooting that way, which speaks to my inexperience in utilizing that position. I'm not completely sold on the utility of bilateral shooting, given that I do not have unlimited time or resources to dedicate to it. I also had a slight issue with offset, as I clipped the side of the VTAC barricades on the left side. On the second run of the drill, Kerry called out "zombie", and I continued to engage the head even after retreating to the barricade, which proved to be not too hard if I didn't rush my shots.
Kerry also noted that, as a general rule, one should not crowd cover, as it limits situational awareness and can leave one more vulnerable to ricochets. He also noted that when one is hit in the main firing arm, one will generally drop the weapon, but can on occasion also end up having a death grip of sorts lock the weapon in hand. He then went over the two ways to switch hands in holding the gun. The first way is to open up the SH thumb so that the WH palm is free to slip in and grip the gun. The second is to drop the web of the SH, so that the web of the WH can slide over and grasp the weapon. We also went into one handed reloads; Kerry noted that one can use aftermarket baseplates to help strip magazines out during one handed manipulations, utilizing similar techniques as one would use to rack a slide off the sights, e.g. off a belt or holster. For the classic between the thighs with the magwell pointed at the face, one should be careful to not seat to magazine so hard that it pushes the gun through the legs gripping the gun. For the behind the knee reloads, be very cognizant of the direction of the muzzle; if using it on a square range with other folks on the line, turn during the reload so that the muzzle does not face anyone.
We then shot some familiarization drills, shooting from the freehand, then transitioning to the bilateral, then to the WHO; this was run twice as a bullet drill at 3 yards, with five rounds for each position. After that, it was run SHO/WHO, also five rounds per position, run twice.
While I kept an excellent group, I was always the last one in the line to finish by a large margin each time, as the shaking of my hands while shooting WHO would essentially trick me out, and keep me from pulling the trigger.
We then integrated all of the previous skills into a single drill: starting with one round in the chamber and two in the magazine, one would engage the target twice at 3 yards, simulate having the WH being hit, fire off the last round to slide lock, then retreat behind the VTAC barricade that was set up at the 10 yard line, apply the TQ to the WH arm, reload, engage the target, then scan and assess. This was then repeated for being hit on the SH, although due to safety concerns, we would simply switch the gun from our SH to our WH, rather than simulate actually dropping it. Kerry noted that while applying the TQ, one would have to find a place for the handgun to be; if the SH was still good, the holster is an obvious spot, but if only the WH was usable, one may be very well forced to just place the handgun on the ground.
I jammed the practice SOFTT-W into the elastic thigh strap of my 6004. Compared to everyone else using the CATs, my application of the SOFTT-W was many times slower. On the first run, I had the issue of the SOFTT-W clip coming loose, which wasted time as I tried to get it clipped back together. I ended up having to brace myself against the barricade, and was able to crank the windlass down, but had issue putting it into the retention slot, which wasted another good chunk of time; however, as Kerry noted, technically I had stopped the bleeding even if I hadn't gotten the windlass into the retention slot, as the pressure was already being applied. On the WHO run, I had the issue of simply dropping my handgun, slide locked back, into the dirt, as I was unable to reach my holster. I was able to attach the TQ okay, by laying on the ground and trapping the TQ between the ground and my arm. Unfortunately, while doing so, I managed to kick a large amount of debris into my gun. While I was able to reload, the slide would not go into battery; I had to strip the magazine, rack the slide multiple times, then reload again (all one handed, of course). After I was able to reload again and get the slide into battery, the trigger turns out to be dead, and a one-handed tap-rack-bang did not solve that issue. Thus, I could not complete the evolution as intended, and learned to let the slide go forward if I'm going to drop it into a giant pile of sand. I was able to clear out the sand using a compressed air hose, and a liberal amount of lube was then applied to the gun, although I could definitely still feel the grit in the trigger and slide.
We then split into two-person groups. Each individual on the team would have their own targets, and engage that target with multiple rounds. Then one person will simulate being hit in the femur; the casualty will communicate with the second person that they are hit, and will either move to cover by themselves (while feigning a hit leg), force the second person to drag them to cover (choice of the casualty), or some combination of the two. After reaching cover (and making sure the weapons are holstered), the second person will apply a TQ on the casualty (applying pressure on the hip while doing so if they remember to do so), check for the alertness of the patient using the AVPU metric (alert, voice, pain, unresponsive), then assess the rest of the patient for any other injuries. The drill was then done with the two roles switched.
My partner and I both attempted to move behind cover, but both stopped halfway, feigning loos of conciousness. I was able to remember to use my knee to apply pressure to the pelvis to limit bloodflow as I attached the my partner's CAT to his upper thigh. He had some issues with the SOFTT-W, due to lack of familiarity (as noted previously, I was the only student using it, while everyone else had a CAT).
We broke for lunch at this time, at 1215.
We resumed class at 1345, and started out at the 50 yard line to zero/confirm zero of the carbines. We used 5 round groups to try and establish groups; everyone shot from the prone to maximize stability.
I was one of the few students running a 100 yard zero... or at least was attempting to. While my windage was fine, my group was actually ~2" high at 50 yards. My groups themselves were fairly decent.
After zeroing, we then moved up to the three yard line, and utilizing a VTAC target, Kerry illustrated the issue of mechanical offset between the barrel and the sight, demoing how when shooting at that range, the POI is approximately 2 inches low of the POA (using a 50 yard zero). Moving back the the 7 yard line showed a similar POA/POI relationship. At 21 yards and 36 yards, the offset shrunk to about an inch. We then shot at groups at the 3, 15, and 35 yard lines to establish our own mechanical offsets, and to illustrate first hand the need to do so. It was also explained to us why mechanical offset is so important to be aware of, beyond accuracy considerations, such as issues with shooting around barricades.
We then went over the basic ready positions: high, low, and the tuck. The tuck was essentially a variation of the high ready, where one could look over the muzzle, while the stock of the weapon is tucked in the crook of the arm pit on the strong side. The optimal position to use is highly situational dependent, just like pistol ready positions. It was also noted that when moving at speed, such as when sprinting, the tuck can be a bit more stable, along with the "football" carry as popularized by Pat McNamara; while the low ready can work with running, it is much more ungainly, as it doesn't allow a full range of pumping of the arms. We then practiced all three ready positions at the 10 yard line, trying each ready position three times each.
For most people, they were mildly surprised to see relatively little changes in time between the tuck and the low ready, with the true high ready being slightly slower than the other two. I had always preferred the low ready, if only because it was mechanically the simplest, rather than any purported tactical advantages.
Kerry noted that people are often too quick to get off a target after engaging, and that one should follow the target down to the ground, before coming off the weapon and then scanning and assessing. He also stated that as targeted areas go, the pelvis is not optimal, but it is certainly one of the better places to hit, due to the large amount of blood that passes through the area. He also stressed the difference between a lethal shot, and a decisively incapacitating one; hitting someone in the pelvis may very well be a lethal shot, due to irreplaceable blood loss, but they can still be a threat for some time as they bled out. There was also some discussion about the efficacy of headshots; it was noted that while many people preach hitting between the eyes and the upper lip, in order to hit the brain stem, one should be aware that the brainstem is only about an inch wide, which means there is a lot of potential to miss it even if one does hit that box as prescribed. This is not to say that that area is not a good target, but only that one should not rely on a single good hit in that area to get an incapacitating hit. It was also noted that in a fight, mindset can be a huge difference in how incapacitating an injury is; the usage of drugs can also significantly alter mindset.
We then ran a U drill at 15 yards, using the VTAC barricades, starting on the right and engaging, then kneeling right, kneeling left, and finally standing right. Kerry noted that with the shoulder switch, one can close the dominant eye to help the non-dominant eye acquire the sights. This drill was ran twice.
I had some issues switching shoulders, if only because my stock was sometimes catching the shears on my PC. I also had some slight eye dominance issues, but nothing too bad, as I had some practice on my own time.
We then moved into one handed manipulations with the rifle. One of the tricks that Kerry had figured out was when doing non-shooting manipulations, one can grip the rifle with the entire hand on the pistol grip, i.e., the trigger finger under the trigger guard helping grip the weapon. Once into the firing position, simply slide the fingers back up into a firing position. For one-handed reloads, one can hold the rifle between the legs, with the magwell facing out; obviously, a sling is very much needed for this sort of manipulations. When manipulating the safety on the weak side, one can utilize the index finger, or use the thumb, though that weakens the grip, since there is no support with the webbing of the hand.
The next drill was a one-handed reload drill. One round was left in the chamber, while we inserted an empty magazine into the rifle itself. Upon firing, reload one handed, then fire at the target once again. This was run multiple times on both sides.
The weight of the rifle was definitely an issue for me in order to fire off one-handed, especially on the weak side. Raw upper body strength has always been a distinct failure of mine.
We then introduced the use of the TQ to the original drill, with the introduction of a 20 second par time after the feigned loss of the arm. After firing and then losing the function of an arm, retreat to the barricade, apply the TQ, reload, then engage with one shot. This was run on both SHO and WHO.
Once again, the use of the SOFTT-W instead of the CAT meant I was dead last in this drill. On the weak hand side, most of the students, myself included, rested the rifles on the barricades to make the shot. Again, I had to brace myself against the barricades in order to properly apply the SOFTT-W, with my times being ~26 seconds on the SHO and ~31 seconds at the WHO.
Class ended at this time, at 1700. We had a hot wash, where the students listed any thoughts or comments on the class, and with Kerry also listing some feedback for us. Most of the students praised the way Kerry taught the classroom portion of the course, stating that he was consistently engaging, and was great at asking leading questions that would help us recall older material and apply it to the new material, thus helping in knowledge retention. Kerry also explained why there was such an emphasis on the basics of shooting, particularly the one-handed manipulations, as this would allow us to not worry about that part when integrating the usage of the TQ in the drill.
Kerry stated that I was the first student to ever go through the whole class using a SOFTT-W; all previous students that started with the SOFTT-W switched to the CAT after figuring out how difficult it was to apply one-handed. My greatest take-away was the simply application of the TQ, along with the various ways to improvise with the contents of an IFAK; I had originally been trying to figure out the best way to carry a full DARK due to my gear queer tendency of equating "mo stuff is mo bettah", but by the end of the class, I felt that I would not be significantly handicapped by some of the more spartan FAKs. I also determined that the SOFTT-W and the CAT will probably fit into different uses for me, and will be acquiring both.
Beyond that, the only issues I had with the class was the relative shortness of the shooting portion of the course, particularly the rifle portion, as there was a fair bit of downtime throughout that section. However, this was mostly a function of the miserable heat, and I believe that most of us, as disappointed as we might have been with the relative lack of shooting, were grateful to get out of the sun and get some water in and to cool down, so this isn't a real complaint against Kerry as it was just wistful thinking that the weather could have been better.
In terms of the class outside the material, in the shooting portion, I certainly cemented my issue with exerting myself in the heat; I was very well hydrated throughout but still had trouble cooling down, especially once I put on the PC. This is an issue I've struggled a bit with even with just LSD, as my range has my significantly reduced by the heat, so I'm not sure how to overcome this issue.
After this class, I plan to modify my EDC once I get another SOFTT-W, replacing one of my folders that I pocket carry with the TQ. I will also probably look into getting a pocket FAK to carry, along with multiple DARKs for my various backpacks and fighting/range kit.
Gear-wise, the only issue I had was the relatively poor zero I had (elevation-wise), and the shears on my PC catching on the stock during transitions, both of which I have since remedied. There was, of course, the issue of the locked up pistol, but I doubt that any handgun would have been functional with that amount of debris kicked into it.
Overall, 104 rounds of 9mm were expended, all of which were Blazer Brass 9mm 115 gr. One failure to RTB/dead trigger occurred, due to the debris issue. 52 rounds of 5.56 were expended, all of which were Federal XM193.
Reply With Quote
