Instructor’s notes: Residential Room Clearing & Response to Active Shooter Level 2

[cmshoot]

This is the Force-On-Force level, using Simunitions.

Great bunch of students......most had taken this course before. We’re constantly writing new scenarios, so even threepeat attendees are getting new situations. One scenario in particular took everyone by surprise and generated a lot of after-action discussion.

Communications, as always, was one of the biggest takeaways. When things got really fouled, it was usually due to poor, or no, communications.

There’s a difference between trying to justify what you did AFTERWARDS, and knowing what you’re doing while you’re doing it and why.

Under stress, our ability to communicate effectively, and understand communications coming from others, is greatly impaired. On Day 2 we greatly amped up the stress level. During the after actions, the phrase “vapor lock” got used a lot. Students either never heard the verbals coming from role players, or they couldn’t understand them, or they heard them but could not process the information in a timely manner. Not every time in every scenario, but it was a common theme. This was an outstanding eye opener for many to the students, and a tiny taste of how confusing an Active Shooter situation can be.

Want to get trained an experience it yourself? The next Level 1 is January 11-12, followed by a Level 2 on February 22-23. The Level 1 is training, walk throughs, and static targets during scenarios and drills, all to get you ready for the Level 2.

Semper Fi!

 

[Burning Love]

Class was killer! Force on force is such a valuable training tool, and the instructors do a great job at really focusing that tool into an effective and informative experience. Lots of good scenarios I won’t spoil, but definitely worth taking these classes. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, and every situation has a clear solution until you’re getting lit the **** up!

Thanks again, Shep!

 

[CBH13]

man i dunno why but every time i see one of your posts with "residential room clearing" i picture a guy trying to clear a room and then stepping on a Lego barefoot and that being the end of that.

 

[cmshoot]

man i dunno why but every time i see one of your posts with "residential room clearing" i picture a guy trying to clear a room and then stepping on a Lego barefoot and that being the end of that.

You just gave me an idea for scenario! LOL

 

[cmshoot]

Class was killer! Force on force is such a valuable training tool, and the instructors do a great job at really focusing that tool into an effective and informative experience. Lots of good scenarios I won’t spoil, but definitely worth taking these classes. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, and every situation has a clear solution until you’re getting lit the **** up!

Thanks again, Shep!

Outstanding!

 

[Necrosis]

You just gave me an idea for scenario! LOL

I can see it now:

Scenario: You are woken in the middle of the night by the sound of breaking glass. Wearing only your speedo, navigate the lego-strewn battlefield that is your living room with your trusty Desert Eagle pistol and save your children!

 

[Joshua223]

You just gave me an idea for scenario! LOL

I wonder why we are doing this barefo--"MAN DOWN MAN DOWN!"

 

[l33571]

I definitely don't want to spoil any of the scenarios, but as one of the (many) threepeat students, I think you just can't get enough reps at this kind of training. Each scenario is different (even if it's a repeat - they change minor things but those become major...) but the errors are common & frequent. Communications or lack thereof, "vapor lock" or simply being overwhelmed by way too many inputs all at once while having a gun in your hand and knowing that there are consequences if you pull the trigger.

The more of these classes I take, the more I realize that this training is some of the MOST valuable training available, if not perhaps the most valuable. Shep's cost for these classes is extremely low versus the value of the actual training you are receiving. The level one is good, the level 2 is simply amazing for the value since all of the gear and sims ammo is provided. Then you add in the actual instruction.

All of the instructor's are former or current LEO/MIL with an amazing amount of actual experience. The scenarios are many times based on something that one of the instructors has experienced or seen the uncensored after action video (body-cam, etc.) or spoken with the LEO involved. I keep saying LEO, but the reality is that the situations are possibly the same that you may encounter as a civilian, especially in an active shooter scenario. Add to that the fact that all of the instructors reinforce what they would do as a civilian (a badge is not a get of jail free card and they still have to comply with whatever LEOs shows up if they are at their house or the mall for instance) and you have an outstanding training course. Both room clearing and active shooter are covered as well as the distinction between the two.

Finally, let's talk about sights. I have not used them once in any of these classes. I'll just leave this statement as-is and you'll understand once you take the course. If you're going to spend money on training, this is something that just can't be beat and not many instructors even teach this to civilians let alone have practical applications classes with sims guns. I understand not everyone has a huge amount of funds to train, but IMHO, everyone should take level 1 & 2 just to get close to what the "real" world might be like. It is a serious eye-opener and game changer on how you shoot and train.

Now to address the Lego scenario. How about a pool of slick water on a tile surface? We dealt with that all weekend in the basement of the training venue. Completely sucked. Besides, Shep probably wouldn't care if you showed up in a Speedo and now I can see him throwing freakin' legos everywhere and making us take our shoes off (or some other crazy ****...) not me, I'm out on that one since I don't have kids and there isn't a single lego in my house. Also, I don't go barefoot (yes, I'm a wimp) and two I don't want to see any of you in a Speedo unless you are hot chick.

 

[UptaCamp]

man i dunno why but every time i see one of your posts with "residential room clearing" i picture a guy trying to clear a room and then stepping on a Lego barefoot and that being the end of that.

https://babylonbee.com/news/lego-in...that-instantly-kill-you-when-you-step-on-them

 

[cmshoot]

I definitely don't want to spoil any of the scenarios, but as one of the (many) threepeat students, I think you just can't get enough reps at this kind of training. Each scenario is different (even if it's a repeat - they change minor things but those become major...) but the errors are common & frequent. Communications or lack thereof, "vapor lock" or simply being overwhelmed by way too many inputs all at one while having a gun in your hand and knowing that there are consequences if you pull the trigger.

The more of these classes I take, the more I realize that this training is some of the MOST valuable training available, if not perhaps the most valuable. Shep's cost for these classes is extremely low versus the value of the actual training you are receiving. The level one is good, the level 2 is simply amazing for the value since all of the gear and sims ammo is provided. Then you add in the actual instruction.

All of the instructor's are former or current LEO/MIL with an amazing amount of actual experience. The scenarios are many times based on something that one of the instructors has experienced or seen the uncensored after action video (body-cam, etc.) or spoken with the LEO involved. I keep saying LEO, but the reality is that the situations are possibly the same that you may encounter as a civilian, especially in an active shooter scenario. Add to that the fact that all of the instructors reinforce what they would do as a civilian (a badge is not a get of jail free card and they still have to comply with whatever LEOs shows up if they are at their house or the mall for instance) and you have an outstanding training course. Both room clearing and active shooter are covered as well as the distinction between the two.

Finally, let's talk about sights. I have not used them once in any of these classes. I'll just leave statement as-is and you'll understand once you take the course. If you're going to spend money on training, this is something that just can't be beat and not many instructors even teach this to civilians let alone have practical applications classes with sims guns. I understand not everyone has a huge amount of funds to train, but IMHO, everyone should take level 1 & 2 just to get close to what the "real" world might be like. It is a serious eye-opener and game changer on how you shoot and train.

Now to address the Lego scenario. How about a pool of slick water on a tile surface? We dealt with that all weekend in the basement of the training venue. Completely sucked. Besides, Shep probably wouldn't care if you showed up in a Speedo and now I can see him throwing freakin' legos everywhere and making us take our shoes off (or some other crazy ****...) not me, I'm out on that one since I don't have kids and there isn't a single lego in my house. Also, I don't go barefoot (yes, I'm a wimp) and two I don't want to see any of you in a Speedo unless you are hot chick.

Excellent write-up. Thank you for the feedback.

In the fast and furious gun battles we have here and there, I never see my sights. In the cases where I would ambush, at least that first shot was accurate, sighted fire. In at least one case, I was using my front sight only.