AnyWeaponDefense
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Friends of Pat Rogers Training AAR
Prelude:
I started my LE carrier in 2010 working for a one of the largest Sheriff’s Departments North Carolina . In 2013 I began working for a state agency where I’m currently employed. When I heard about the Friends of Pat Rogers weekend I made plans to attend. The stars aligned and I was able to attend. I’m one of those folks who attended the weekend without actually meeting Pat or taking a class. I took a Vickers class due to him being closer. I know, I know hindsight it 20/20 and I’m still kicking myself it. The one conversation I had with Pat was over social media and although brief I could tell Pat actually cared about getting good information to those who need it. My agency sent instructors to EAG for several classes and those instructors reworked our entire firearms program. I owe my agency learned firearms proficiency to Pat. Needless to say we have a very good firearms program. Prior I’ve trained with Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics, Larry Vickers, Defensive Concepts NC, Trace Armory, Oakgrove Technologies, and the North Carolina Tactical Officers Association (several varying courses.) Enough about me, when I saw the courses being offered for the event I printed out the list and began planning my primary and secondary list of courses. I arrived early enough to ensure I would get to take all my primary choices. In the morning I was signed up to attended Presscheck Consulting CQB 4-hour block with Roland, Fisher (AI), and Jose Gordon(AI). Modified Navy Qual Course with Jeff Gonzales 2-hour block. Pistol with Ernest Langdon 2-hour block, then Low light Pistol with Matt Jaques, Jedi(when not shooting in the first rotation) 2-hour block. I was set for a full day of training with some of the best in the industry. Rifle: Issued M&P15T with upgrades. Handgun: Issued Sig P226 .357 Sig SRT Trigger.
Presscheck CQB 4-Hour Block
I’m sure you guys understand this will be left intentionally vague due to the subject at hand. Roland began with a safety/opsec brief, as well as what we would be doing for the next 4 hours. All the students walked onto the catwalk and Roland and Fisher demonstrated how they wanted us to do what we were going to be doing. Roland stressed shot accountability. We were then told to split into 4 man teams and we would then begin applying what we were learning through 4 man clears. My team consisted of all LE officers. A husband and wife, husband a swat cop, myself a patrol officer, and another swat cop. We decided that one of the swat cops would be the point man, I would be the second man, 2nd swat cop would be third man, and the female officer would be the 4th into the room/breacher. Nothing like working with people from 4 different agencies with 4 different SOPs for clears. Roland, Steve, and Jose watched each team from the catwalk and used an airhorn to signify when a mistake was made. To keep everyone on the same level no teams were given access to the catwalks to watch other teams. This is good as you can’t “game” the situation until you’re in it, for us this is also bad because we can’t see what mistakes others were making. Remember what I said earlier about gaming it? If you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying right? Our first run we get half way through clearing a single room and “WAAAAAMPPP” the dreaded airhorn went off. Roland corrected #1 man for not doing his job then corrected me for doing #1’s job improperly. LEARNING OCCURRED. On the next run we tackled multiple rooms. We did a decent job of making it through the first room. The problem came on the entry to the second room. Suffice it to say folks got confused on what job to do and it caused a position shift and no one ended up in their correct position doing their correct job. Once the run was over we were once again critiqued for being failing to commit. This failure to commit came from confusion on some members parts as to what they are assigned to do, in addition to fatigue from some just arriving in Alliance and being sleep deprived. Also a hostage was double tapped to the face by the #1 man. LEARNING OCCURRED. Prior to the next run we decided to change roles. I became the #1 man, and everyone pretty much rotated up one position. The next run went much better. All hits were good, and although still being corrected for failing to commit we worked relatively well together. Hits were good and learning had occurred.
Jeff Gonzales Modified Navy Qual 2-Hour Block
Jeff went over the history of the modified Navy qual and how it came to be. I had heard of the Modified Navy qual but had never run the drill. To be scored drill must be shot in kit. Either a plate carrier or chest rig as it’s designed. I was planning on shooting this block without my plate carrier as the heavy majority of my rifle deployments involve soft armor and a reload from my gun belt, but I decided I’d shoot it how it was meant to be shot and ran to get my plate carrier. Jeff instructed us on how the drill was to be run. Jeff demoed the drill and how he prefers to shoot it. We lined up at the 25 and shot the drill for a familiarization. After both relays shot the drill we went to look at scoring. We repeated that process at 35 yards. We then went to the 50 yard line to shoot the drill one by one. On my run I shot the drill faster than I should’ve as many did, and I incurred penalties for not putting the gun on safe when doing a reload. Overall I shot the drill pretty horribly and failed to qualify. I now fully understand why people dislike the EAG targets for shooting scored drills and not knowing where exactly the circle ends/begins. I don’t believe this to be large factor in my poor performance. I incurred more points on reloading between positions (standing, kneeling, prone) and not putting my safety on in between reloads, and shooting faster than I could guarantee the hits. This is a drill I will continue to work on.
Ernest Langdon Pistol 2-Hour Block
Ernest talked about his opinion of the DA/SA vs striker fired trigger for “social” use. Ernest explained that since we only had 2 hours we would be movingat a fast pace because he wanted us to get as much shooting in as possible and that we did.Using a DA/SA Beretta PX4 Ernest demoed how DA/SA guns can be fast although you have that double action trigger pull to deal with. Ernest also taught us how he teaches the trigger pull. Both for DA/SA users and striker fired guns. I had never heard of what he was teaching us so I was eager to try what he was teaching. I was one of 3 shooters using a traditional DA/SA gun. Ernest had us line up and began shooting a diagnostic drill at 5 yards slow fire on a 2 inch circle. My group wasn’t really a group. I had several in the circle but I was pushing the majority of my shots to the 5:00. Reason for this was easy for me to diagnose. On my P226 earlier in the year I put skateboard tape for a reference point for my support hand thumb to rest on in order to give me added traction to assist with the added recoil of the .357 Sig and my smaller hands particularly during higher round count strings of fire. This tape had begun to slip causing my support(right) hand to lose traction with the frame causing inconsistent grip. Once I yanked that tape off my groups shrunk to what I was used to seeing at 5 yards. Ernest worked with me on his prescribed method for working the trigger. I suffered from what he calls “Now Syndrome.” This occurs when you shoot DA/SA guns and you try to stage the DA trigger then get your sights on target, then try and break the shot. Once I grasped and applied what he was teaching my groups then shrunk to what I wasn’t used to seeing given the cadence of fire we were shooting. Ernest had us work slide lock reloads and discussed how he reloads. Being a lefty I had always used the overhand method not for the “gross motor skill argument” but because the slide release is so far back on Sig handguns. I now use the slide stop as it is much quicker than the overhand or pinch method. Ernest used EVERY bit of the time we had and I learned more in two hours than I had in 8 hour classes with other instructors. I shot this block from duty belt.
Matt Jaques Lowlight Pistol 2-Hour block
Matt started out telling us a little about himself and what he has done to shape his training methodology. Having wanted to take his earlier 2-hour block on fighting from concealment but not being able to due to the Presscheck course I decided I would shoot this course from concealment having heard how hardcore his fighting from concealment course is. I also don’t get to train from concealment as much as I’d like. Having ranges I can practice at on my chow break from work for free the duty belt is typically the order for the day. I carry my P226 with TLR-1 aiwb with a bravo concealment holster. I carry reload and pepper spray in a raven concealment pocket shield with blue force gear double pistol mag carriers. Matt went over lighting techniques with the handheld discussing advantages and disadvantage. As Matt discussed getting the gun and the light into play he used his trademark motto “Cover garments are a bitch”. We were split into two groups. Those with lights on the gun and those with handhelds. Having both I opted to shoot both relays. We shot several drills progressing to multiple target engagements. When shooting and searching with a handheld I traditionally use the Surefire/Rogers grip. This grip lends itself well to searching but not so much for shooting. During the higher count drills several times I would inadvertently lose the light with my momentary tail cap during recoil. I switched to shooting from the neck index and shot the duration using this method. Matt ran us through several more drills throughout the conclusion of the course. This block reinforced training for real life whatever that means for you and practicing these methods with varying drills. I will certainly be doing more practice from concealment.
Conclusion:
There was a lot of good courses to choose from and the knowledge gleaned from these shorter blocks was condensely packed yet immense. Each instructor did an exemplary job in their respective blocks of instruction. This is a true testament of just how many people Pat touched. That being said I hope to see some of you in classes from each of these instructors in the near future. I also look forward to the FOP 2017 event. Rest in Peace Pat. We are diminished.
Prelude:
I started my LE carrier in 2010 working for a one of the largest Sheriff’s Departments North Carolina . In 2013 I began working for a state agency where I’m currently employed. When I heard about the Friends of Pat Rogers weekend I made plans to attend. The stars aligned and I was able to attend. I’m one of those folks who attended the weekend without actually meeting Pat or taking a class. I took a Vickers class due to him being closer. I know, I know hindsight it 20/20 and I’m still kicking myself it. The one conversation I had with Pat was over social media and although brief I could tell Pat actually cared about getting good information to those who need it. My agency sent instructors to EAG for several classes and those instructors reworked our entire firearms program. I owe my agency learned firearms proficiency to Pat. Needless to say we have a very good firearms program. Prior I’ve trained with Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics, Larry Vickers, Defensive Concepts NC, Trace Armory, Oakgrove Technologies, and the North Carolina Tactical Officers Association (several varying courses.) Enough about me, when I saw the courses being offered for the event I printed out the list and began planning my primary and secondary list of courses. I arrived early enough to ensure I would get to take all my primary choices. In the morning I was signed up to attended Presscheck Consulting CQB 4-hour block with Roland, Fisher (AI), and Jose Gordon(AI). Modified Navy Qual Course with Jeff Gonzales 2-hour block. Pistol with Ernest Langdon 2-hour block, then Low light Pistol with Matt Jaques, Jedi(when not shooting in the first rotation) 2-hour block. I was set for a full day of training with some of the best in the industry. Rifle: Issued M&P15T with upgrades. Handgun: Issued Sig P226 .357 Sig SRT Trigger.
Presscheck CQB 4-Hour Block
I’m sure you guys understand this will be left intentionally vague due to the subject at hand. Roland began with a safety/opsec brief, as well as what we would be doing for the next 4 hours. All the students walked onto the catwalk and Roland and Fisher demonstrated how they wanted us to do what we were going to be doing. Roland stressed shot accountability. We were then told to split into 4 man teams and we would then begin applying what we were learning through 4 man clears. My team consisted of all LE officers. A husband and wife, husband a swat cop, myself a patrol officer, and another swat cop. We decided that one of the swat cops would be the point man, I would be the second man, 2nd swat cop would be third man, and the female officer would be the 4th into the room/breacher. Nothing like working with people from 4 different agencies with 4 different SOPs for clears. Roland, Steve, and Jose watched each team from the catwalk and used an airhorn to signify when a mistake was made. To keep everyone on the same level no teams were given access to the catwalks to watch other teams. This is good as you can’t “game” the situation until you’re in it, for us this is also bad because we can’t see what mistakes others were making. Remember what I said earlier about gaming it? If you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying right? Our first run we get half way through clearing a single room and “WAAAAAMPPP” the dreaded airhorn went off. Roland corrected #1 man for not doing his job then corrected me for doing #1’s job improperly. LEARNING OCCURRED. On the next run we tackled multiple rooms. We did a decent job of making it through the first room. The problem came on the entry to the second room. Suffice it to say folks got confused on what job to do and it caused a position shift and no one ended up in their correct position doing their correct job. Once the run was over we were once again critiqued for being failing to commit. This failure to commit came from confusion on some members parts as to what they are assigned to do, in addition to fatigue from some just arriving in Alliance and being sleep deprived. Also a hostage was double tapped to the face by the #1 man. LEARNING OCCURRED. Prior to the next run we decided to change roles. I became the #1 man, and everyone pretty much rotated up one position. The next run went much better. All hits were good, and although still being corrected for failing to commit we worked relatively well together. Hits were good and learning had occurred.
Jeff Gonzales Modified Navy Qual 2-Hour Block
Jeff went over the history of the modified Navy qual and how it came to be. I had heard of the Modified Navy qual but had never run the drill. To be scored drill must be shot in kit. Either a plate carrier or chest rig as it’s designed. I was planning on shooting this block without my plate carrier as the heavy majority of my rifle deployments involve soft armor and a reload from my gun belt, but I decided I’d shoot it how it was meant to be shot and ran to get my plate carrier. Jeff instructed us on how the drill was to be run. Jeff demoed the drill and how he prefers to shoot it. We lined up at the 25 and shot the drill for a familiarization. After both relays shot the drill we went to look at scoring. We repeated that process at 35 yards. We then went to the 50 yard line to shoot the drill one by one. On my run I shot the drill faster than I should’ve as many did, and I incurred penalties for not putting the gun on safe when doing a reload. Overall I shot the drill pretty horribly and failed to qualify. I now fully understand why people dislike the EAG targets for shooting scored drills and not knowing where exactly the circle ends/begins. I don’t believe this to be large factor in my poor performance. I incurred more points on reloading between positions (standing, kneeling, prone) and not putting my safety on in between reloads, and shooting faster than I could guarantee the hits. This is a drill I will continue to work on.
Ernest Langdon Pistol 2-Hour Block
Ernest talked about his opinion of the DA/SA vs striker fired trigger for “social” use. Ernest explained that since we only had 2 hours we would be movingat a fast pace because he wanted us to get as much shooting in as possible and that we did.Using a DA/SA Beretta PX4 Ernest demoed how DA/SA guns can be fast although you have that double action trigger pull to deal with. Ernest also taught us how he teaches the trigger pull. Both for DA/SA users and striker fired guns. I had never heard of what he was teaching us so I was eager to try what he was teaching. I was one of 3 shooters using a traditional DA/SA gun. Ernest had us line up and began shooting a diagnostic drill at 5 yards slow fire on a 2 inch circle. My group wasn’t really a group. I had several in the circle but I was pushing the majority of my shots to the 5:00. Reason for this was easy for me to diagnose. On my P226 earlier in the year I put skateboard tape for a reference point for my support hand thumb to rest on in order to give me added traction to assist with the added recoil of the .357 Sig and my smaller hands particularly during higher round count strings of fire. This tape had begun to slip causing my support(right) hand to lose traction with the frame causing inconsistent grip. Once I yanked that tape off my groups shrunk to what I was used to seeing at 5 yards. Ernest worked with me on his prescribed method for working the trigger. I suffered from what he calls “Now Syndrome.” This occurs when you shoot DA/SA guns and you try to stage the DA trigger then get your sights on target, then try and break the shot. Once I grasped and applied what he was teaching my groups then shrunk to what I wasn’t used to seeing given the cadence of fire we were shooting. Ernest had us work slide lock reloads and discussed how he reloads. Being a lefty I had always used the overhand method not for the “gross motor skill argument” but because the slide release is so far back on Sig handguns. I now use the slide stop as it is much quicker than the overhand or pinch method. Ernest used EVERY bit of the time we had and I learned more in two hours than I had in 8 hour classes with other instructors. I shot this block from duty belt.
Matt Jaques Lowlight Pistol 2-Hour block
Matt started out telling us a little about himself and what he has done to shape his training methodology. Having wanted to take his earlier 2-hour block on fighting from concealment but not being able to due to the Presscheck course I decided I would shoot this course from concealment having heard how hardcore his fighting from concealment course is. I also don’t get to train from concealment as much as I’d like. Having ranges I can practice at on my chow break from work for free the duty belt is typically the order for the day. I carry my P226 with TLR-1 aiwb with a bravo concealment holster. I carry reload and pepper spray in a raven concealment pocket shield with blue force gear double pistol mag carriers. Matt went over lighting techniques with the handheld discussing advantages and disadvantage. As Matt discussed getting the gun and the light into play he used his trademark motto “Cover garments are a bitch”. We were split into two groups. Those with lights on the gun and those with handhelds. Having both I opted to shoot both relays. We shot several drills progressing to multiple target engagements. When shooting and searching with a handheld I traditionally use the Surefire/Rogers grip. This grip lends itself well to searching but not so much for shooting. During the higher count drills several times I would inadvertently lose the light with my momentary tail cap during recoil. I switched to shooting from the neck index and shot the duration using this method. Matt ran us through several more drills throughout the conclusion of the course. This block reinforced training for real life whatever that means for you and practicing these methods with varying drills. I will certainly be doing more practice from concealment.
Conclusion:
There was a lot of good courses to choose from and the knowledge gleaned from these shorter blocks was condensely packed yet immense. Each instructor did an exemplary job in their respective blocks of instruction. This is a true testament of just how many people Pat touched. That being said I hope to see some of you in classes from each of these instructors in the near future. I also look forward to the FOP 2017 event. Rest in Peace Pat. We are diminished.
