AAR of Scout Course for October 23-25, by FlyBy

WHAT:

This is an After Action Report (AAR) for NC Scout’s Scout Course which was held in a secluded location in Eastern TN. A link to the course description is below: https://brushbeater.wordpress.com/training-courses/

WHO:

The course was facilitated by NC Scout with two assistants instructors. Approximately twenty students were present for the course, although the number of students did vary at times due to personal circumstances. The experience level of the students varied. Many were former military Eleven Bravos, a former Marine infantryman, several former Air Force and Navy veterans as well as a defense contractor. In addition, there were also several students who were new to the firearms and patriot community. We mixed well and camaraderie was high.

WHEN:

The course was conducted the weekend of October 23^rd thru October 25^th. Class commenced at 9:00 A.M. on Friday the 23^rd and Saturday the 24^th . Class completed by 7:00 PM on Friday the 25^th and by 10:00 P.M. on Saturday the 24^th. On Sunday the class commenced at 8:30 and completed by 1:00 P.M.

WHERE:

The course was held at an undisclosed, but secluded location in Eastern TN.

COMMENTS:

As noted above, the class commenced at 9:00 A.M. each day, with the exception Sunday upon which the class commenced at 8:30 A.M. A lot of information was presented and taught during the course. I’m sure that I’ll forget to mention some of the topics below. But, don’t allow that to be a discouragement.

Day 1 was spent on the range. Instruction included the following topics.

> weapons safety, handling and manipulation.

> selection and use of various optics including Red Dots and Low Power Variable Optics (LPVO).

> firing positions – prone, seated, kneeling, standing (off hand) and buddy firing.

> sling types, use and selection

> the rifleman’s cadence to include site picture, breathing, point of aim, trigger pull, trigger reset.

> the use of rest, bi-pods and fore-grips.

> the use of a pack as a rest versus the use of a magazine as a rest, magazine construction, selection and use.

>jungle stalking lane. Locating and firing at targets in a wooded environment. This was a fantastic exercise and much more difficult to perform than one may think.

>an introduction to NODs (Night Observation Devices) and Thermal Imagers.

the use of muzzle devices and how well they hide muzzle flash at night.

Day 2 commence with classroom instruction and concluded in the field putting the skill and concepts that had been taught thus far to use. Day two topics included the following.

> discussion on the selection of uniform or lack there of and the implications of being “uniformed”

> discussion on choosing boots and socks, including the type, weight, material and color.

> A similar discussion was held on pants and tops.

> equipment selection including load bearing equipment (LBE). Equipment weight and wearing and carrying said equipment.

> patrolling concepts including basic formations, hand signal, reaction to contact and ambushes including the linear, V and L shaped ambush.

> camouflage including ghillie suites, cobra hoods and sniper veils and their construction.

> how to properly stalk.

> the remainder of the day was spent practicing these skills. NC Scout split the class up into groups and would have the various groups practice locating opposing groups who were hiding in the wood-line while camouflaged. Patrols and ambushes were conducted. This included performing patrols and ambushed in the dark.

> the final block of instruction for the day included an introduction to the Op Order and what should be included in a properly formatted Op Order.

Day 3 commenced at 8:30. Each team was provided a scenario and then had to write an Op Order based upon the scenario. Once complete, each group had to brief the other group(s) on the Op Order. Questions were asked and the Op Order was critiqued. At this point, the Raid was introduced as a combat tactic. Proper execution on how to preform a Raid was discussed. Upon completion of the initial training block, each team geared up and head out to execute their Op Order by performing a raid against an opposing force.

The good, the bad and the ugly, in no particular order:

> the weather on day 1 and day 2 was on the warmer and humid side. Water consumption was a must.

> a thunderstorm pasted through the area around 5:30 A.M. Due to this equipment was wet and muddy by the conclusion of the second day.

> the morning of day 3 was quite pleasant weather wise. The ground was still wet, but the humidity had declined and the area began to dry out.

>NC Scout’s teaching philosophy is based on crawl, walk, run. During the crawl phase, he introduces the material and demonstrated how to properly perform the concept. During the walk phase, the students perform exercises to reinforce the concepts. Finally, during the run phase, the students perform exercises against an OpFor to demonstrate knowledge on the subject. NC Scout continually provides encouragement and suggestions throughout.

> a lot of information is presented in a very short amount of time.

> the land owner was fantastic. He provided an outstanding environment and atmosphere for the course. I don’t have the words to properly thank him for his hospitality. Simply saying Thank You seems inadequate.

> my fellow students were absolutely awesome. We came from various occupations and backgrounds. Everyone had a great attitude. Everyone was encouraging and open to suggestions. Many great personal contacts were made.

> the exercises were extremely challenging and mistakes were made. However, NC Scout points out that is the best manner in which to learn and improve. As the saying goes, “Failure is the best teacher.”

Conclusions:

NC Scout is a fantastic instructor. I’ve taken classes with several other instructors in the bushcraft and patriot community. Each instructor is outstanding in their own right and subject manner. Make no mistake, NC Scout is top of the class in the subject matter he presents. Additionally, his style of instruction is laid back and informal. Some instructor can be intimidating. You won’t find that in NC Scout’s presentation.

If you are looking for instruction for yourself or your group, take a look at what NC Scout has to offer.