21 January 2007

Week 2 complete

We finished up week two and with a few scrapes and bruises I'm glad to leave combatives behind. I was hoping to end up level 1 qualified but with only 20 hours of training and no good way to get the other 20 hours of training in there just isn't time. I have been told that I'll get level 1 qualified at IOBC at Ft. Benning. There are 4 levels in the Army's combatives programs. Levels 1 and 2 are the standard fighting styles and level 3 gets into using knives and taking away knives and pistols from an enemy. Level 4 is for instructors and is mostly risk mitigation and instruction type stuff.


The week consisted of 4 hours of combatives in the morning and an afternoon of briefings and classes. The briefings were on TLP's, OPORDS, and assuming command of a platoon. Then we got into BRM, Basic Rifle Marksmanship, which consisted of learning how to bore sight our M4's and the basics of marksmanship. We have all had this before so it's just a refresher course mostly for the ROTC guys who didn't get much if any range time.


We are shooting with the M4, a shortened version of the M16A2 that most of us have trained with in the past. We are also using the M68 CCO which is a red dot sight that mounts on top of the M4. With the CCO you just set the red dot on the target and squeeze the trigger. You are supposed to shoot with both eyes open with the CCO which is very different than what you are normally taught with a rear sight and front site post. I'm looking forward to spending the week at the range and getting used to using it.


I hope everyone is doing well and I'll check in later as I get a chance.

No comments: