The class started at a little after 9:00am on Saturday on a picturesque piece of property outside of Ft. Bragg with warm November temperatures, plenty of sun, and some gentle breezes (that would soon change). The class size was small with 7 students starting and 6 students finishing (a student left mid-class), which made for a great class size. The even number also made it easy to pair up for the practical exercises conducted throughout the day.
Since this was a basic class, Mike started with the basics of trauma management and laid out a general theme that would be brought up numerous times…trauma management is about doing the best you can with what you have until you can get the patient to more definitive care. In other words, try and stabilize the patient, package the patient up, and either wait for EMS to arrive or get them to definitive care as quickly as possible. At the end of the day, there is only so much you can do to manage trauma…but, the goal should be to get the individual to a hospital where trauma surgeons can take over and hopefully save the victim’s life.
With that general theme laid out the rest of the class focused on the primary drivers of trauma and the treatment of said trauma. Mike had some great methodologies for trauma treatment, but I’ll not give those away as they are worth the cost of admission. Since this was a “tactical” class, we talked in-depth about penetrating trauma (gunshots, stab wounds, etc.) and the treatment of such with the use of hemostatic agents, bandages, and tourniquets. Tourniquet use has come a long way since 2001 and I really believe if you are not trained in tourniquet use and carrying one with you…you’re doing yourself and others a disservice. We practiced with all types and improvised tourniquets and bandages to ensure that we could apply said items easily and with confidence. For many it was the first time they had ever applied bandages or tourniquets and there were a lot of surprised faces as the tourniquets were tightened down on arms and legs. To say tourniquets are a sadist’s delight would also be an understatement…I am sure many of the students are carrying bruises around today. I know my forearm has a nice present from an improvised tourniquet made from a cravat and hardy stick; which makes me thankful that I carry CATs and SOFTT-Ws in my trauma bag.
After we covered other principles from eye injuries to hypothermia we broke for a quick bite to eat before we started more practical exercises. At this point in the day, the first cold-front of winter decided to move in. The winds shifted from a nice steady breeze to a good 10 to 15mph wind with some strong 30mph plus gusts thrown in for good measure and the temperature began to drop from the low-70s down to the mid-50s. Someone could have gotten some great amusement watching grown men chase trauma gear around as the wind whipped up gauze and HALO seals.
The practical exercises were great and many pants and shirts were rapidly cut in the name of treating simulated injuries ranging from gunshots to stab wounds. There was plenty of simulated blood to go around as well (which made for an interesting scene as I walked into the hotel later in the evening) and Mike provided scenarios for the victim and first responder. To say that we had a gifted class of thespians would be a very accurate statement. While Mike had a theater performance to catch later in the evening, I would wager that the true performances of the day were on that little hill outside of Ft. Bragg.
We finished the day strong with everyone learning lessons and getting their hands wet while treating a victim. Mike took the time to answer questions and to talk through different types of recommended gear. One of the great things about a class like this is the practical exercises. We all know of “that guy” or “that gal” that shows up to classes or the range with more trauma gear than an Air Force PJ but, the fact is most people don’t take medical classes and that is a travesty.
So, I will leave you with this (something I tell all of the folks that I teach in my own classes and at Overland Expo):
If you are not investing in good quality medical training, you are doing yourself, your loved ones, and your fellow man a disservice. While it may be “cool” to have that next fancy firearm (for the shooting community) or that next great piece of recovery gear (for the overlanding / off-roading community) it’s not as “cool” as being able to help save someone’s life…maybe even your own.
Any time that I go check-out a new instructor / teacher, I always make it a point to take one of their basic courses. It’s a great way to be introduced to an instructor / teacher and it’s a great way for you to be introduced to them. Trust me, as an instructor / teacher myself, getting to know your students (their capabilities – strengths and weaknesses) is uber important. Also, if an instructor can’t teach the fundamentals well… well, that’s a bad sign. As such, I took the Defensive Carbine for AR Platforms I course from Green Ops last night at the NRA Range.
Overall, I was impressed by the course and will definitely take additional classes from Mike Green. The course opened up with some basic classroom information on defensive firearm use and safety information. I won’t bore you with the details…but the details are important…particularly in light of today’s litigious culture. Just know that the hour spent in the classroom goes quickly and you will be on the range soon.
Range time started with a 5-round zero course of fire and ended with a barricade shoot / no-shoot decision course of fire. In between those two courses of fire the group of ten students was broken down into two groups and the groups alternated between courses of fire and rest periods. The courses of fire included, but were not limited to: 1-shot ready drills, 2-shot ready drills, 1-shot / reload / 1-shot ready drills, 1-shot / reload / 2-shot ready drills, multiple-target transition drills, etc. All-in-all what you would expect from a basic carbine course.
I really appreciated the fact that we covered malfunctions but, we didn’t spend any actual range time on clearing malfunctions. In a 4-hour course format there just isn’t enough time to train on malfunctions. I know there are a gazillion different opinions out there on malfunction training but, in this area I completely agree with Mike Green, save the majority of your malfunction training for off-range time. In today’s busy world a lot of us have limited time to hit the range and that time is better spent shooting. I fully support malfunction training in more advanced classes, but a basic class shouldn’t get bogged down in malfunction training. As an aside, I’ve run a combined 50,000 rounds through my two primary guns (a Noveske MK18 and a SCAR CQC – yes, I’ve changed barrels, bolts, firing pins, springs, etc.) and I’ve only had a handful of malfunctions outside of those purposely induced by instructors / teachers. What’s the lesson; invest in good equipment if you’re going to trust your life or the lives of your loved ones to that equipment.
Mike is a really good teacher, he takes time to work with each student, his demonstrations were spot on and he does a great job of teaching “methods” and reiterating that “methods” are just that…”methods” on how to do something not “the only way” to do something. I was really impressed with the fact that he spent time with each student on each drill, giving pointers here or there depending upon the need (skill based). I was also impressed with Mike’s demeanor, he’s a good instructor / teacher and as a good instructor / teacher he didn’t feel the need to stroke his ego… I always like that in instructors / teachers. Being humble is a rare commodity these days… and Mike has that mastered. Mike also did a great job of fielding questions and answering them but, also keeping on point.
At the end of the day we all (well most of us) have limited resources, limited time, and limited ammo… so, would I recommend you investing in a training class with Mike; absolutely. There aren’t that many short-format courses out there and I think Mike has really filled a niche and the location for the DMV can’t be beat. A special thanks also goes to the NRA range staff for keeping everyone safe.
If you have any questions, let me know and I will answer them as best as I can based upon my experience.
]]>I am not talking about people sitting on a beach reading a book on their mobile device while listening to Chris Stapleton sing about Tennessee Whiskey. Rather, I am talking about the folks walking through busy metropolitan areas with their mobile devices and headphones.
What these people are doing is literally setting them up for failure. You see, there are evil people in this world and what these people do is look for victims. They look for people who are not looking out for them. They are looking for people that they can sneak up on, take advantage of, do violence to…all while minimizing their own risk.
So, I ask you are they going to go for the person that is effectively using all of their senses while walking down the street or the person that is updating their Facebook while listening to music…all while blissfully walking down the street? I know the answer and you can ask many law enforcement officers…most victims are surprised, they didn’t know something was wrong until something went wrong. Am I surprised by this? No, unfortunately not at all.
So, take your mobile device and stick it in your pocket. If you need to check your email or update your Facebook, step into a busy store. That new release that you have to listen to…well, it can wait until you are in a safe spot. Need to go for a run through the park or the neighborhood late at night…don’t stick those headphones in your ear…rather listen to the sounds of the street and perhaps you may catch the sounds of a predator trying to stalk you.
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