The old sniper adage goes "scopes do not enhance your marksmanship, they magnify your errors.” Although a pistol red dot sight (RDS) does not provide magnification, it similarly will amplify your mistakes. Despite increasing RDS adoption among tactical, competitive, and self-defense shooters, our training approaches have...
Two days into what was supposed to be a four day mission, my overwatch element was frantically scurrying down ridge lines to avoid being cutoff by Taliban forces that were coordinating an ambush. The hasty exfil lasted a few hours and at multiple points we...
An important part of goal setting is not just adopting new behaviors, but also identifying which habits you should ditch. Although there isn’t a single correct approach to training, we often unintentionally develop bad habits through different forms of indoctrination. Whether it's our unit formally...
One of the most important ass chewings I received in the military was at Robin Sage. During the final phase of tactical training in the Q-Course, I experienced a case of senioritis that impacted my performance. As the patrol leader for a routine ambush mission,...
In no particular order, here are our most notable observations from the Americans we trained with this year. 1. GRAVITATE TOWARDS YOUR WEAKNESSES The greatest display of heart this year was at our tactical marksmanship courses. These classes place a large emphasis on athleticism with a firearm,...
(originally posted to Soldier Systems Daily on May 27th) By his 20th iteration, an Afghan guerrilla with minimal marksmanship training was shooting the 2x2x2 exercise just as efficiently as Instagram tactical celebrities. Only an hour earlier had we discussed some key points of marksmanship, then I...
The greatest lie sold to students of any sport is that buying gear always correlates with improving performance. Whether golf clubs or carbines, routinely individuals will “upgrade” a piece of hardware that already functions without issues. Although it’s natural to want to tinker with firearms,...
Ego And Complacency When I shot my first match, I was definitely the confused tactical shooter with the skeptical raised eyebrow. How could any of these civilians beat me, my job is to be proficient with guns. This immediately dissolved due to the zero sum nature...
By Aaron Barruga Since Thursday, 13 people have been killed and 100 more injured as vehicles were driven into crowds in Eastern Spain as part of terror attacks executed by the Islamic State. In March, a car plowed through pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge in London,...
"The one on one fight is dangerous, but I'm less worried about that. I need to be prepared for Mumbai, Boston, and Paris" Even a passing familiarity with Aaron's writings make it apparent that he is an outspoken instructor. Despite certain industry practices that prefer theory based...