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...
In 1945, my grandfather returned from the war in The Pacific to discover the America he fought for was different than the America that welcomed him home. As a first generation immigrant from the Philippines, he spent the post war years dodging misplaced racism, unemployment,...
Time and accuracy are the traditional methods for measuring marksmanship performance. Throughout the US, law enforcement and military organizations rank their shooters proficiencies through qualifications (or quals) that rely primarily on static shooting scores. But as many of you reading this can attest, these types...
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...
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...
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...
"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...
Opportunity Costs in Regards to Tactical Training There is no such thing as a free lunch. Regardless of the political, social, or economic context of our actions, there is a give and take associated with everything. Economists define this as opportunity costs, which are the potential...