Theangrysmurf
1 August 2005, 04:15
High Risk Environment Protective Services Operations Course
Course Review/AAR
Training Provider- Legion Protective Group http://www.legionprotectiveservices.com/
Dates of course- 25-29 July, 2005
Course Location- West Memphis, TN
Instructor to Student Ratio- 4-5 Instructors for 10 Students. The number of Instructors varied depending on the subject being taught but there was almost always at least four instructors on hand.
Lodging Provided- Days Inn, 1100 Ingram Blvd, West Memphis AR 72301 http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=04838&brandInfo=DI&pop=no Although this Hotel was slightly seedy, we weren’t at the hotel that much to really notice. The location of the Hotel could not have been any better, the training location was within walking distance to the Hotel and there is a very good Mexican restaurant collocated with the Hotel. Leave no valuables in the room and wear bug repellant at night and all is well. I would recommend either staying until the following day after the class ends or working some sort of late check out with the hotel since 3.5 hours of sleep teamed with a 0630hrs show time and an 1100hrs check out on day five really don’t mix well.
Training facility- Southland Greyhound Park (dog race track) Located at 1550 North Ingram Blvd. West Memphis, AR 72301 http://www.southlandgreyhound.com/ This is the same location used by Triple Canopy for their training. The environment surrounding the classroom varies from areas under construction, to active racetrack facilities. Triple Canopy was gracious enough to allow LPG to use their training classroom for this class.
NOTE: This course was the first ‘open enrollment’ HREPSO course that LPG has offered. Up until now, this course was restricted to specified military units.
INSTRUCTOR CADRE
Chief Instructor- Dave West – (Taken from LPG Website) A veteran of both U.S. Army and Law Enforcement Special Operations, Mr. West has over a decade of experience in tactical operations. He is a graduate of over 50 law enforcement and military tactical and instructor level courses, and is a current member of the Advisory Board for Fox Labs International (OC Aerosol Weapons Manufacturer). An active Executive Protection Specialist, Mr. West has participated in security operations in the U.S., Central America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East for more than 14 years. Mr. West has also worked as an adjunct instructor for the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA), specializing in SWAT Tactics.
My Input- Mr. West possesses the perfect balance of high speed credentials and the raw ability to infuse his extensive experience into the training environment in a manner that speaks both to his humbleness and his ability to teach. His PSD/EP knowledge reaches far beyond the current Iraqi situation and he gave the class a worldwide, full spectrum view on the future of our chosen career. Others have said that he has ‘no ego’ and I would have to strongly agree. He has BTDT but still is a genuine gentleman.
Driving Instructor- Charlie Sellens (Taken from LPG Website) - Mr. Sellens, a former U.S. Army Ranger (3/75) and former Senior Driving Instructor at the U.S. Army's Military Police Antiterrorist Evasive Driving Course, has instructed students from all military branches and Army Special Operations as well as FBI, DEA and senior officials of both the White House and Department of Defense. He is a graduate of numerous civilian and military evasive driving courses. An active executive protection specialist, he has worked in the close protection field since 1991 and has conducted operations in the U.S., Middle East and in Europe. Charlie was the senior instructor for an Iraqi Close Protection Detail in the use of small arms and driving tactics and techniques. He is currently serving as a team leader for a U.S. based close protection detail in Iraq.
My Input- Mr. Sellens was an excellent instructor and you can tell he loves to teach driving by both his enthusiasm and zeal for the intricacies involved in pushing a vehicle to its limits in a safe manner. His subject knowledge is very deep and I wish that the amount of driving time could have been at least double. Regardless, the time available was used as well as could be expected, usually with three different exercises going on at once. Mr. Sellens is simply an excellent instructor with a great personality.
Medical Instructor- Hugh Coffee (Taken from LPG website) Mr. Coffee is one of our nation's premier Tactical Medics, and brings 20+ years of experience in field medicine with him to Legion Protective Group. The author of "Ditch Medicine", Mr. Coffee has trained both military combat units and police tactical / counter terrorist teams in the U.S., Europe, Central America, and Africa. Mr. Coffee is the lead instructor for all blocks of instruction at Legion Protective Group involving medical care or tactical medicine.
My Input- Mr. Coffee possesses a gentle personality and translated the complex world of emergency medicine into something that everyone in the class was able to grasp. His genuine empathy toward the needs of injured people in third world countries is without question. Never have I met someone so giving of oneself. During one of the many medical blocks of training he taught, he allowed me to run an IV and a Bolus on him, he is very dedicated to say the least. The infectious enthusiasm he showed while teaching was a treat to watch and I am a better person for having met him.
Assistant Instructor- Loren Hughes (Taken from LPG Website) Mr. Hughes has spent three decades operating in law enforcement and protective services. A former Special Agent with U.S. Army C.I.D., Mr. Hughes has also served as a civilian police officer and has held the positions of patrolman, detective, and Chief of Police for various agencies in the Western U.S. He is a Vietnam War combat veteran, and has worked private protection details in the U.S., Central America, South America, and the Middle East with clients ranging from local corporate executives to foreign heads of state.
My Input- Mr. Hughes was a very interesting fellow to meet, an enigma of sorts. His background speaks loudly of his capabilities in the field and stories from his former coworkers prove his value. He provided quality input in each of the courses of study, save the medical portion that was taught solely by Mr. Coffee. BTW, Mr. Hughes also makes a very convincing Arab dicker with his Shemagh and man dress on.
Assistant Instructor- D. G. Reynolds – (Taken from LPG Website) A currently serving metropolitan area police SWAT Assistant Team Leader, Mr. Reynolds is a graduate of numerous government and private schools emphasizing tactics, use of force, and fighting skills. He specializes in combining conventional police defensive tactics with a diverse martial arts background in order to have the most effective and articulate system for officers at risk, both on the street and in the courtroom. Reynolds, also a private security contractor has participated in high risk PSD operations in both the U.S. and the Middle East. Mr. Reynolds is an NRA and FBI certified firearms instructor.
My Input- Mr. Reynolds’ involvement in this course was limited as he was tied up with work (LE) obligations. He did make appearances throughout the course and was an extra set of eyes for the other instructors. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t be more involved as he is a BTDT.
Training Assistant- Travis Hughes, Travis (Loren Hughes’ 16 year old son) was a big help with the class. He assisted with video recording numerous phases of training and made a great ‘bad guy’ during escort training. He shrugged off numerous pokes to the jugular notch and a body slam but jumped up each time and came back for more. His help, sometimes slightly behind the scenes, made the class much smoother than it would have been without him.
HREPSO TRAINING
The provided course outline is as follows;
The Legion Protective Group High Risk Protective Services Operations
course is a dynamic, practical exercise intensive program, designed to
train personnel to conduct close protection operations in extreme high
threat environments. Our instructor cadre have operated for over 30 years
as close protection team members, security team leaders, and security
project managers throughout the Middle East, Central and South America,
Africa, Eastern Europe and South East Asia. Topics covered in HREPSO
include, but are not limited to:
• High Risk Vehicle Driver Skills
o Reverse 180
o Forward 180
o Reverse Out
o Y-Turn
o PIT
o Ram
o Blocks
o Screens
o Driver Down Escapes (Drive from Right)
o Vehicle Down Cross Loads
• High Risk Individual and Team PSD Skills
o Protective Escort Formations
o Site Surveys
o Protective Route Selection
o Protective Advance Work
o Protective Escort Vehicle Embus/Debus
o Protective Counter Ambush Tactics
o Vehicle Search Techniques
o Building Search Techniques
o Roadside IED Attack Recognition
o Roadside IED Attack Defense
o VBIED/Suicide Bomber Attack Recognition
o VBIED/Suicide Bomber Attack Defense
o Precision Shooting Skills
• High Risk Environment Emergency Medical Concerns
o Blast Injuries
o Gunshot Wounds
o General Health/Welfare in a High Risk Environment
o “Ditch Medicine”
Course Length: Five (5) Days ~ Sixty (60) Hours (69 hours Actual)
My Input- The provided class schedule is impressive for a five day, 60 hour course. Prior to attending, I wondered how it was all going to fit into the limited amount of time available.
After having completed the course, I now realize that some of the subjects should have been in bold with a footnote explaining that the highlighted topics would be the meat of the course. I took the liberty of bolding these subjects on the list above. I can sum this course up in three words; Driving, Medical, Footwork. Below are my comments regarding each portion of this course.
EP FOOTWORK- Being new to the EP world, I found the basic escort formation instruction very interesting. Mr. West did a wonderful job showing us the right way to walk the diamond, box, wedge, reverse wedge, etc…
There was ample Simunitions used during the EP training to give the added realism that only exchanging actual projectiles can give. We used Simunitions almost every day and one of our intrepid fellow students took numerous close range hits during one encounter and still has the whelps to prove it. I was pleased to see the instructors pushing the sule ready position, it was new to some but everyone adopted it after seeing the benefits it provides.
We worked relentlessly on the walking formation and Assault on Principle (AOP) drills and the time spent training started paying off immediately when Simunitions were brought back into the picture.
VEHICLE & BUILDING SEARCHES- Thanks to the devious mind of Loren Hughes, the learning curve for vehicle and building searches for IEDs was quite steep. Mr. Hughes and his ‘toys’ brought home many of the points taught in the classroom and will not be soon forgotten. I, having pulled the pin on a fair share of CTS model 7290 flashbangs, got quite a shock to find one, pin removed, teetering on the edge of falling out the bottom of a vehicle door while I was on my knees checking it. Since I had to look up from the bottom of the door to check it, my face was only a couple of inches from it. The 1.5 sec delay was all I could think about as I moved...very…..slowly…..to secure the door. After the pucker factor faded, Mr. Hughes was polite enough to point out that the flashbang was already expended although he had put it all back together again for training purposes. He enjoys his job, and it shows.
SITE & ROUTE SURVEYS- We did a hands-on site survey on a building that we would, unbeknownst to us, return to during the final mission evaluation on day five. This building in particular was a condemned, boarded up truck stop that was inhabited by bums. It was chocked full of hazards and really helped get everyone in the third world mindset as it was a perfect representation of you can find there, right on down to the dead cat. Now, I’m not sure that you would find a male bum dressed in a frilly pink dress with his hair in a ponytail with another male bum “very close” behind him as Travis Hughes did on day five, but it was close.
SHOOTING- If you were not a ‘shooter’ prior to arriving, you were at a disadvantage as some quickly found out. The short five hours that was spent on the range was not favorable to those who did not have their equipment prepared properly ahead of time. I do not see this as a slight against the course at all as this is not a basic course. Students attending are responsible for being familiar with their weapon systems and being ready to go, but the instructors did a good job dealing with those who were not. The range session was not delayed because of this and it spoke highly of the instructor’s ability to overcome what otherwise could have been a show stopper.
Although the technique of shooting from a moving vehicle was taught in class, actually shooting from a moving vehicle should have been included during the time at the range. On paper, this looks like a glaring oversight on the part of LPG. In reality, I believe this event was purposely deleted, for safety reasons, after the instructors realized the actual skill level of a couple of the students. If this is actually the case, I would suggest that in the future, students with safety concerns be omitted from participating in the more advanced exercises and let the class continue as planned. If this was not the case, it surely should be included, with gusto.
We did spend quite a bit of time shooting from a static vehicle and practicing debussing under fire. This, along with live fire AOP drills made the range day fun and everyone learned a lot. I went through 500 rounds of rifle and around 200 rounds of pistol ammo. In the short time that we were on the range, we were on the trigger a bunch. I experienced a ‘cook off’ after pushing nine 30 round magazines of ammo out of a 7.5” rifle barrel over a very short timeframe. THAT helped everyone appreciate proper muzzle control.
Although ‘Precision Shooting Skills’ is listed in the course outline as a course of instruction it shouldn’t really be there. I believe it should read ‘Shooting Skill Evaluation’ instead to reflect the fact that students need to come prepared and not expect to be given shooting instruction on anything but adapting solid, basic techniques into a dynamic shooting environment.
RANGE SAFETY- The instructors ran a safe range with all of the normal range rules and commands. There were issues with a couple of students committing safety violations but they were quickly and appropriately addressed by Mr. West. My tips for those who plan on attending a LPG course (or any course) are; Have your kit sorted out before game day, know your weapon system and how to fix it and follow directions to a T while on the range. Simple stuff but apparently it needs repeating.
RANGE FACILITY- The live fire shooting portion of this course was conducted at the West Memphis Police Shooting Range south of town. The range was well suited for our needs and could have easily been utilized to allow shooting from moving vehicles. I was satisfied with the range facility and I did not hear anyone else say anything but positive things about where the shooting portion of the course was held.
DRIVING- The driving course was located in a large parking area adjacent to the racetrack facility which allowed a quick transition from classroom instruction to hands-on application. Having been through many advanced law enforcement driving courses, I am used to the perfect driving environment. This is a plus for liability insurance but a severe negative for realistic training. The LPG driving area contained potholes, close tree & fence lines, loose gravel and the occasional light pole. It was a breath of fresh air to be able to push a vehicle to its limits in these conditions.
Mr. Sellens is an excellent driving instructor and he showed patience with those who were new to these types of maneuvers. He also controlled the training environment to allow three vehicles to be doing three different techniques in close proximity. No matter what level of driver you are, you will leave at a much higher level.
During the course, each of the driving topics listed above were addressed in the classroom and in the vehicle although one was only taught by lecture where the actual hands on experience would have proved beneficial. In specific, Vehicle Down Cross Loading was taught in detail, (along with pictures of this technique being performed) but no opportunities to actual cross load a vehicle were given and I believe that it would have been good to do so.
Mr. Sellens’ driving instruction was given a few portions at a time so that the students wouldn’t become overloaded with info and driving fatigue. I found that the balance between PowerPoint presentations and hands-on practice was comfortable and well thought out. This course was not ‘death by PowerPoint’ although a lot of information was presented in that format.
One of the highlights of the course was Mr. Sellens being nailed on the thumb with Simunitions during a motorcade assault. He was shooting a revolver and using that same thumb to cock the gun. Some very lucky student nailed him with the equivalent of a smart bomb from about 30 yards. He dropped the gun and the video from inside his vehicle showing his reaction was so funny it made the class video.
Speaking of the class video, Mr. Sellens produced an approx 5 minute music video using pictures and videos from the class and gave everyone a copy on a disk the last day. He is a very dedicated instructor and brought more than just driving instruction to the course.
MEDICAL TRAINING- Anyone who has met Mr. Coffee will surely agree that he is surely one of the nicest fellows walking the face of the earth. His passion for his medical profession follows him into the classroom as he can hardly contain himself when he gets to move on to the next neat medical lifesaving trick to teach. As with other courses he has taught, he did the famous QuickClot demonstration to show just how hot this stuff gets.
For me, one of the highlights of the course was getting to run an IV and push a Bolus on Mr. Coffee. I was honored that he chose me to poke him and it was comical to see his excitement in getting to show us all the little hints and tricks involved. I really think he had as much fun as we did and he was the one bleeding.
Like Mr. Sellens’ driving instruction, Mr. Coffee’s medical training was broken into digestible blocks. His PowerPoint presentations are not for the weak of stomach as he showed examples of just about every wound and malady out there. I’ll never forget the time he showed a picture of a man laying on a bed, missing his legs from the mid-thigh down from some sort of violent explosion, a large catheter was inserted in the patient’s penis (which was about in the middle of the screen and in plain view). Mr. Coffee got visibly excited and said, “Do you see that!”…..then he clarified that his was pointing out the tourniquets used on the thighs NOT the catheterized penis. It was very funny at the time.
Some of the most interesting portions of Mr. Coffee’s teachings were his demonstrations of how to adapt one medical device into filling the role of another, harder to acquire object. It was truly amazing to see him pulling something from this, cutting something from that, inserting something else and coming up with something totally different. This man knows his stuff and has a great way of sharing it….well after all, he DID write the book on it. Thumbs up to LPG for securing him as an instructor.
FINAL EVALUATION MISSION- To preserve the integrity of this courses’ final evaluation, I will not give away the details but let me add that almost all of the skills that we learned during the week were used to bring this mission to a successful end. I was chosen as the Team Leader for this mission and with the help of everyone involved we were able to pull it off without a hitch.
FINAL COMMENTS- I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this course to anyone searching out quality PSD training at an affordable price. For me, if we were to have practiced shooting from moving vehicles this class would have been perfect. I would like to thank Dave West and his crew for a memorable week of training and I look forward to taking more classes put on by the Legion Protective Group.
Course Review/AAR
Training Provider- Legion Protective Group http://www.legionprotectiveservices.com/
Dates of course- 25-29 July, 2005
Course Location- West Memphis, TN
Instructor to Student Ratio- 4-5 Instructors for 10 Students. The number of Instructors varied depending on the subject being taught but there was almost always at least four instructors on hand.
Lodging Provided- Days Inn, 1100 Ingram Blvd, West Memphis AR 72301 http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=04838&brandInfo=DI&pop=no Although this Hotel was slightly seedy, we weren’t at the hotel that much to really notice. The location of the Hotel could not have been any better, the training location was within walking distance to the Hotel and there is a very good Mexican restaurant collocated with the Hotel. Leave no valuables in the room and wear bug repellant at night and all is well. I would recommend either staying until the following day after the class ends or working some sort of late check out with the hotel since 3.5 hours of sleep teamed with a 0630hrs show time and an 1100hrs check out on day five really don’t mix well.
Training facility- Southland Greyhound Park (dog race track) Located at 1550 North Ingram Blvd. West Memphis, AR 72301 http://www.southlandgreyhound.com/ This is the same location used by Triple Canopy for their training. The environment surrounding the classroom varies from areas under construction, to active racetrack facilities. Triple Canopy was gracious enough to allow LPG to use their training classroom for this class.
NOTE: This course was the first ‘open enrollment’ HREPSO course that LPG has offered. Up until now, this course was restricted to specified military units.
INSTRUCTOR CADRE
Chief Instructor- Dave West – (Taken from LPG Website) A veteran of both U.S. Army and Law Enforcement Special Operations, Mr. West has over a decade of experience in tactical operations. He is a graduate of over 50 law enforcement and military tactical and instructor level courses, and is a current member of the Advisory Board for Fox Labs International (OC Aerosol Weapons Manufacturer). An active Executive Protection Specialist, Mr. West has participated in security operations in the U.S., Central America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East for more than 14 years. Mr. West has also worked as an adjunct instructor for the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA), specializing in SWAT Tactics.
My Input- Mr. West possesses the perfect balance of high speed credentials and the raw ability to infuse his extensive experience into the training environment in a manner that speaks both to his humbleness and his ability to teach. His PSD/EP knowledge reaches far beyond the current Iraqi situation and he gave the class a worldwide, full spectrum view on the future of our chosen career. Others have said that he has ‘no ego’ and I would have to strongly agree. He has BTDT but still is a genuine gentleman.
Driving Instructor- Charlie Sellens (Taken from LPG Website) - Mr. Sellens, a former U.S. Army Ranger (3/75) and former Senior Driving Instructor at the U.S. Army's Military Police Antiterrorist Evasive Driving Course, has instructed students from all military branches and Army Special Operations as well as FBI, DEA and senior officials of both the White House and Department of Defense. He is a graduate of numerous civilian and military evasive driving courses. An active executive protection specialist, he has worked in the close protection field since 1991 and has conducted operations in the U.S., Middle East and in Europe. Charlie was the senior instructor for an Iraqi Close Protection Detail in the use of small arms and driving tactics and techniques. He is currently serving as a team leader for a U.S. based close protection detail in Iraq.
My Input- Mr. Sellens was an excellent instructor and you can tell he loves to teach driving by both his enthusiasm and zeal for the intricacies involved in pushing a vehicle to its limits in a safe manner. His subject knowledge is very deep and I wish that the amount of driving time could have been at least double. Regardless, the time available was used as well as could be expected, usually with three different exercises going on at once. Mr. Sellens is simply an excellent instructor with a great personality.
Medical Instructor- Hugh Coffee (Taken from LPG website) Mr. Coffee is one of our nation's premier Tactical Medics, and brings 20+ years of experience in field medicine with him to Legion Protective Group. The author of "Ditch Medicine", Mr. Coffee has trained both military combat units and police tactical / counter terrorist teams in the U.S., Europe, Central America, and Africa. Mr. Coffee is the lead instructor for all blocks of instruction at Legion Protective Group involving medical care or tactical medicine.
My Input- Mr. Coffee possesses a gentle personality and translated the complex world of emergency medicine into something that everyone in the class was able to grasp. His genuine empathy toward the needs of injured people in third world countries is without question. Never have I met someone so giving of oneself. During one of the many medical blocks of training he taught, he allowed me to run an IV and a Bolus on him, he is very dedicated to say the least. The infectious enthusiasm he showed while teaching was a treat to watch and I am a better person for having met him.
Assistant Instructor- Loren Hughes (Taken from LPG Website) Mr. Hughes has spent three decades operating in law enforcement and protective services. A former Special Agent with U.S. Army C.I.D., Mr. Hughes has also served as a civilian police officer and has held the positions of patrolman, detective, and Chief of Police for various agencies in the Western U.S. He is a Vietnam War combat veteran, and has worked private protection details in the U.S., Central America, South America, and the Middle East with clients ranging from local corporate executives to foreign heads of state.
My Input- Mr. Hughes was a very interesting fellow to meet, an enigma of sorts. His background speaks loudly of his capabilities in the field and stories from his former coworkers prove his value. He provided quality input in each of the courses of study, save the medical portion that was taught solely by Mr. Coffee. BTW, Mr. Hughes also makes a very convincing Arab dicker with his Shemagh and man dress on.
Assistant Instructor- D. G. Reynolds – (Taken from LPG Website) A currently serving metropolitan area police SWAT Assistant Team Leader, Mr. Reynolds is a graduate of numerous government and private schools emphasizing tactics, use of force, and fighting skills. He specializes in combining conventional police defensive tactics with a diverse martial arts background in order to have the most effective and articulate system for officers at risk, both on the street and in the courtroom. Reynolds, also a private security contractor has participated in high risk PSD operations in both the U.S. and the Middle East. Mr. Reynolds is an NRA and FBI certified firearms instructor.
My Input- Mr. Reynolds’ involvement in this course was limited as he was tied up with work (LE) obligations. He did make appearances throughout the course and was an extra set of eyes for the other instructors. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t be more involved as he is a BTDT.
Training Assistant- Travis Hughes, Travis (Loren Hughes’ 16 year old son) was a big help with the class. He assisted with video recording numerous phases of training and made a great ‘bad guy’ during escort training. He shrugged off numerous pokes to the jugular notch and a body slam but jumped up each time and came back for more. His help, sometimes slightly behind the scenes, made the class much smoother than it would have been without him.
HREPSO TRAINING
The provided course outline is as follows;
The Legion Protective Group High Risk Protective Services Operations
course is a dynamic, practical exercise intensive program, designed to
train personnel to conduct close protection operations in extreme high
threat environments. Our instructor cadre have operated for over 30 years
as close protection team members, security team leaders, and security
project managers throughout the Middle East, Central and South America,
Africa, Eastern Europe and South East Asia. Topics covered in HREPSO
include, but are not limited to:
• High Risk Vehicle Driver Skills
o Reverse 180
o Forward 180
o Reverse Out
o Y-Turn
o PIT
o Ram
o Blocks
o Screens
o Driver Down Escapes (Drive from Right)
o Vehicle Down Cross Loads
• High Risk Individual and Team PSD Skills
o Protective Escort Formations
o Site Surveys
o Protective Route Selection
o Protective Advance Work
o Protective Escort Vehicle Embus/Debus
o Protective Counter Ambush Tactics
o Vehicle Search Techniques
o Building Search Techniques
o Roadside IED Attack Recognition
o Roadside IED Attack Defense
o VBIED/Suicide Bomber Attack Recognition
o VBIED/Suicide Bomber Attack Defense
o Precision Shooting Skills
• High Risk Environment Emergency Medical Concerns
o Blast Injuries
o Gunshot Wounds
o General Health/Welfare in a High Risk Environment
o “Ditch Medicine”
Course Length: Five (5) Days ~ Sixty (60) Hours (69 hours Actual)
My Input- The provided class schedule is impressive for a five day, 60 hour course. Prior to attending, I wondered how it was all going to fit into the limited amount of time available.
After having completed the course, I now realize that some of the subjects should have been in bold with a footnote explaining that the highlighted topics would be the meat of the course. I took the liberty of bolding these subjects on the list above. I can sum this course up in three words; Driving, Medical, Footwork. Below are my comments regarding each portion of this course.
EP FOOTWORK- Being new to the EP world, I found the basic escort formation instruction very interesting. Mr. West did a wonderful job showing us the right way to walk the diamond, box, wedge, reverse wedge, etc…
There was ample Simunitions used during the EP training to give the added realism that only exchanging actual projectiles can give. We used Simunitions almost every day and one of our intrepid fellow students took numerous close range hits during one encounter and still has the whelps to prove it. I was pleased to see the instructors pushing the sule ready position, it was new to some but everyone adopted it after seeing the benefits it provides.
We worked relentlessly on the walking formation and Assault on Principle (AOP) drills and the time spent training started paying off immediately when Simunitions were brought back into the picture.
VEHICLE & BUILDING SEARCHES- Thanks to the devious mind of Loren Hughes, the learning curve for vehicle and building searches for IEDs was quite steep. Mr. Hughes and his ‘toys’ brought home many of the points taught in the classroom and will not be soon forgotten. I, having pulled the pin on a fair share of CTS model 7290 flashbangs, got quite a shock to find one, pin removed, teetering on the edge of falling out the bottom of a vehicle door while I was on my knees checking it. Since I had to look up from the bottom of the door to check it, my face was only a couple of inches from it. The 1.5 sec delay was all I could think about as I moved...very…..slowly…..to secure the door. After the pucker factor faded, Mr. Hughes was polite enough to point out that the flashbang was already expended although he had put it all back together again for training purposes. He enjoys his job, and it shows.
SITE & ROUTE SURVEYS- We did a hands-on site survey on a building that we would, unbeknownst to us, return to during the final mission evaluation on day five. This building in particular was a condemned, boarded up truck stop that was inhabited by bums. It was chocked full of hazards and really helped get everyone in the third world mindset as it was a perfect representation of you can find there, right on down to the dead cat. Now, I’m not sure that you would find a male bum dressed in a frilly pink dress with his hair in a ponytail with another male bum “very close” behind him as Travis Hughes did on day five, but it was close.
SHOOTING- If you were not a ‘shooter’ prior to arriving, you were at a disadvantage as some quickly found out. The short five hours that was spent on the range was not favorable to those who did not have their equipment prepared properly ahead of time. I do not see this as a slight against the course at all as this is not a basic course. Students attending are responsible for being familiar with their weapon systems and being ready to go, but the instructors did a good job dealing with those who were not. The range session was not delayed because of this and it spoke highly of the instructor’s ability to overcome what otherwise could have been a show stopper.
Although the technique of shooting from a moving vehicle was taught in class, actually shooting from a moving vehicle should have been included during the time at the range. On paper, this looks like a glaring oversight on the part of LPG. In reality, I believe this event was purposely deleted, for safety reasons, after the instructors realized the actual skill level of a couple of the students. If this is actually the case, I would suggest that in the future, students with safety concerns be omitted from participating in the more advanced exercises and let the class continue as planned. If this was not the case, it surely should be included, with gusto.
We did spend quite a bit of time shooting from a static vehicle and practicing debussing under fire. This, along with live fire AOP drills made the range day fun and everyone learned a lot. I went through 500 rounds of rifle and around 200 rounds of pistol ammo. In the short time that we were on the range, we were on the trigger a bunch. I experienced a ‘cook off’ after pushing nine 30 round magazines of ammo out of a 7.5” rifle barrel over a very short timeframe. THAT helped everyone appreciate proper muzzle control.
Although ‘Precision Shooting Skills’ is listed in the course outline as a course of instruction it shouldn’t really be there. I believe it should read ‘Shooting Skill Evaluation’ instead to reflect the fact that students need to come prepared and not expect to be given shooting instruction on anything but adapting solid, basic techniques into a dynamic shooting environment.
RANGE SAFETY- The instructors ran a safe range with all of the normal range rules and commands. There were issues with a couple of students committing safety violations but they were quickly and appropriately addressed by Mr. West. My tips for those who plan on attending a LPG course (or any course) are; Have your kit sorted out before game day, know your weapon system and how to fix it and follow directions to a T while on the range. Simple stuff but apparently it needs repeating.
RANGE FACILITY- The live fire shooting portion of this course was conducted at the West Memphis Police Shooting Range south of town. The range was well suited for our needs and could have easily been utilized to allow shooting from moving vehicles. I was satisfied with the range facility and I did not hear anyone else say anything but positive things about where the shooting portion of the course was held.
DRIVING- The driving course was located in a large parking area adjacent to the racetrack facility which allowed a quick transition from classroom instruction to hands-on application. Having been through many advanced law enforcement driving courses, I am used to the perfect driving environment. This is a plus for liability insurance but a severe negative for realistic training. The LPG driving area contained potholes, close tree & fence lines, loose gravel and the occasional light pole. It was a breath of fresh air to be able to push a vehicle to its limits in these conditions.
Mr. Sellens is an excellent driving instructor and he showed patience with those who were new to these types of maneuvers. He also controlled the training environment to allow three vehicles to be doing three different techniques in close proximity. No matter what level of driver you are, you will leave at a much higher level.
During the course, each of the driving topics listed above were addressed in the classroom and in the vehicle although one was only taught by lecture where the actual hands on experience would have proved beneficial. In specific, Vehicle Down Cross Loading was taught in detail, (along with pictures of this technique being performed) but no opportunities to actual cross load a vehicle were given and I believe that it would have been good to do so.
Mr. Sellens’ driving instruction was given a few portions at a time so that the students wouldn’t become overloaded with info and driving fatigue. I found that the balance between PowerPoint presentations and hands-on practice was comfortable and well thought out. This course was not ‘death by PowerPoint’ although a lot of information was presented in that format.
One of the highlights of the course was Mr. Sellens being nailed on the thumb with Simunitions during a motorcade assault. He was shooting a revolver and using that same thumb to cock the gun. Some very lucky student nailed him with the equivalent of a smart bomb from about 30 yards. He dropped the gun and the video from inside his vehicle showing his reaction was so funny it made the class video.
Speaking of the class video, Mr. Sellens produced an approx 5 minute music video using pictures and videos from the class and gave everyone a copy on a disk the last day. He is a very dedicated instructor and brought more than just driving instruction to the course.
MEDICAL TRAINING- Anyone who has met Mr. Coffee will surely agree that he is surely one of the nicest fellows walking the face of the earth. His passion for his medical profession follows him into the classroom as he can hardly contain himself when he gets to move on to the next neat medical lifesaving trick to teach. As with other courses he has taught, he did the famous QuickClot demonstration to show just how hot this stuff gets.
For me, one of the highlights of the course was getting to run an IV and push a Bolus on Mr. Coffee. I was honored that he chose me to poke him and it was comical to see his excitement in getting to show us all the little hints and tricks involved. I really think he had as much fun as we did and he was the one bleeding.
Like Mr. Sellens’ driving instruction, Mr. Coffee’s medical training was broken into digestible blocks. His PowerPoint presentations are not for the weak of stomach as he showed examples of just about every wound and malady out there. I’ll never forget the time he showed a picture of a man laying on a bed, missing his legs from the mid-thigh down from some sort of violent explosion, a large catheter was inserted in the patient’s penis (which was about in the middle of the screen and in plain view). Mr. Coffee got visibly excited and said, “Do you see that!”…..then he clarified that his was pointing out the tourniquets used on the thighs NOT the catheterized penis. It was very funny at the time.
Some of the most interesting portions of Mr. Coffee’s teachings were his demonstrations of how to adapt one medical device into filling the role of another, harder to acquire object. It was truly amazing to see him pulling something from this, cutting something from that, inserting something else and coming up with something totally different. This man knows his stuff and has a great way of sharing it….well after all, he DID write the book on it. Thumbs up to LPG for securing him as an instructor.
FINAL EVALUATION MISSION- To preserve the integrity of this courses’ final evaluation, I will not give away the details but let me add that almost all of the skills that we learned during the week were used to bring this mission to a successful end. I was chosen as the Team Leader for this mission and with the help of everyone involved we were able to pull it off without a hitch.
FINAL COMMENTS- I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this course to anyone searching out quality PSD training at an affordable price. For me, if we were to have practiced shooting from moving vehicles this class would have been perfect. I would like to thank Dave West and his crew for a memorable week of training and I look forward to taking more classes put on by the Legion Protective Group.