AAR: EAG Tactical Basic Carbine

Wayneard3413 · September 28, 2012, 12:24am

EAG Tactical
Basic Carbine
Echo Valley Training Center
22-23 Sept 2012

I made the trek up to Echo Valley with Rob hauling a trailer full of goodies to populate the line with. This is my fourth of fifth time at EVTC and it seems like CR is constantly building up the facility and improving it.

My equipment was pretty basic. I ran a BCM middy with a VTAC rail, Surefire comp, Geissele trigger, Aimpoint Micro/Larue mount and a far outdated Surefire X200 with a pressure switch that Pat hurt my feelings about.

I carried a couple of mags in Raven Concealment pouches hung off an Ares Gear Ranger Belt. The less is more outlook on gear and a fairly simple rifle with quality components meant I didn’t have any real gear issues to fight against.

TD1 started out with a short lecture covering the basics. The no nonsense approach, real life experiences to back up theories and sense of humor between Pat and Mike set the tone for the weekend.

Every TTP was based off of what is proven to work under stress, in the dark and while moving instead of what looks flashy or might shave .1243402 seconds off the clock during a drill.

We then hit the range to confirm zeros and got started with some drills that covered trigger reset and mechanical offset. It was apparent from the very beginning that this “basic class” had some squared away shooters. It promised to be a good time.

I won’t list each and every drill but I will say that every single drill had a specific purpose. Pat follows a very logical progression in building the skills needed to reach the level of proficiency he is wanting students to reach. It was a building block method where we continued to stack more and more layers as the weekend proceeded.

From my perspective, all of the students were chugging right along and nobody was left behind. While this is a testament to the students present, it also shows how Pat and Mike were constantly there pushing each student to his or her personal limit to keep pushing themselves regardless of skill level.

Between the previous days activities and travels, my lack of hydration and not eating enough I was dragging ass on TD1. I felt it and it showed in my shooting. I was pulling shots that normally would have been a breeze. That night a good meal and some rest proved to benefit me and allow me to come back with my A (or in my case B-) game and I starting feeling like I was back in my groove.

Overall I have to say that I really enjoyed myself. It was a great course that allowed everyone to improve regardless of what skillset they brought to the table on TD1.

Of course the other part of the training experience is getting to meet like minded individuals. I knew of some of the guys from online and had trained with a couple in the past. Talking between relays, breaks, dinner and cigars we were able to continue not only learning about face shooting but also how similar we really all are no matter what .mil, regional law enforcement or other vocation we come from.

Thanks to Pat and Mike for having us out. It was a great time and I hope to train with you guys again. Thanks to Donna for all of her work behind the scenes. And thanks to all the students who made for a safe and fun group that was great to shoot and hang out with.