Green Eye Tactical – Urban Tactics Course
Location: TDSA
Eric Dorenbush, the owner of Green Eye Tactical, is a U.S. Army Special Operations veteran with extensive combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has served in the 82nd Airborne Division and 1st SFOD-D as an Operator. He has been instructing Special Operations personnel, Law Enforcement, Military and Civilians since. He is also an NRA certified instructor and a Texas Concealed Carry Instructor (www.greeneyetactical.com).
Gear: Daniel Defense AR15’s, Eotech optics with magnifiers
Class: The class was private and small, with the students being civilians.
Day 1 – Marksmanship
We started the training day with the requisite safety brief and then proceeded to checking zeros. Eric has an approach that was new to me where we used a chronograph to begin the zero process. Once bullet velocity data was recorded and we determined our ideal zero we moved to the flat range to verify and finalize.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8WJA1sRUkU
Eric emphasized fundamentals and natural point of aim during the zero process. Though he emphasized not turning zeroing into a marksmanship exercise, he did emphasize the need for eventual very tight grouping and gave a good comparison of our abilities as compared to the abilities required in his past experiences.
Next, we moved to standing close range marksmanship using controlled pairs. Eric likes a squared stance, weight forward, and typically a collapsed buttstock with the rifle mounted in line with the dominant eye. Targets moved from one target to multiple. In order to prepare for CQB and emphasize the future need for proper target identification, manipulation of the safety was not allowed until the weapon was at the full ready position and the weapon was required to be placed on safe before bring back to low ready.
Lastly we worked on movement toward the target, moving lateral in both directions in relation to the target and in a serpentine fashion. Each movement scenario involved shooting with the priority being on shooting only when the shot is there, as identified by sight placement. Ideally the trigger is pulled during the support phase of walking, before the active foot makes contact with the ground.
Day 2 – Cover, Barricades, Vehicles
Using the fundamentals given priority on day one, day two focused on using barricades and shooting from various positions. We worked barricades standing, kneeling, prone and eventually more esoteric positions such as roll-over prone. Ideal distance from cover was discussed as well as the ideal method for temporarily exposing oneself from cover to make the shot from standing, kneeling, and prone.
Entering, exiting, and shooting from and around vehicles was covered with the resounding conclusion being vehicles provide poor cover. They are better than nothing but extremely unideal. Training day two culminated in a small field training exercise staging from a vehicle and subsequently bounding down range and later up range using vehicles as cover.
Day 3 – CQB
Training day three began with an introduction to dynamic entry and room clearing and moved to deliberate entry techniques. We started with dry fire and moved to live fire, multiple targets, multiple rooms, and multiple intra-room scenarios. This day was high on fast analytical thinking and decision making, which was great. Eric emphasized thinking through a situation and having a reason for your decision. A decision was not necessarily right or wrong, however, the decision required a definitive and legitimate reason.
CQB culminated with a field training exercise that presented physical as well as mental challenges and wrapped all of the training into a practical scenario. Those not in shape, beware. FYI we asked for training that presented these challenges.
Conclusion
The training was first rate and practical, as to be expected from someone with Eric’s pedigree. Eric is extremely knowledgeable, relates training to actual scenarios, and is very approachable. He presents his ideas as “what worked for him” and not in a boastful or dogmatic fashion. I would describe his style as reasonably relaxed, though sufficiently serious when needed. Obviously in a Mil/LEO scenario I am sure this is ratcheted up a notch or two.
I would take a class from Eric anytime in any tactical subject over 99% of any of the other instructors. His experience, emphasis on reality versus flashy YouTube videos, as well as approachable style makes him the primary instructor for my needs.