Using "cover" during training

Training Training and Tactics
1

Running malfunction drills or reloads, some instructors stress the fact that they want you to move to / utilize “cover” on a flat range when there is no real cover. E.g. take a step to the side or duck down behind an imaginary wall. I’ve also seen this in some training videos aswell.

I’m debating this with myself: One one hand I totally get what they’re after but on the other hand when there is no cover to get behind I think the whole thing becomes a bit silly since all it accomplishes is getting guys and gals to step/duck/prone/whatever during weapons manipulation. That’s not utilizing cover. My theory ons this is that if there is no cover avaible don’t pretend there is. If it goes down for real people will be looking for cover anyway. But if you have a wooden barricade/wall then by all means make sure it’s being used.

Obviously there is a lot of knowledge on this forum so I just wanted your take on this guys.

2

In my opinion, it’s pretty much mental masturbation.

The theory, as I understand it, is to ingrain the concept of using cover, but I think it quickly becomes little more than a party trick… like how most people “scan” before they reholster.

Frequently people look, but don’t “see” what’s around them when they scan, and it’s just another step in their automated reholstering procedure. Using cover, taking a knee, etc. that’s being preached as mandatory just becomes the same thing in my opinion.

People are either going to use their brain or they’re not.
What looks like cover might not be, what is cover to handguns isn’t to rifles, what might be cover from rifles might not be cover if you face multiple shooters from different angles, etc. There is no way to turn your brain off and auto-pilot into the correct action to take.

If you’re brain isn’t working well enough to address the above concerns (and more!) to actually seek out real effective cover on your own, I doubt that step you always took in your practice sessions is going to change the outcome much.

Just my .02$, as a civy who hasn’t ever been shot at.

3

I think it depends on what type of training you’re doing, and what your expected end use of this training is.

From a defensive pistol/rifle mindset, I think there’s merit to reinforcing movement to cover or movement off-line for drawing, reloading, transitioning, post-shooting, and malfunctions.
However, one has to keep it in perspective. There may be times where one won’t be able to, or want to, step off-line or towards cover. If I’m working in a stack, on the side of a busy street, have compatriots on my flanks, or I’m shielding a loved one(until we can move), I may not want to side-step or kneel or whatever, even if it means getting to cover. Range to threat is also a factor.

The key is to not go overboard. Sometimes this mindset devolves into range-kata. Get the concept and mindset ingrained, work it through various drills, but depending on what your training focus is at that particular moment, cover and movement don’t need to be a part of every single rep.

4

I totally get what youre saying. I agree, dont duck and “Cover” behind something thats not there.

I use cover in my training when I reload etc.

We try and use a target stand or SOMETHING for cover, even if its plywood so youre not using “Imaginary” cover.

I have seen first hand how training and repetitiveness comes to life in real world

5

If we are conducting training that utilizes cover/barricades, I guide shooters to utilize what they have at their disposal.

Some stoppages are easier to clear from a kneeling/squatting. I see no real advantage in standing up to clear a double feed or brass over bolt stoppage.

When it comes to light use and pistol draws there are very good reasons to step off line, but that has to be balanced against repetition and safety on the line. I don’t want to simply watch an awkward line dance, and I don’t want to spend time on a skill that a student can easily do at home. I want to shoot, and I want to be able to take the time available in two day to help the students realize their shooting goals.

6

I can understand they are trying to teach the students not to stay in one spot without cover during a reload, but 50 gallon barrels are cheap.

7

Are we talking about something literally and wholly imaginary, or a barricade that probably wouldn’t stop bullets “in the real world”?

As F2S said, even if the former there is no benefit to standing there as a bullet magnet with a gun that doesn’t work in your hands. Depending on the situation it may be best to haul ass entirely!

You’re standing in the middle of a field engaging targets at 5 yards and the carbine stops working. What “real world” solution would you like to see?

For me, the purpose of asking people to do things like take imaginary cover while clearing a malfunction also has to do with getting them out of the tunnel vision that comes when the gun stops going “boom”. We had a guy just the other night at drills that had a malfunction and who sat there staring at the gun as if it was going to somehow magically un-fuck itself. We had, however, another guy that had a much more deleterious malfunction who kept banging away at the gun until it was cleared and then finished the drill. I would not have though the latter a fool had he decided to take a knee once he realized that tap-rack-bang wasn’t getting it done.

8

I train with cover. For one thing, there’s the mechanical aspect of learning to shoot well while leaning around it, especially when you’re going around the non-ideal side. So even if you’re not really mentally preparing yourself to use it in a fight, at least you’re practicing the mechanics.

Also, as Pat Mac mentions in his TAPS book, simply using cover doesn’t mean you’re doing it right. For example, not popping out at the same place every time, etc. Other trainers have mentioned other little tidbits.

9

If you’re training without cover, or even half-assed attempts to simulate it, you’re creating training scars. Don’t expect to do it for real when needed. Echoed by a number of people involved in UoF incidents and OISs.

Even teaching to step off the line before or after firing ingrains motion. At one event I recently attended, a student stepped off the line after the command to fire, fired, then moved again. Asked why they did that without instruction, they did not immediately know. They ultimately defaulted to “because that’s what we practiced at the academy.” It is not ideal, but it’s useful.

The value of movement, especially movement to cover, is reinforced in sims exercises, even video-based sim training. I am very uncomfortable standing still, for a reason. I think it’s going to hurt if I don’t. My aversion to pain is a good start to developing GSW avoidance.

Don’t make cover practice harder than it needs to be. Take empty rubbermaid tubs with you to the range and overturn them. Stock empty ~50-gal water barrels at your range or in your gear. Grab a picnic table from the spectator line and stand it up.

If you can do nothing else… MOOOOOVE!

10

I’m talking about training situations when there is nothing but imaginery cover to be had. If you can use oil drums, tables or what not use them and make people activly scan for cover so that they break tunnel vision and become aware of their surroundings. I’ve conducted CQB training with some of this people and some of them don’t use cover properly even though they’ve trained it.

But for some I just see it as “range kata” as someone said. People just routinely taking one step to the side as part of their reload. I agree that ducking down for clearing malfunctions can be useful but I think utilizing cover should preferbly be taught somewhere else then the range being it such a surreal place from a “taking cover” standpoint.

I agree with F2S sometimes it’s best to haul ass but then you should train that and not sidestepping. Somethings can trained to muscle memory and some can’t and I believe this is one of those situations where it’s not beneficial. Train shooting on the range and using cover somewhere else.

11

Out of curiosity, is this something you’ve seen on the range, or in pictures and videos? Sometimes you don’t get the whole picture if you’re not there.

As to range kata, I like the term, so I started this thread so as not to hijack this one discussing the term.

12

I’ve seen it live with my unit and other units aswell as with local police who sometimes borrow our ranges. And of course in several videos on the internetz.

13

I’m a big believer in understanding WHY we do a thing as much as what we are doing. To that end, as I mentioned above, I think there are ways of explaining what the students are doing and why they are doing it to make it more clear rather than seeming simply like seeking phantom cover.

But this goes to a larger complaint of mine in general which is that we do a lot of things in the traditional shooting class with everyone on a line that needs further elaboration IMO. Everyone needs to start with the line-dance, but sooner or later classes need to incorporate the solo.

Relative to this specific topic, I could see instructing students to take a knee or otherwise move when clearing a malfunction or reloading in the line just to get them to break the concrete from their boots, but then follow it up with actual barricades, or lack thereof, to get some more practical practice with actually being aware of their surroundings and seeking out cover or otherwise getting small (or getting gone) in the absence of cover.

Then there’s doing the unconventional. There was an incident down here a year or two ago where two badguys burst in through a door to commit a home-invasion. Homeowner is home and has a gun handy, and starts popping guy #1. Guy #2 realizes what is going on, shoves guy #1 into the room, closes the door and beats feet. While I’m not rooting for the badguy, that’s pretty good thinking on his part. I’m also not advocating shoving your buddy into harm’s way, but thinking on your feet is a critical skill.

Which goes back to the range kata idea.

14

@The Swede:

We have the same stuff in our drills/courses of fire, ie:

Shoot a double tap to silhouette target, then move one step to either side and engage from kneeling with one round to bullseye target.

or

Shoot a double tap at silhouette target, bolt locks to rear, move to the left or right, go to kneeling, conduct a speed reload and reengage target, either bullseye target or head shot.

When I ask people why they insist on taking a knee when reloading, few can give me a good answer.

This usually happens on the flat range and the sidestep is supposed to mimic movement to cover. In my view, you must never simulate anything when it comes to this aspect of shooting. Movement to cover should be a cognitive action, meaning that it should be deliberate movement to a covered position that the shooter is determined to go to.

For me, I would rather have courses of fire that entail shooting on the move to the covered position, rather than have people train on something they will probably never do.

Or at least have them shoot and move in to a prone position, as that is a more likely course of action in open terrain, than taking a knee for example. 9/10 contacts will most likely happen from an unknown enemy position. Most guys will hug the ground, whilst trying to move to cover and locate the enemy in their sector before returning fire.

If you are conducting MOUT training, the terrain is full of limits and possibilities, and they must train to utilize that terrain to their advantage.

If use of cover is the purpose of the course of fire, it should be conducted in terrain that allows the soldiers to make choices and move to cover. Best way for them to learn, in my opinion.

15

This, to me, has to do with the line dance and a complete lack of imagination on the part of the instructors or range officers.

Use the line dance to teach the fundamentals, shoot paper to assess marksmanship, etc. Then move to even limited scenarios using steel targets to keep the line moving and get instant feedback.

16

Arctic1, I agree with you 100%!

17

Yep. Also can teach a shooter a lot about how their gun should be setup. A guy that swears by having his light at 6 o’clock…til he has to shoot over cover, is an example that comes to mind.

Good points. We use hay bales a lot.

18

Yup. The ability to haul ass often goes forgotten.

19

We do a lot of drills where we use cover, either the backstops on a range or setting up stuff. I think it is important to practice that kind of stuff, as most shooters don’t. (I have been able to do it a lot more since getting a 22 rifle, being able to use a short range to practice rifle is great- not to mention the cost)

I think pretending to move behind cover for a reload or stopage when you were standing shooting static is, as described, mental masturbation.

A typical range day for me would include warm up drills where I "stand and deliver, work on fundamentals while reacting etc… then I move to some exercises where tactics are involved…

example, we do the same thing with a pistol