AAR #2: CRCD 1-2 Feb – Bearcreek

The basic schedule of the CRCD class has been covered in previous AAR’s so I won’t get into details of terrain and program of instruction. Let me just state first off that every person who is physically able ought to be taking classes like this. It is every American’s responsibility, not option mind you, but responsibility, to own and be competent with a semi auto, detachable magazine fed rifle (even if it’s an AK. Sorry, had to throw that in there.) For now, taking that responsibility is still legal. Being competent involves a whole lot more than just being able to reload fast, transition to your backup, or make small groups of holes on paper while standing 15 yards in front of a berm. Being competent means that you know how to work with your team to patrol an area, it means knowing how to work with them to attack an objective, or break contact, or move using bounding overwatch, or flank attack, etc etc. These are not things you can learn on a square range using SWAT type tactics, or from a book, (although getting and reading Max’s book Contact! will certainly help).

Here’s some of the things that I took away from the class as it relates to gear. Some of this is personal preference, so you can take it for what it’s worth:

1. Low top boots, even quality hiking type boots suck, at least in snow and mud.

2. Dump pouches are overrated. I tried Max’s suggestion of just dumping empty mags down the front of my shirt and it worked great. I didn’t reload during a drill while standing still a single time. When you’re laying in the dirt or kneeling or moving it’s a lot easier to feel a mag into the front of your shirt or see where you’re putting it than to fish around behind you for a dump pouch opening. Also, the pouch with empty mags is not rattling and smacking you in the ass or legs while you’re running.

3. A couple of mags in open top pouches is a good idea. I used a HSGI double TACO as the first pouch on my battle belt and it worked good.

4. Wear knee pads. I cut up an old sleeping pad to fit in the velcroed pockets on the knees of my pants. Elbow pads are not a bad idea either, although not quite as important.

5. A pistol is nice but not necessary. I wore mine but never fired it. I still intend to wear it in the future but always keep in mind that it’s much more important to get my rifle going again than to switch to a pistol.

6. Quality optics are important. You’re better off just running irons and saving your pennies till you can afford quality than messing with a shitty, cheap optic. 7. Optics with hooded lenses of some sort are good. If the lense is flush with the body of the optic, such as on an Aimpoint T-1, it tends to get dirty more easily (and your optic will get dirty, along with the rest of you and your gear). A somewhat hooded lense such as on a Comp M3 or ACOG stays cleaner.

Overall assessment, this class is awesome. Sign up now.

Bearcreek