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MVT News & Looking to 2018

Various news, developments, class changes and plans for 2018, in no particular order:

2018 Scheduling

Next year we currently only have Texas (February) and the TacGun Challenge (June) on the schedule. I am about to start working on scheduling classes for the first part of 2018, up till June. We are likely to start in March (after Texas) and work through to June. Some of this is related to other news, below, but we are looking at scheduling the following classes for that March – June time period:

  • One or two Combat Rifle Skills
  • One or two Combat Team Tactics
  • Probably one Force on Force team Tactics. This may become a single annual event simply because the more on the class, the better, up to the limit of 28 bolts that we currently have.
  • One Combat Patrol / Direct Action
  • I am talking to John about the scheduling of CQBC and LRMC.
  • We are likely to push CLC to November 2018, and wait till we have sufficient stated interest from alumni on the forum before we put up open enrollment dates at least 3 months before. CLC is also a numbers critical class at 13 students, which also requires advance UTM round purchase.
  • I am considering putting a 6 day class in May at the VTC. This would be a 4 day CTT followed by 2 days of Direct Action. This would replace one of the events due in Idaho, because I cancelled the Idaho classes this year. These 6 day events were previous popular with those who wanted to travel for a longer class. Thoughts?

Scheduling is a work in progress. Previously, sometimes we have got weekends right, and sometimes wrong. This has also changed over time: I recall a full Combat Patrol Class on Memorial Day a couple of years ago. Priorities have changed with people as regards to perceived imminence or threat of needing these skills. So I welcome feedback on what weekends are good and bad this spring / summer for these classes. After all, I can schedule all I want, but if  a class will not fly on, for example, Fathers Day, then I screwed up the scheduling. So let me know before we start putting things down in the calendar. I await to hear from you! As usual,  the forum is the best venue for that.

Civilian Classes – the Future

Blog / forum comment sometimes spurs panic. It is known that MVT has had SOF teams train at the VTC. We plan on doing more of that in the future. That does not mean we will close civilian classes. But for a variety of reasons, we are going to simply schedule less, and have more flexibility in the calendar. SOF tend to come train late summer / fall anyway using funds at close of fiscal year, hence keeping the calendar open at this time. Things will firm up as we go into 2018. This means that classes will be more limited when they are scheduled, and if you want to train, you need to sign up, and not simply wait for the future schedule – incentive to get off your ass and start making moves, rather than prevaricating.

Class Certificates:

One a related note, there has been chat about the lack of class certificates on recent classes. Simply due to the fact that my printer broke and I have been travelling extensively on mobile classes. Busy times. Certificates will come back. If I owe you one, send me a postage paid certificate sized envelope, as well as an email telling me about it and the class you want one for, and I will produce and mail you one. Or, let me know and physically collect it next time you are at class.

Class changes and prerequisites:

I have previously posted about the new fitness prerequisite. You can read about that HERE. That applies to all classes under the TRAINING > TACTICAL CLASSES tab on the website menu. It does not apply to those under the TRAINING > FIREARMS TRAINING menu.

Classes the fitness prerequisites apply to:

  • Combat Team Tactics
  • Combat Patrol / Direct Action
  • CQBC
  • Force on Force Team Tactics
  • Combat Leader Course
  • Night Firing.

Classes the fitness prerequisites do not apply to:

  • Defensive Concealed handgun
  • Combat Rifle Skills
  • Long Range Marksmanship Course

Combat Team Tactics is going to a full 4 day class in 2018. There will no longer be an optional Rifle Skills Day on the Thursday, but we will run a full Combat Rifle Skills class Thursday / Friday and the Team Tactics tactical range portion Saturday / Sunday.

Combat Rifle Skills classes will still run independently with Scott on Saturday / Sundays as we schedule for 2018. If you do CRS and come back within 6 months, you can jump into a CTT for the Saturday / Sunday tactical range portion only (space dependent). I have also made some specifications for CTT alumni on the updated CTT page, as to what prerequisites apply for returning to the new CTT class. You can read about that on the updated Combat Team Tactics Page. Bottom, line showing up for the full 4 days will benefit you – training is a perishable skill.

  • Note: the fitness prerequisite does apply to CRS classes that are part of the 4 day CTT classes. But not to the standalone weekend CRS classes.

Although the fitness prerequisites are self-certifiable, as part of the 4 Day Combat Team Tactics class, there will be a paced terrain walk of approximately a mile, followed by alternating standing lunges, on arrival on the first day of the class. You will carry your kit, minimum 6 loaded magazines, and your unloaded rifle. This will confirm the self-certification and build team at start of class. This will not be a race, but a steady paced terrain walk adapted to the terrain at the VTC to replicate the 15 minute mile pace.

Class Additions? The Intro Tactics / TacMed Class? 

The potential of adding a class was discussed this weekend at class with the students. It was raised that many people are interested in this tactical training but for whatever reason do not think they are capable of it. Maybe age, injury or simply not knowing what fitness level is needed. They could simply be intimated, which would be immediately dispelled if they showed up, but of course if they don’t sign up they will never show up.

The idea of adding a single day class that is an introduction to Combat Team Tactics was raised. This class would have no physical fitness prerequisite and would be specifically designed to be achievable by those with low PT levels. It would be a  blue barrel / barricade style event entirely on the flat range. Either on the flat range or on flat or downhill portions of the areas / tracks at the VTC. It would cover the curriculum on CTT but have no challenge of terrain or long range runs.

It was also raised that there has been a lot of demand for the not currently offered combat lifesaver class. Potentially we can run a weekend where we offer the Intro to CTT Flat Range class on the Saturday, with a Combat Lifesaver (TacMed) class on the Sunday.

We would also hope that some who underestimated their fitness, or who overestimated the difficulty of the VTC, would be encouraged to meet the (easy) fitness prerequisites and return for a full CTT class.

What are your thoughts?

Feedback and suggestions is appreciated as we move forward with scheduling. Most updates and development are discussed on the MVT Forum, which is $25 per year to keep the quality up and the noise interference down: