NEW Training Site & Outline Training Plans
I have been busy expending a lot of energy and drive time looking for some land to use as a training site. We have just signed a contract on 100 acres, due to close in less than two weeks. The land is in the Blue Ridge Mountains in WV, across the State Line from Winchester VA. It’s in the north-east tip of WV that adjoins VA, MD and PA (those coming to classes will get strip maps will exact locations.)
The land is wooded with some steep terrain features and a couple of ridges. There are multiple spurs and the draws make ideal natural ranges for live tactical movement. We are tentatively calling it ‘Ricochet Ridge’.
Facilities there are basic but there will be options to camp or cabin and I will also look up local hotels/motels for those wanting to take that option. As time goes on we will develop the facilities. It is easily accessible, for example it is two hours west of D.C. and Dulles for those wanting to fly in.
It is of course not over till the fat lady sings and we have closed, but here are my outline ideas:
1. For those that are not aware, I still work full time and offer training at weekends. Once the land is solid, I will put out a program of available training weekends. I can take groups if you book it out or first come first serve individuals. I hope to eventually migrate to just running tactical training, at which point I will put on classes during the week. Demand and requests will decide.
2. I am not intending to open a ‘range facility’ as such. The training will not be about simple target shooting, although there is scope to do that. The main effort will be towards using the excellent terrain for bespoke tactical training.
3. Training will be tailored to the individuals and not driven by my ego. I will listen to what you want and make assessments of where you are, and offer my thoughts on how you will best progress. Crawl, walk, run. This means that coming to train with me should not scare you off. It will be tailored to your ability and aim to progress you and challenge you but within safe limits. It’s not about humiliating the trainee, but running the most appropriate and professional training to give you real benefit. Rest will be built in.
4. As far as possible, it will be bring your own firearms, equipment and ammunition. I am having as much trouble as the rest of you getting hold of ammo so I can’t sell you any. Bring what you are prepared to expend.
5. Closely related to that I am investing in is realistic air-soft M4/AR15 replicas. I aim to have a squads worth (10-12-ish) of those plus ancillary equipment. Much of the training will be dry and then we will move to air-soft. This will add more realism to dry training while saving ammo and acting as a half-way between dry and live firing. It will also allow us to do force on force training. There are unreal-isms with air-soft but I will manage those as part of the training exercise.
6. So theoretically you could come and train with me and bring no firearms or ammunition. But, what would be ideal would be to build up, over perhaps the course of a weekend, to some safe maneuver with live rounds. The ammo scarcity problem will aid training by highlighting the need for fire control and aimed shots!
7. Cost: I know many of you are suffering. I will aim to be realistic and cut good deals, even entertaining ideas on barter, particularly if you want to build me some cabins! Yes I need to cover costs and make a living, but I am also a Patriot driven by the need for good people to receive good training. An idea of my standard rates for group training, usually up to class sizes of 12: $250 per person one day. $400 per person for a two day package. Then for more days its negotiable usually $100 per extra day per person. If you want something else, let me know and we can try and work it out.
8. I have had diverse training and experiences so I can add training above and beyond the basic small unit tactics. Check my webpage for more detail on that HERE. Examples would be TC ‘battlefield first aid’, planning, leadership, team and character building, higher formation tactics such as platoon/company level, specific close protection and vehicle mounted training. Please just email me and ask.
I hope to train you soon!
Max