Review: Close Quarter Battle Course, March 24-26: Arthur
Review CQBC, March 24-26, 2017
INTRODUCTION
I took the original MVT Citizen Close Combat (C3) in 2015. The new Close Quarter Battle Course (CQBC) is leaps and bounds beyond the original offering due to instruction, facility improvements and equipment enhancements such as the UTM’s. It is exactly as described at the MVT website (Class description HERE) where you can find out exactly what to expect. This is 3 days of straight forward excellent training that begins to give you the tools you need in the event you are faced with a CQB situation in your personal life.
TRAINING & FACILITY
CQBC is three days of intense training beginning with classroom discussion of CQB methods and theory, proper foot work and body movements, structure entry methods, breaching methods, room types, room clearing methods, sectors of fire and force on target. This covers the first 2 days and as noted earlier it is intense and mentally exhausting. The purpose of the first 2 days is to provide the knowledge and tools to execute the force on force drills on the 3rd day using the UTM rounds and the shoot houses constructed at the VTC, providing real time realistic training. It is one thing to run the drills using force on target, but a whole different world running force on force where the “target” is returning fire. Stress level is high, decision making is tested and the mistakes you make are accented with the incoming UTM fire.
INSTRUCTION
The class was instructed by John (BIO Page) who brings his real life military experience to the class. He knows how to motivate, explain, correct, praise and criticize, remaining fair, objective and open to discussion of methods. This tells me that with the material taught and the free flow of information there is no set in stone dogma. Time and again we were told CQB involves continuous problem solving while on the move. This becomes evident during force on force when, for whatever reason, things go sideways and you and your team need to reassess under pressure of a closing opposition. The basic fundamentals you have been taught don’t change you need to adapt, adjust and reapply them under evolving conditions and intense pressure.
After each drill/iteration a complete debrief was done to close the circle on the learning experience.
MY CONCLUSION
Max has done a great job bringing John in to instruct and constructing this facility at the VTC. This is as real to life training as you can get, providing invaluable instruction of a skill that may have real relevance to your life.
Max adds: the next CQBC is in May, but it is currently full. John and I are talking about putting another CQBC on in late August, watch this space.