Review: Georgia 5 Day Combat Team Tactics / Direct Action Class: TC

CTT/DA  Review by TC

Training with Max Velocity Tactical has been a true privilege. Where else can one go from learning basic weapons manipulation to conducting organized ambushes and raids in the span of only five days?  Where else can armed citizens safely practice teamwork, communication, and strategy using actual military standard operating procedures?  Unlike other more “tacticool” classes that focus on flashy minutiae that fall short in the real world, what MVT teaches consists of simple, practical, and battle-tested techniques that work.

So during the 5-Day  Combat Team Tactics / Direct Action class, as part of TacGun, some of what was taught included weapons manipulation, clearing malfunctions, shooting controlled pairs and hammer pairs, turning via head-body-weapon, RTR drills (return fire, take cover, return appropriate fire), bounding in buddy pairs and 4-man teams, moving via bounding over-watch, basic patrol formations, assaulting through an enemy position, searching the bodies of downed targets, rallying and withdrawing, and conducting ambushes and raids using 12-man teams. Direct Action is a cut down version of Combat Patrol but dovetails logically with Combat Team Tactics. Due to the nuances and gotchas discovered by attending class, you learn things you just can’t by reading a book.

For me, the biggest takeaway from class is that you cannot simply expect to gather your family, friends, or neighbors into an impromptu fighting team and expect to have “power in numbers.” Without the kind of training MVT offers, you are liable to end up with confusion, chaos, accidents, and being flanked and rolled up by a better organized force. There is a certain level of choreography, assignment of roles, discipline, safety awareness, and communication needed to turn a group of people into something more than just a frightened mob. It took a whole day just to train the dozen of us to conduct an ambush properly, not because it was super complicated, but because the more people there are, the more things can go wrong, and in the heat of the moment it’s easy to get confused and forget little things that end up throwing everything else off. It takes repetition and correction by a competent instructor to get it right.

Next, a word on the awesome Georgia facility run by Robert of JRH Enterprises. I live in south Florida and driving to the Velocity Training Center in West Virginia takes sixteen hours. Going to Georgia for the mobile class only takes six and a half hours, which was a real treat. The facility there had everything needed for CTT/DA, minus the punishing hills of West Virginia. It consists of 5-10 acres of flat ground and gentle hills, a mix of pine forest and open ground with built up berms. There is a sixteen lane gravel square range with various barricades, a roofed teaching hut with white board, covered rifle rack, trails leading into the woods from which we conducted the the ambushes and raids, and a large grassy lot to practice bounding and assault-throughs. For targets we had paper targets, stick-in polymer Ivan targets, remote-controlled pop-up targets that react when hit, and mannequins. (MVT Note: this is the MVT target / range equipment that is used for mobile classes.) There was also a minivan with dummies inside and that we shot up during the raid and ambush. Anyone in the Southeast, you owe it to yourselves to attend the next Georgia mobile class for the sheer convenience of the location. (MVT Note: we do not know when this will be. The only mobile class currently planned for 2018 is Texas in February. MVT is going to concentrate on classes at the VTC. We may run a GA class late 2018/2019 simply because Robert is a good guy and has a good training site. But don’t hold your breath and fail to train at the VTC in the meantime). 

Lastly, anyone worried about the types of people you might meet at class, have no fear. I have attended two classes so far and everyone has been courteous, intelligent, considerate, and cool. I’ve met some wonderful and inspiring people. So you’re not just “taking a class” but you’re also meeting potential friends. And with the mobile classes being regional, you also get to evaluate potential members of your CUTT (Citizen Unconventional Training Team).

As for Max the instructor, I found his teaching style extremely methodical, streamlined, and clear. Pacing of the class was perfect, a good mix of theory, rehearsal, and execution with enough repetition to get the point and sufficient breaks to recover and reload. He’s strict on safety and doesn’t suffer fools, which is a good thing. Like a tactical Gordon Ramsay, he knows what’s needed to get the job done and bring the best out of everyone.

Folks, bottom line is that you have a rare opportunity here to get valuable training you just can’t get anywhere else. Don’t miss out!