Review: HEAT 1 Combat Tactics April 2025: Jeff

Review HEAT 1 April 2025:

I recently attended the HEAT 1 class at MVT. I don’t have earlier military or LE training. Max and Scott are both true professionals and their knowledge shows throughout the class. The class is a crawl-walk-run training progression that is ideal for students who are not familiar with their weapon and Small Unit Tactics (SUT but is also beneficial to those with previous experience. This was my second time taking this class and there is still much I can gain. Safety is a top priority and the training cadre’s years of experience with this type of tactical training is evident.

The class starts with days one and two on the the flat range with basic weapons manipulation, zeroing, firing from different positions, and clearing weapon malfunctions, then progresses to fire and movement and then to fire, movement and communication in buddy pairs. Each new skill laying the foundation for the next.

The skills from the first two days are taken to the next level, on the tactical range, on days three and four. For me, this is where this training is extremely valuable. Fire, movement, and communication skills I thought were coming together for me at the end
of day two are made more difficult with the addition of moving through wooded terrain, the use of pop up electronic reactive targets, and the adrenaline. It’s easy to get sucked into the targets, your weapon, and movement from cover to cover while communicating within the team. This is all done under the watchful eyes of Scott and Max; they are constantly there with guidance and correction, ensuring safety protocols are always followed. At the end of each training scenario, Max and Scott give honest performance feedback on both an individual level and team level. One great side benefit from this type of training is the ability to test your kit during live fire scenarios on terrain. Great for seeing what works, what doesn’t and what needs to be adjusted.

The general level of safety, the insightful information taught, and the honest feedback is why I am a return student. If you are thinking about taking the HEAT 1 class, I highly recommend it.

Having attended a couple of classes multiple times at MVT, I can say the high level of instruction, topics covered, and attention to safety is consistent. Slight changes are made to the classes over time, but the overall class structure remains. One thing that
will vary from class to class is the informal discussions among students and cadre while taking breaks and lunch. The mix of backgrounds, personalities, and questions asked always take these sessions in different directions. A question that was asked during this class was about a handgun oriented class, to which I responded that while the class description is not currently listed on the MVT website, I have taken the Defensive Concealed Handgun training twice. This is not a stand on the range and fire type class, but drills that are started by drawing from concealment. There is a wealth of knowledge and information taught. If there are enough interested students, this class could be organized on the MVT forum. If you see this class listed in the schedule, do not hesitate and sign up for it! If you are lucky enough to find yourself in this class, most definitely sign up for the optional night session…truly eye opening.

Best Regards,
Jeff

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