Review: MVT Texas Alumni Live Fire: William

AAR MVT Brady
1st Week, 2024

BLUF – still the safest firearm training I’ve ever done, pushed my boundaries, Max took into account my personal limitations (chronic injuries, aging) – I WILL be back for 2025.

The first day was spent in Trauma Combat Casualty Care (TC3), understanding and reinforcing MARCH. Each aspect of MARCH had hands-on sessions, including Tourniquet (TQ) application (self-aid and buddy), Nasopharyngeal Airways (NPA), Chest Seals, Needle Decompressions, Wound packing, hypothermia prevention, and extrication (drags, carries, litters). The information and skills would come into play for the remainder of the week.

The second day was spent knocking the rust/dust off of working together as pairs and teams practicing river assaults. I added the offered night class and spent the evening hours doing a jungle walk – getting used to identifying targets under night-vision (NVG or NODs) then moving over to the river assault for the night-time version of the day. CAVEAT – safety-wire EVERYTHING to your weapon (if you think it’s tight enough….. it’s not.)

The third day was spent practicing break-contact drills and cover shoot drills.

The fourth day was spent practicing sequencing (with 3 different teams, i.e. satellite patrolling) raids on the village then having to react to opposing QRF.

The fifth day was spent practicing ambushes, setting up and working through. The afternoon saw casualties being added to the mix (pay attention in TC3 class if you want your buddy to survive). The night portion was doing the same ambushes and raids as during the day, so the concepts and ground were very similar.

The sixth day was spent in applications and responding to changes in the situation……with more casualties, including a team becoming combat-ineffective….. deal with it…..

The last day was spent continuing the application of everything we learned at the beginning of the week.

Lessons learned

1. Get to MVT and train!
2. LEARN TC3 – the odds of taking casualties if you have to do above are high.
3. If you have physical issues (we ALL will have as we age), talk to Max before writing yourself off.
4. Safety-wire EVERYTHING to your firearm (unless you just like losing $300 pieces of equipment, or
   more).
5. Check your ego at the front gate – what we’re learning is the difference between football and rugby.
6. SLOW your rate of fire down – ammunition equals time, use it wisely.
7. It’s NOT a one-and-done – get to MVT and train!!