Review: Texas Alumni Live Fire Class February 2026: Chad

For the fifth year in a row, I returned to Quinn Ranch to train with Max for MVT’s Texas Alumni week. And once again, it delivered at a level few programs even attempt.

This is not casual range time. It’s seven days of demanding, immersive, live-fire small-unit training across 6,000 acres of rugged terrain that punishes complacency and rewards discipline. The week begins with a full day of TCCC and builds into assault forward drills, break drills, assault cycles, raids, bunker assaults, night operations, and casualty scenarios that force real-time medical treatment and extraction under stress.

But what makes this course different isn’t just the drills—it’s the depth.

Before every evolution, Max explains not only what we’re doing, but why. He ties doctrine to real-world experience, sharing lessons that can’t be learned from a manual. After every drill, the debriefs are honest, direct, and transformative. The conversations don’t stop when the rifles are cleared—they continue each night at the lodge, where like-minded men dissect mistakes, share insights, and build genuine friendships forged through shared hardship.

The students who attend are not chasing fantasy. They are responsible men focused on preparedness and protecting their families in uncertain times. This training reinforces a hard truth: owning equipment without the ability to employ it competently and as part of a team is meaningless. While many gravitate toward CQB because it looks exciting, this course reminds you that real-world problems require movement, coordination, communication, and discipline long before you ever reach a doorway.

The intensity is real. The standards are high. And yet, in five consecutive years, I have never once felt unsafe. Safety is embedded in the culture—managed through structure, accountability, and professionalism without ever sacrificing realism.

This course challenges you physically, mentally, and morally. It humbles you. It sharpens you. And it builds bonds that last far beyond the week.

If you are serious about competence, responsibility, and readiness—not just collecting drills or chasing “cool”—this is the benchmark.

I will continue to return as long as it’s offered.

Chad

This year MVT offered a HEAT 1 Combat Tactics Texas class and the Alumni Live Fire Class at the Ranch. We plan to continue to offer HEAT 1 and the Alumni Class going forward. Dates will be updated on the page shortly for the 2027 Classes. LINK HERE.