Lessons From Our Survival Camping – Part One React to Contact 2-Man Drills
Survival Camping
Last time we spoke, I wrote briefly about our “Survival Camping” trip. It was a cold and wet journey up into the woods, where we all cross trained each other on various skills. Many of the team had prior military knowledge, so we decided to learn how to patrol and react to contact.
You may want to patrol your neighborhood or AO (area of operation) during a grid down scenario, to make sure and check for any potential threats that could do harm to you or your family. More on how to do patrolling in another email.
In our scenario we hid two targets deep in the woods, while an unknowing team had to go patrol. For safety, we kept this version of the drill down to two people, while the others stayed behind and watched. You’d hear a gun shot, and you’d have to react to contact. The goal was gain fire superiority in this drill. And although we had done this drill before in the past, both team members could see the target that was “shooting” at us. However, this time it was set up specifically to where only one person could see the target… a much more realistic scenario. We’d both shoot and/or flank until the paper target fell off the tree.
You’ll notice in the video below, how the person in front noticed the target first. He laid suppressive fire while the other team member moved into a position that was better suited to see the target. I suppose that in real life the ambusher would probably not go for the first person, but rather pick them off from the rear or middle. However this drill got us moving and shooting.
Now a little disclaimer here: I’m not an expert on this. I’m not prior military. Surely a lot of people could come up with things we did right or wrong, but I encourage you to take a look at the video and allow it to get you thinking – and more importantly, practicing.
Stay sharp, stay safe, stay legal.
Dave
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2 thoughts on “Lessons From Our Survival Camping – Part One React to Contact 2-Man Drills”
I am commenting on "military" training. It purely depends on your role, time of service, discipline, training, fitness in the military. it is easy to poke holes at things. good on you for training we all need a lot more. I wish I had access some of the goochy kit you have to train with. I might also add that being a farmer also adds to better your training to notice movement while on patrol weather being a small critter or person. Lets just say I have played enemy party a bit (using blanks) your eyes are opened, you see what you’d do better. how easily one person takes out many
Per our discussions previously Dave, your movements and form were good except for one thing… You were going forward not backward. Sounds like you received training from an ex-military person which is great but you have to take the techniques and training they give and adapt it to a prepping scenario. Soldiers are trained to GO FORWARD. In a SHTF scenario, if gunshots ring out, your main objective is not winning the battle or taking the fight to the enemy. There are no medics and helicopters to fly you to a medical facility if you get shot and gunshot wounds are likely a death nail in your survival. If shooting breaks out, use the same techniques and utilized cover fire to retreat not move forward! Get out of the situation as quickly as possible! Once you are disengaged, you can assess the need to deal with the ambushers. If your traveling, my advice is to skirt the ambush location and keep moving. If you are ambushed on your own property, I would still retreat as quickly as possible and set up your own ambush, letting your attackers come to you. You ALWAYS want to be the ambusher not the ambushee. I know to most tacticool preppers this philosophy flies in the face of the "Special Forces" instructor who trained them, but so what. Their training perspective is based on warfare NOT survival. If you always retreat, the only thing injured is your pride and you get to fight another day.
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