Pat Rogers Carbine Course 2004
"Without training, we are nothing but a liability." - Pat Rogers
DISCLAIMER: I do not represent Pat Rogers or EAG Enterprises in any way; I speak only as a satisfied customer.
Overview
Pat Rogers is a former NYPD officer and Marine with more than 30 years in service. His company, EAG Enterprises, provides
tactical training and security consulting services to various military, law enforcement and government entities. Pat has worked
in the Middle East, South America, the "emerging republics" of the former Soviet Union, and other locations around the world. He is a
senior instructor at Gunsite in Arizona and a contributor to SWAT magazine. On top of all this, Pat makes time each year to instruct a
few classes off-site, offering citizens a chance to receive top-quality firearms instruction without having to travel to
an expensive, far-away school.
One of Pat's regular teaching stops is the Boone County Sheriff's Department range in Lebanon, Indiana.
During the summer, the BCSD plays host to a number of well-known instructors, offering classes in all manner of armed and unarmed
self-defense disciplines. BCSD is a progressive department that recognizes the value of a trained police force, and, equally as important,
a trained citizenry. Capt. Ken Campbell is the department's representative at these training courses. Not only does he handle hosting duties
and administrative functions for the various classes, he is also an outstanding instructor in his own right. In addition to his responsibilities with the BCSD,
Ken works as an adjunct instructor at Gunsite when time allows.
I found out on one of the Internet gun boards in January of 2004 that Pat would be conducting a carbine course at the BCSD in July. Knowing the class would fill quickly, I contacted my shooting buddy Doug and "volunteered" him to take the class with me (he didn't complain). When I contacted Capt. Campbell to register, I was informed that he had bumped a couple of his officers to the weekday course (two sessions were scheduled), and we had been given the last two spots in the weekend session. Here it was seven months prior, and both sessions were already full! As Pat likes to say, "In police work, this is what we call 'a clue'". This course was going to be good!
THE STUDENTS
The class consisted of 23 students (2 female, 21 male) from all walks of life - everything from current and former military and police, to private security contractors, to other
instructors, to everyday professional people. There was even a dad who took the class with his teenage son and daughter, all in matching gear (my folks were never that cool).
Most of the students were repeat customers - they knew Pat, and many knew each other as well. Though both Doug and I had prior handgun training, this would be our first carbine course,
so we felt a bit behind the power curve as Day One began.
THE HARDWARE
Though the class is billed generically as a carbine course, it was clearly written with the AR platform in mind (no surprise,
given the background of the instructor). Which is just as well, since everyone brought one! Carbines ranged from 10.5" NFA weapons (registered machine guns or short-barreled rifles) to
a bone-stock 1960s-vintage 20" Colt SP-1, with all stops in-between. The vast majority of carbines had optics, with Aimpoint being the clear favorite (there was also one ACOG, as well as our two OKOs). The most
popular varieties of slings, grips, rail systems and aftermarket stocks were all represented.
I shot the course with my M4A1 clone, with my 16" "plain jane" M4 as a backup (didn't need it). I carried carbine mags in my CQB Solutions chest rig, and tossed my empties in a Maxpedition dump pouch, worn on the belt just behind my pistol mag pouches. The Glock rode in my excellent RM Holsters ECP kydex paddle. All the gear held up well and when used together, made for a very slick and efficient package.
Doug split his trigger time between his 16" Bushmaster Patrolman's Carbine (16" HBAR, collapsing stock, flat-top with OKO) and his Bushmaster shorty-AK (16" fluted barrel with AK brake, full stock, A1 sights). He carried a couple spare
carbine mags in a CQB Solutions thigh rig, and his G34 rode in an Uncle Mike's security holster attached to his duty belt.
DAY ONE
The first half of Day One was the "classroom" portion of the program, with Pat and Ken introducing
themselves, and Pat going over the four basic range safety rules and explaining what the class would and would not cover. From there, he blistered
through such topics as the history of the M-16/M4 family, the role of the carbine in military, law enforcement and personal protection applications; gear selection (what
works and what doesn't); and an explanation of the basic fighting stance. Although Pat makes no bones about what his preferences are when it comes to
gear, he is surprisingly non-dogmatic. "Everybody makes good gear, everybody makes bad gear; the important thing is to know (ie be familiar with) what you've got," he explained. Pat's
preferences, though, had clearly rubbed off on those who had trained with him before; Colt carbines, Aimpoint sights, single-point slings, 1911 pistols and Safariland 6004 holsters were
prevalent - all these items are standard issue for MCSOCOM Det. 1, the Marine Spec Ops unit that Pat has been involved with since its inception.
After the lunch break, we separated into two relays (one of 11 students, one of 12) and went out to the range to zero our carbines at 25 and 50 yards, with 5 shots slow-fire from prone. I had already zeroed at 50 yards a few weeks prior, so I just needed to make a minor elevation correction to my OKO sight and I was good to go. Pat suggested that I run my gun with the backup iron sight folded, and use the round lens of the OKO as an improvised ghost ring should the sight's batteries fail. I took his suggestion, and the result was a cleaner sight picture and faster dot acquisition. Fortunately, the OKO stayed functional throughout the class, so I didn't have to test its usefulness as an improvised iron sight.
After everyone was zeroed, the course material started coming hot and heavy. We were introduced to concepts such as holdover at close range, controlled pairs vs. accelerated pairs ("the hammer"), trigger control, tactical reloads, the "failure drill" (a pair to the body, single shot to the brain) and the "Non-Standard Response" (kind of a corollary to the Failure Drill; rather than taking a brain shot, you continue to hold on center mass and fire a burst of 3-10 shots). We also learned several types of shooting positions, including braced kneeling, kneeling unsupported, speed kneeling, squatting (rice-paddy prone) and prone. Finally, we learned the proper technique for transitioning from carbine to handgun, and were advised that this should become our standard response in the event of a carbine malfunction inside 25 yards. This was a new experience for me, coming from the handgun world where there might not be a backup weapon and the answer to a malfunction is to get behind cover and tap-rack-bang.
DAY TWO
Second day began on the 50-yard line to verify our zero from the previous day. I was good to go, but some of the other guys experienced varying degrees of shift, which Pat used as an opportunity to stress regular inspections of
optic mounts and the screws that hold them on, and the adjustment knobs of the optics themselves. Pat's personal carbines, as well as those of several students, were well-marked with colored paint which made it obvious at a glance if
anything had moved or come loose. We then moved right into the MEUSOC carbine qualification, shot with the carbine and then with the pistol. Throughout this, the importance of
tactical reloads was stressed over and over - "keep the gun loaded!" "stop running out of ammo!" Here we were also introduced to shooting on the move - advancing toward the target while delivering
solid center-mass and brain hits. This, too, was a departure from my prior handgun training, which emphasized moving off the line of attack in response to a threat. Finally, the pistol portion of the MEUSOC qual ensured that we got plenty of practice
with transitions; we began with one round from the carbine before drawing the pistol and completing the string. A few times through that, and "dropping the big gun and going to the Blaster" started to become a natural reaction. Incidentally, I found that
my FR&I pistol skills meshed seamlessly with the fighting stance and transition technique taught in this course.
At lunch, Steve Tarani gave a 10-minute exhibition in the use of the Karambit, a curved-blade Filipino fighting knife. Steve's entire demonstration was done with amazing speed, grace and strength, and his Karambit moves simply
blew my mind. Gave me renewed respect for the fighting knife and the guys who truly know how to use it. Funny thing is that Steve is very soft-spoken and almost shy when he doesn't have his "war face" on. I shot next to him on the line, and found him to be very humble and approchable,
despite the fact that he's a master in his field. Like my fellow student Pat Harvath said - "if you want to take an edged weapons course, this is the guy to take it from." In fact, Steve was in town shooting with us because he was teaching
an extreme close-quarters defense course with Pat starting the day after the carbine course. Several of the students stayed on to take that, as well, but I didn't have the time or money to do so. One day I'd like to get some knife and/or empty hand instruction, and
I know who I'm gonna look up when the time comes!
Given the heat of the afternoon (and it was hot), Pat elected to slow things down a bit by teaching us "alternative" prone positions (supine, urban and SBU prone), followed by the "indoor ready" position and engaging targets at 90 and 180-degree offsets. One of the more interesting drills was the "Wave of Death," which had each student turn 90 degrees and engage his target, keying on the guy in front of him. Pat or Ken would tap the first guy on the shoulder to get him turning, and the motion would progress down the line like "the wave" at a football game. There were times when we didn't quite get it, which caused Ken to declare us the "ripple in the cesspool of death", which doesn't strike fear in anybody's heart. :-P After a few more drills, some more NSRs and shooting on the move, it was finally time to go home. We were wiped.
DAY THREE
We started out bright and early with another run through the carbine portion of the MEUSOC qual. As the first relay started running from the 50-yard line to the 25, one of
the students slipped in the wet grass and took a header right onto his rifle stock. Fortunately, his fellow students included a combat medic and two surgeons, so he was in good hands even before the
EMTs arrived. The EMTs got our casualty strapped to a gurney and took him to the hospital; fortunately his injuries weren't serious. He was released and returned to the range after lunch, but sat out the rest of the day; I am told he went ahead and stayed on to take the urban defense class, though. What a trooper!
After that excitement, we settled down to shoot the MEUSOC and more drills - shooting on the move, NSRs, transitions, speed and tactical reloads with carbine and handgun, failure drills, and single shots to the brain on command. The proper techniques were being hammered into us through sheer repetition, to build muscle memory and keep our heads in the fight. And if we screwed up, Pat was right there, his biting sarcasm serving as a little smack to the back of the head to let us know we were busted. And I tell you what, that was a bigger motivator to do well than anything else! Of course, in the case of serious performance issues, Pat would take the time to work with the student, diagnosing the problem and explaining how to correct it.
Day Three wrapped a bit early, with each relay shooting the carbine portion of the MEUSOC course for score. There are 100 possible points, with at least 80 required to pass. I shot an 88 - the high score for the class - and was absolutely thrilled! Of course, it's not fair to compare my score with the Marines who do this for real; they go out and qualify in full gear - rucksack, 13 loaded mags, pistol, helmet, goggles, gloves, the works - and they shoot better scores! A couple of students did shoot with their gear on; they said it was to get full value out of the drill... I say knock yourself out, and you can carry my stuff too while you're at it! :-) The day concluded with a brief certificate-awarding ceremony, followed by the brass call from hell... 23 students times 800 rounds apiece is a LOT of empties to pick up!
Druthers
As good as this class was - and it WAS good; Pat and Ken are both top-notch instructors and have their material down cold - I did come up with a couple gripes after taking
a few days to process everything.
Summary
In general, I found Pat Rogers' Carbine Operators Course to be an excellent first experience in training with the carbine, and a solid baseline from which to build additional skills. I learned a LOT, had a great time, and think I performed
fairly well. Most importantly, I gained a great deal of confidence in my weapon and in my ability to employ it at defensive-shooting distances. This course deals strictly with the basic mechanics of
shooting a carbine; advanced techniques and tactics were not addressed. But a good teacher always leaves his students wanting a little more; I would definitely be interested in an
"advanced" carbine course in the future. Will I take this course again next year? Just as soon as Capt. Campbell lets me know the dates!
