LMS Defense taught its Carbine 1 course in Casa Grande, Arizona, on March 1 and 2, 2008. This report draws on after action reviews written by two students in the class.
Course overview
- School: LMS Defense (Last Man Standing)
- Instructors: Yancey Harrington, a former 82nd Airborne paratrooper and LMS senior instructor, and Chris, who brought a law enforcement background
- Location: Casa Grande, Arizona
- Length: Two days
- Curriculum: marksmanship fundamentals, combat stress management, zeroing, rifle manipulation, movement, use of cover, unusual positions, ground fighting, an introduction to team tactics, gear selection and self-training tools
Day one
- Lead instructor: Yancey Harrington.
- Basics: after confirming zeros, the four safety rules, a medical evacuation plan, an overview of the AR and AK, and the fundamentals: stance, trigger, sight picture and sight offset. A threat scan followed, with the reasons for it.
- Manipulations: tactical reloads, several methods, then transitions to the handgun.
- Gear: after lunch, a discussion of how to carry equipment. Both instructors recommended a simple rig and explained, with stories, why each item on theirs was there.
- Steel: the day ended with three drills on steel. One was at 100 yards from various positions, with some handgun work at that distance. The “5, 5 and 5” used three five-round magazines, shooting standing, kneeling and prone with a reload between each. Last came an Australian peel.
- Round count: about 300 rifle rounds, all of them purposeful.
Day two
- Lead instructor: Chris.
- The Meltdown: at 15 yards, students fired one rifle shot, transitioned to the pistol, and repeated through a full magazine. Handgun skills were weak across the class, so 20 minutes went to pistol work.
- Positions: three kneeling positions and when to use each, then roll-over prone, SBU prone and supine, first up close, then from 100 yards (supine excepted for safety).
- Movement: forward, backward, lateral both ways and cutting in at an angle, then multiple targets and shooting from behind cover.
- Qualification: the day ended with the qualification course.
What the students said
- The two instructors’ different military and law enforcement backgrounds complemented each other, and their real-world experience gave the material credibility.
- The pace was slow enough to absorb each skill and fast enough to keep everyone engaged. Steel targets gave instant feedback.
- Students ranged from little carbine experience to solid shooters, and everyone helped each other with spare parts, lube and even a spare lower.
- Lessons learned: more live fire practice is needed, and gear needs sorting out, such as a sling that snagged on a plate carrier.
- One student planned to retake Carbine 1 every year to knock off the rust and catch bad habits.
Takeaways
- Keep your rig simple and know why each item is on it.
- Expect your handgun skills to be tested in a carbine class.
- An annual refresher of a foundational class is worth the time.
Originally published on After Action.net on March 11, 2008. Rebuilt from the archived student reports; the original photos were not preserved. See every class in the Training Log, or share your own training experience.
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