TNVC recently completed another Nightfighter 101 class Badlands Tactical in Grandfield, OK. This was another sold out class, and we really enjoyed having that many students. The class had a healthy mix of law enforcement, military, and civilians in the class; this class immediately followed a sold out Try Before You Buy the preceding night.
Bobby at Badlands Tactical is an amazing host. He absolutely goes out of his way to make everyone’s experience at the facility the best it can be. We really enjoy coming to this location, and it remains a stable venue for us for the foreseeable future. They offer several classes there and it is worth checking out for sure.
We could not have asked for better weather. Highs in the 80s, lows in the 50s. Great illumination—we probably could have gotten away with not using goggles at times, but that is the nature of training at night; you have to adapt to all environmental conditions. This was the second class in a row where we did not get wet; we were expecting it but lucked out for sure.
We saw a wide spread of night vision devices and student experience in class. The varying experience was fun to work with—from novice to experienced users I think that everyone got something out of the class. The only night vision related gear issue we had was an ATPIAL-C that didn’t want to work properly. It is from our rental fleet, and we will examine it this week.
Weapons reliability was great on night one but suffered slightly on night two. Probably a combination of less than stellar ammunition and some needed lubrication. For training, we recommend using the best ammunition you have—you will get the most out of the class with your time there; save the practice ammunition for that—practicing at home. We continue to see dry guns and the inevitable stoppages associated with that. Lubricating your AR will help it run that much better.
Handgun work under NVGs is a blast. Especially if you have a red dot. Our preferred and recommended setup is a red dot on top of the handgun, and a light underneath. This will allow you to get the most out of the pistol while still finding good holster options. It is not uncommon for us to see students get reliable hits at distance with the pistol and NVGs.
If you do not have a red dot, properly focused goggles will not pick up the sights, and you will need to look under the goggle to get a good sight picture.
We run an aggressive tempo to our classes for working between the two relays. A lot of this has to do with working on a semi-reverse schedule, and we have a lot of training objectives we want to cover. Jamming mags prior to class, and having readily available food and drinks helps make your breaks more enjoyable, relaxing, and keeps our students alert and receptive to instruction. Small things like that can help you make the most of your breaks.
We cannot say enough about the hosts. Super friendly, eager to make sure that training was going right, and opened their amazing facility to us and our students. We are returning there several times next year for the complete spread of classes we offer.
Additionally, several companies stepped up to offer students swag and door prizes (everyone won something!) for their attendance. We really appreciate their generosity and are proud to have them associated with our classes.
Rite in the Rain
Ops-Core
Unity Tactical
Thyrm
Geissele Automatics
Otte Gear
Phokus Research Group
Blue Force Gear
Cloud Defensive
Ares State Armory