This was my first carbine class (or formal rifle training of any kind), so I was a little nervous that my skills wouldn't be up to par with the rest of the guys. I brought my Colt LE6920 Trooper and Aimpoint PRO. I also brought my Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport 2 as a backup, but didn't need it - the Colt ran flawlessly. The course ran from 9 until 6. I brought Federal and PMC Bronze .223 55gr, and my final count of rounds fired was 257. I believe there were 17 students in attendance.

The day started with legal waivers and medical emergency plan, along with a reminder of Cooper's four rules. The course itself began with a briefing on the factors for legal justification of lethal force, a discussion of relevant case law and the role of law enforcement in the aftermath of such an encounter. We then verified our zeros at 25 yards. I was happy with my 50 yard zero, and Mike, the director of training, was satisfied with it as well, so I sat out while the guys who needed to refine their zeros made adjustments and checked twice more. After that, we did single and two shot drills broken up into two relays. Guys on one relay would perform the drills while the other would reload/hydrate. There were also drills on multiple targets, shooting from behind cover, both standing and kneeling from strong and support sides. Lunch was provided by the local 4H. After lunch, we had a bit of rain, so the instructors went over clearing malfunctions (failure to fire, stovepipes, double feeds, bolt override) under the pavilion. The rain cleared, and we went back to the line to do malfunction clearance drills. We broke into groups of six and did two runs of the El Presidente drill. We also shot a 450 point aggregate - this was the only time during the class that I felt a little behind the curve - not having any competitive experience, I wasn't familiar with the way this one was scored, so I just tried to keep my dot on the target as best as I could. (continued)

The high point of the class for me was near the end, when we did a qualifier used by some police departments in northern Virginia. We fired around 30 timed rounds on an FBI QIT-99 target from 50, 25, and 10 yards. Shots had to hit the bottle of the target to count, and I believe we needed 27/30 to pass. I was pleased to see that every one of my shots was on the mark. The last activity was shooting steel from around 100 yards standing supported, kneeling, and prone. This was the first time I had shot either steel or anything from 100 yards. It was a blast. The day wound down with a recap and recommendations for further training.

One of the most impressive aspects of this course was the amount of personal instruction I was able to get. All three instructors made an effort to walk the line during drills and offfer assistance to anyone who needed it. I worked mostly with Mike and Brett, and both gave me excellent tips to work on as I continue to train.  Of particular note: when we were shooting steel at the end (again, my first time at that distance), I missed a couple shots, and Brett was able to identify and correct my issue with a simple verbal cue to take the slack out of the trigger. It took me a couple more rounds and reminders from Brett to process the cue - once it clicked for me, the steel started ringing with every shot. All three instructors demonstrated remarkable patience. (continued)

The other thing I really appreciated about this course is that I learned I really like the way my rifle is set up. I especially like the placement of my Magpul handstop on the rail. I hear guys on here talking about the weight of the rifle being a factor during a course like this, and I was pleased that I didn't regret keeping the Streamlight Protac RM2 mounted for the duration of the class - the weight was comfortable all day long. I thought it was a good idea to train with the weapon set up for how I will be using it for HD. I gained confidence in my gear and my ability to put shots where they need to go.

In summary, Green Ops provided top notch instruction from the perspective of this relative beginner. They emphasized that they teach "A way, not THE way," which I very much appreciate. They encouraged us to continue training not just with them, but to seek out perspectives from other instructors as well. The pace of the course was skillfully laid out so that I was never bored, yet never felt rushed while trying to focus on what I was learning. They encouraged us to dry fire at home, train with shot timers and to compete, something I would like to do eventually. I am 100% pleased with the training I received - these are top notch instructors who run a high-quality class, and I highly recommend Green Ops to anyone looking for firearms training in central or northern Virginia.

Nice review. Thank you for the kind words. It was a honor to have you in class. Keep training, on your own and with others. Slack out solves a lot of problems. We hope to train with you again some time.

The honor was all mine.  See you guys at Defensive Carbine II.