TNVC recently completed our last Nightfighter 101 class of the spring season in Great Falls, Montana from April 30 to May 1. It was a full class; we had a couple of late cancellations. But the students there were ready to go and were a blast to have the class.
We had a healthy mix of law enforcement, military, and civilians in the class, and this made for a great experience for both he students and the instructors.
We really enjoy going to Great Falls. The Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office are amazing hosts for us, and it is cool that we can use their range to get some great training in. Plus, it is nice to go “home” for me, and I enjoy the local area as much as I can while I am there.
We got wet, of course, but this is a good thing for the state. Seeing signs in town that say “Pray for April showers” makes us understand the conditions in the state, and although we did get slightly wet on night one, it wasn’t too bad. Temps were tolerable, wind was negligible, and the illumination was perfect.
We saw a wide spread of night vision devices and student experience in class. We did not experience any night vision gear related issues in the class. We even had a student running the new Artemis housing in the class.
This class had probably the best accuracy we have seen in a recent NF101 class which was good to see. Scans and post engagement checks were on point too. It is great to see students rapidly picking up techniques and applying them in class.
We did have a squib in one of the rifles which was identified during the load and make ready procedure—the new round would not chamber due to the projectile in the bore. The student had another upper and was able to move everything over so that he could complete the class.
We want you to run the gear you have—dance with the girl you brought. But there are some things that you can purchase in advance that are going to help you and are the most common comments from the students.
Looking through the trends for the season, this class was no different with regards to equipment that can be purchased ahead of time to make your class experience that much better. We strongly recommend before a NF101 class that you have this equipment, as it will allow you to get the most out of the class with minimal expense:
2-point sling for the carbine
High mount for the optic on the carbine
Red dot optic for the handgun
Level 2 retention holster for the handgun
Goggle retention
We will return to Great Falls in September for the full range of our classes—it is a staple in our training venues, and we love the location for both what we can do and who we work with.
Additionally, several companies stepped up to offer students swag and such for their attendance. We really appreciate their generosity and are proud to have them associated with our classes.
Ops-Core
Unity Tactical
Thyrm
Otte Gear
Phokus Research Group
Blue Force Gear
Cloud Defensive
NodsPods
Defense Mechanisms