TNVC recently completed another Nightfighter 101 class in Great Falls, MT on September 11-12. This was a 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. We had a super time teaching this both classes.
TNVC enjoys a superb relationship with the Great Falls Police Department and the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office. They are amazing hosts and go out of their way to help with all aspects of getting the class together. This is another staple location for us, and we will continue to train here for the foreseeable future.
We could not have asked for better weather. Highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s. Great illumination—the stars were incredible even though we were just a few miles out of town. Of course we did get slightly wet—it would not be a TNVC class without precipitation—but moisture is always appreciated this time of year in this part of the country.
We saw a wide spread of night vision devices and student experience in class. I can say that this was one of the more novice classes we have taught—which really shows the value of Nightfighter 101. We did not experience any night vision gear related issues in the class.
Weapons reliability remains a consistent challenge in our classes. Primarily it is a lack of lubrication, but we are also seeing more kit guns and less reliable ammunition (expected in the ammo shortage). Additionally, we saw some accessories depart the carbine at times during this class—loctite is your friend to make sure that what is on the gun, stays on the gun. Night one was rough, but night 2 got significantly better—lubrication solves a lot of those problems.
Weapons safety and handling exceeded expectations, but we did see a trend of students going faster than they could to conduct routine manipulations such as loading the carbine or clearing a malfunction. Of course, the night monster is a real thing, and habits formed from working in the daytime do not always transfer to nighttime use.
We run a pretty 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 will announce our 2022 schedule next month in our training newsletter. We will return to Montana several times next year—we see students come from all over the west, and we want to continue to provide training here.
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.
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.
Rite in the Rain
Ops-Core
Unity Tactical
Thyrm
Geissele Automatics
Otte Gear
Phokus Research Group
Blue Force Gear
Cloud Defensive