AAR Max Velocity Tactical Combined Combat Rifle Contact Drills & Patrol Class
2-6 Aug 2014
Romney, WV

I previously attended MVT Combat Rifle Contact Drills (CRCD) last year. See my old post:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_9_19/232891_AAR__Max_Velocity_Tactical_Combat_Rifle_Contact_Drills.html

That experience revealed two things:
(1) Merely owning a rifle is not sufficient; you need to know how to fight with it in a real 360 degree environment
(2) A single man, even if he knows how to fight with said rifle, is nothing without team.

With that knowledge, I was determined to go back to the combined CRCD/Patrol class with a group of friends. See class pics here:
http://www.maxvelocitytactical.com/2014/08/combat-patrol-snapshots-of-the-class/

The course starts with basic fire and movement techniques at the individual level and then goes on to team tactics for break contact and advance to contact. There are multiple po-up targets in depth, allowing students to push the assault far down range. This really hammers home the light infantry tactics taught. With two fire teams conducting a simulated satellite patrol, the improvements allow both teams to go through the assault and fire support cycles. Violent, amazing stuff. By the end of the second day, the teams started to gel and became more efficient in prosecution of the enemy targets.

The two-day CRCD course is a great jumping-off point for the 3-day Patrol class. CRCD class make you think you want a team of well-trained buddies if things go bad. Patrol class removed all doubt. You need a well-trained team.

The Patrol class is simply packed full of classic light infantry stuff. Since I don’t have a military background, my knowledge was limited to reading the Ranger handbook, FMs and other books on small unit tactics. But reading alone does not prepare you or give you the feel for the violence, confusion and excitement of battle. This class does it in spades.

Max Velocity Tactical does two things here. First, MVT gives classroom teaching on patrolling topics: formations, hand signals, rucking, recon, ambush, raids, patrol base site selection, set up and routine, and clearance patrols. Then they put it all into practical perspective by running drills around a pre-defined scenario and fictitious enemy. This is where the class gets really fun.

After a review of your ruck contents, the class goes out on a patrol towards the patrol base and lays a hasty ambush on the backtrail. Then it’s on to the patrol base site to occupy, run clearance patrols, set sentries and begin the work phase. Thankfully, the instructor already dug the shell scrapes! Later that night, a briefing was held on a recon mission.

The class has the feel of an actual operation here, with maps, objectives and orders given. Teams are assigned recon patrols on two different objectives. Once the patrols are out, MVT instructors switch over to OPFOR roles. You better hope you’re a sneaky SOB, or they will spot you with thermal and NVG. A debrief is held afterwards to relay the intel, all in preparation for a raid on the enemy encampment the next day.

After the recon, patrol base routine begins at midnight, complete with sentry duty and attempting to sleep without the comforts of home, and stand-to in the morning. It’s a sure-enough field training exercise at this point.

The last day makes you feel that you really get your money’s worth. The team is taught, rehearses and then executes a prepared linear ambush on multiple pop-up targets. Loud, violent and nasty, you find out what is meant by “ambush weight of fire”. Then the group quickly withdraws back to the rally point.

The capstone of the patrol class is the raid on the enemy encampment. Mannequins and pop-up targets are used as an unsuspecting OPFOR. The assault element slips up a creek bed while the fire support element gets into position. When fire support opens up, it’s game on for the assault group running up the creek bed to a flanking position. The fire support group shifts fire before the assault group jumps off in bounds. It is executed aggressively with the final targets shot at near point blank range. The exercise finishes with exfil before enemy QRT can arrive.

In summary, this class exceeded my expectations in delivering practical knowledge of combat rifle and patrolling tactics. If you always wanted to learn classic light infantry tactics but didn’t “sign up”, this is the course for you. There are few instructors that teach these tactics to civilians, and I’m not aware of anyone that has the terrain or facilities to match. Max and his assistant instructors all have the experience and passion to teach, so take advantage of it as soon as you can.

Thanks for taking the time to acknowledge the course, I'm sure they appreciate it.  Good write up...

Damnit Brian, now I wish I had ditched my sick family  to make it!! LOL

Another recommendation for Max and his training. Attended CRCD last month and was scheduled for the CP part of this class until the family starting tossing their cookies daily for the last couple weeks.

Just square range training is not enough, I don't care how many classes you have under your belt. You NEED this type of training to further round out your skill sets.

Great review, thank you!

Lowdown3

I've taken Max's CRCD class and loved it. He's a great instructor and his facilities are fantastic. I am going to try and make one of the patrol classes this year.



One thing that everyone who wants to take Max's classes needs to know: GET IN SHAPE. They are physical as hell.

You ain't kidding. If you don't PT for the patrol class, you will regret it. This ain't a class for basement dwelling, XXXL mall ninjas.

I've been rucking and running for months in preparation. I did alright, but the flatlands of GA ain't exactly the same as the hills of WV.More PT!

I'd love to attend this, looks right up my alley.

Hi guys,

Hopefully someone reads this! I'm Aaron from MVT (one of the cadre). It's great to see a student review here on ARFCOM. I've been a member here for a long time but only recently started working at MVT. I'd like to get more exposure for the school and your guy's thoughts and opinions. A lot is changing currently. The weapons manipulation classes (which is what I teach) are coming along and we are putting up the new schedule for 2015. We also plan to add a few new classes this coming year including our new NIGHT FIGHTING class which will expand on our basic NODF class in a similar fashion to CRCD.

MVT has added two new instructors to the staff. Myself and Chris who is a fantastic teacher with a lot of real world experience. I hope you guys check out the website MVT and if you have any questions please feel free to IM me.

Aaron

Right on brother... I hav been reading up on MVT.... and have a few posts over on the MVT fourm.  I hope to get out and take a class this coming spring. Looks like y'all got a good thing going.

It's a great place. I love working there. The new schedule is up until Aug 2015. My classes should be added in the next day or so. Come out and see us!