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Gents,
Please take the time to read this article:
I used to make my squad practice mag changes over and over and over again...to the point that some worthless E-6 from another unit within our Brigade complained about it, saying we weren't supposed to have magazines in the weapons inside the wire, and I told him to mind his own business while I trained my squad. This was in February, 2003...2 months before the incident the wounded warrior Marine detailed in that article.
That worthless E-6 went all the way to our Brigade Sergeant Major to complain about me training my men, and the BDE SGM came to personally talk with me about it. I told him I would continue to train my men, and by the way, what's up with the lax security at the airfield we were at? He didn't have a good answer for me...later in the deployment, he lost his M9 pistol, and was relieved of his duties.
The biggest problem I have with that incident is that he entered and attempted to clear a courtyard ALONE!!!!!!!!!!! The mag change drill just amplified the mistake of being one man in a gunfight versus a numerically superior force. What about grenades????? One is none, two is one. That is why I focus on team-level live fire exercises in my courses.
But yeah, practice changing mags quickly from realistic gear in stressful situations, while on a knee, the prone, rolled left, and rolled right, while walking, then running. We did this the most in my 1st Scout Platoon during our Immediate Action Drill training, but line units rarely, if ever, practiced it.
Since the military is filled with career "professionals" who know jack and squat about combat, these mistakes are more likely to be repeated, not learned from.
One specific thing you can do when involved in "contact is imminent" scenarios is to have one of your mag pouches open, with the cover tucked behind the mags to maintain tension against them, preventing loss of the mags. This will make your emergency reloads quicker. Nowadays, there are all sorts of open-topped pouches with elastic retainer bands and tabs, so the gear is more suited to short-duration CQB work, but having a simple plan for your mag changes from different positions is a good habit to have for those who are in a career involving fighting with firearms, and those who prefer to train for these scenarios.
Most importantly, train as a Team and never let that battle buddy concept die with basic training...it is the foundation of tactics in the real world.
Please take the time to read this article:
I used to make my squad practice mag changes over and over and over again...to the point that some worthless E-6 from another unit within our Brigade complained about it, saying we weren't supposed to have magazines in the weapons inside the wire, and I told him to mind his own business while I trained my squad. This was in February, 2003...2 months before the incident the wounded warrior Marine detailed in that article.
That worthless E-6 went all the way to our Brigade Sergeant Major to complain about me training my men, and the BDE SGM came to personally talk with me about it. I told him I would continue to train my men, and by the way, what's up with the lax security at the airfield we were at? He didn't have a good answer for me...later in the deployment, he lost his M9 pistol, and was relieved of his duties.
The biggest problem I have with that incident is that he entered and attempted to clear a courtyard ALONE!!!!!!!!!!! The mag change drill just amplified the mistake of being one man in a gunfight versus a numerically superior force. What about grenades????? One is none, two is one. That is why I focus on team-level live fire exercises in my courses.
But yeah, practice changing mags quickly from realistic gear in stressful situations, while on a knee, the prone, rolled left, and rolled right, while walking, then running. We did this the most in my 1st Scout Platoon during our Immediate Action Drill training, but line units rarely, if ever, practiced it.
Since the military is filled with career "professionals" who know jack and squat about combat, these mistakes are more likely to be repeated, not learned from.
One specific thing you can do when involved in "contact is imminent" scenarios is to have one of your mag pouches open, with the cover tucked behind the mags to maintain tension against them, preventing loss of the mags. This will make your emergency reloads quicker. Nowadays, there are all sorts of open-topped pouches with elastic retainer bands and tabs, so the gear is more suited to short-duration CQB work, but having a simple plan for your mag changes from different positions is a good habit to have for those who are in a career involving fighting with firearms, and those who prefer to train for these scenarios.
Most importantly, train as a Team and never let that battle buddy concept die with basic training...it is the foundation of tactics in the real world.
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