Scout Course AAR from February 2024 – An OpFor Perspective, by WiscoMando

2023 was a tough slog.  Not just for yours truly, but for many of us.  The political situation, the economy and the impact on the average family, international diplomacy, train derailments, farm and factory fires, and general uneasiness.

In 2020, we were in the middle of serious social unrest, and any, even minor, act by the police, viewed as fascist or racists as viewed through the lens of the mob was going to cause a major reaction.  We saw it happen right here in Kenosha, and wrote about it a week or less in advance:

We have learned many lessons since then and are ever improving our training and capabilities.  The most recent addition, in a large way, has been the addition of thermal optics, whether simply for target I.D. or engagement.  We are reminded, once again, that we no longer “own the night”.

I had no idea just how easily you could pick out thermal signatures with the newer optics.  I had briefly gotten a report from another classmate back in TN at my first Scout course, but at that time both personal NVGs and thermals were out of my financial reach.

Now, these systems should be more available and cheaper, but they aren’t.  Two ongoing conflicts, and a third threatening to erupt any time, economic problems, and component unavailability has caused delays, price increases (read: gouging), and stock depletion (lucky we have NC Scout to supply us!).

Scout and Recce course were three days each, with an epic combination of OpFor (alumni) and new students.  Varying experiences, skill levels, knowledge bases, equipment, attitudes and temperaments were present.  It was the best of the good, with a serious lack of the dumb/bad crap many of us experienced in the service.  Like LiquoredRabbit says: “It’s the Army, without the Army.”  YMMV.

The fun thing about Partisans: they often mesh well, while coming from wildly different backgrounds, and good leaders will use their team members strengths to the ultimate advantage, while not being dictatorial, and weighing individuals’ ideas and contributions.  Bad leaders, like militias of old, get voted out, left out, or left behind.  I call this “Small Team Wins” with very specific placement of the plural.

OpFor in the Scout course are used as demonstrators initially, allowing the new students to follow the path of “tell, show, do.”  The basic concepts are explained in a classroom environment, the OpFor then show the students the training example (formations, movements, callouts), and then the students walk through it.

Later, OpFor are used as training targets: they get to be “observed”, “ambushed”, “attacked”, or whatever the exercise calls for.  In the recce course, they are quite a bit more aggressive – either with their own ambushes, counter attacks, or shooting at recon teams.  Occasionally, a student group will fail in a particular drill, and reattempt.  OpFor teams learn from this as well – weaker teams will blunder, teaching what not to do, but strong student teams give excellent learning environments, and makes morale high.

While not directly participating in the training, the lessons learned on the other side of the line are numerous.  On two occasions, the student teams did exactly what we expected them to do, based on the limitation of the time and terrain.  They walked within 20 meters of our LP/OPs on the first night op, and on the second recce op, pushed up the high through heavy brush so as not to be observed.  The second instance, we had laid out an inverted V ambush, and they couldn’t press either of our flanks.

But several times, we were surprised by the guile or cleverness that we witnessed.  On point on a patrol (their night L-shape ambush) we got wiped out.  We couldn’t see them under NODs or thermals – they had done their due diligence and checked their signatures in both ways.  On another op, they used a reentrant to walk within 50m of our “campsite”, popped up out of that, got the info they needed for the SALUTE, and got out without being detected.

On the cloverleaf recon, we had the “campsite” set up on top of a hill, and on their third insert, they were hindered by terrain (read: property lines).  I personally watched them walk all the way around to their push-in point, walk almost to our outside perimeter, and then engaged them.  They would have been caught in sparse cover, engaged from high ground, and most likely unable to evade.  The lesson here: even if you don’t think you’re being watched, you probably are.

This applies to everyday life also with surveillance, CCTV camera… you name it.  Adjusting to this, move from cover to cover, or pick a different route.  Maybe a cloverleaf recon is only two legs, and not three, maybe it’s the other direction than you originally expected, further on the right flank, further on the left.  Sometimes, taking the main road is unexpected, while taking the back road is expected.  Adjust.

Look, I’m no expert on this stuff, I was a short-timer infantry scout, and I ate the paint chips off the side of the armor, perpetually lost member of Task Force Alpha. Crayons were too hoity-toity for us.  What I’m trying to say is, many of us can learn, even the 20-plus-year Airborne veteran (but you better listen to that guy.  He’s forgotten more than I will ever know – and a cool dude to boot).

I have a particular knowledge base, but I was extremely humbled by the company that I had.  NC Scout is a powerhouse in this regard, but surrounded by super intelligent guys (and gals) like Guerilla Logi, LiquoredRabbit, TeddyBear, NCSheepDog, AntiPattern, and the famous PatriotMan, Reaper, BePrepared…many I am forgetting.

I will lay down some law here: if you come to G-Camp, you MUST try the Malort.  It’s not an option – it’s a rite of passage.

2024 has been a great year.  I decided at the beginning of the year it was going to be and it damn has been so far.  Beautiful days shine upon me, I hope God in Heaven is pleased with his creation.  Beauty smiles at me daily, and I grow and learn at each turn.  I have gained true freedom, and eliminated that which was keeping me sick.

Training is back on the schedule.  Because, while the year has been good, and the outlook better personally, in general, we are looking at a very dark storm approaching.  For better or for worse, it’s time to tighten our belts, top off our mags, get your battle buddy and do equipment checks, confirm zeros, and be ready.

Any training you think you need you should have done yesterday; but there’s no better time to start than today.  Get there, get the literature you need from best-sellers, support small business that are giving you the advantage, and find your squad.  See you on the range. Out.  – Mando