[George Hill]

I’m not sure where to start. How about this – I think these clowns have no place in US Law Enforcement Training. If they want to train wannabe commandos that’s fine. But no self respecting law enforcement trainer should be looking at them and think, “Yeah, Baby! THAT is what we need!” I think they are irresponsible to a shockingly high degree.
Training exercises with live round being fired while students are down range – whatever that situation was… Judas Priest! That’s fine for the INFANTRY at BENNING to do – but to have a STUDENT break out his rifle and do that is flamboyantly irresponsible. Leave that to the troops with a tripod mounted gun that is blocked to not allow fire outside of a safe fire zone.
Force on force training with paintballs – I am all for. But without the proper safety gear? [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] – OVER! I’ve been playing paintball for over 10 years. I’ve seen the dark side of that sport and it stems from jackholes like ISS breaking the fundamental and most basic of rule. “GOGGLES ON”. Not just “safety goggles” or shooting glasses. No. Certified proper Paintball Goggles are REQUIRED. To put Officers out there without the proper goggle system that protects both eyes and ears is blatantly asinine. Departments send the guys out to train to improve skills… to come back a little better then they were before. Not to get awarded a slot on the Gimp Roster because they lost an eye. A paintball shot to the eyes can cause blindness in not just 1, but BOTH EYES. Can even cause DEATH. It doesn’t even have to be a hit to the eyes. Paintballs can shatter and break on anything, Such as the paintball marker your holding or the cover your ducking by. That shattering ball can send shell fragments flying everywhere. Few things can ruin your day like a shell fragment lodged in your retina. Yeah, I want to send my best Officers to get that kinda treatment. “Try to aim for the legs” – well that is a worth while training exercise! I call BS to that. What is the point of doing it if your not practicing your Front Sight Press on the Center Mass? Especially considering the risks?

I’m pleased no one was seriously hurt by that. Just a few broken ribs and arms… Nice. So much for the guy that had those officers scheduled for duty the next day. That’s money well spent on training. I thought the first goal of any training… the first and last concern was SAFETY. But I’m not a gunslinger anymore – maybe I’m wrong. Maybe things have changed. Maybe Officers are like Russian Troops and a 6% casualty rate is acceptable during training.

Speaking of storm troopers… What’s the deal with teaching and drilling on the “Finale”? Last time I check, a SWAT TEAM was still a LAW ENFORCMENT group. We didn’t even train that way at Ft Brag. We are not killers. We don’t send our SWAT teams in to kill everyone. We use SWAT to SAVE LIVES. To apprehend the bad guys to bring them to justice. This doesn’t include close range shots to the head… because that’s what this ISS jackoff is talking about. It’s about enforcing the law – not about wiping out the enemy. It’s about putting the bad guys in cuffs – not body bags. I don’t want to hear any justification for that BS. That’s not what American Police Officers do. And for that reason, American Police Officers should not be training like that. EVER.

The fascination with Israeli techniques is understandable. Maybe they should go over that with the Marines and Army. But I don’t want my local Police Officers – the guys that wave at my kids as they drive by… the guy I talk to over the fence… the guy that pulls me over if I’m too heavy on the far right pedal… I don’t want him being trained as a killer. I want him as a Peacekeeper. Peace Officer. Protecting and Serving. Being a part of the community. The guy I call when I need help (ahem, after the fact). This super aggressive stuff has a place. But I don’t see it in the US. Maybe for a Nuke Plant rapid response team… Maybe.

I hope, honestly, that the instructors at ISS rethink the idea. To take the Israeli techniques and “apply” that to Law Enforcement and not have Law Enforcement apply Israeli techniques. If you get my drift. If they can’t do that… then LEOs should stay the hell away from ISS.

Kudos to Rob for getting through it in one piece.