Last year, there was a brief discussion of firearm courses offered by AWATT (Advanced Weapons Tactics and Training), a local company in Houston (
http://www.awattclass.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). At that time, no one on the forum had any training experience with AWATT.
My initial contact with AWATT was disappointing as my emails were not answered promptly or fully.
However, I took a leap of faith and organized a carbine class with four of my friends on Jan 19, 2014. The cost was $450 per student. This is my review of AWATT and its Carbine Level 1 class.
Pre-planning: My emails were promptly answered (unlike my earlier attempts) and logistical issues were easily arranged. I arranged a private class with four other friends and they were flexible on dates. You will not obtain much information from their website. No testimonials, no details on course outline, no videos, no requirements, etc. When I asked why, the AWATT director said that they train a lot of federal/military/LEO folks who do not want their photos and names public. The tactics and training are also similarly not publicized.
Their load out requirements are standard and include: Rifle, sling, 4 rifle mags, 600 rifle rounds, pistol and holster, 200 pistol rounds, chest rack or carrier, Iron sights or red dot, gun lube, Eye and ear pro.
Distance was 25 yards or less and the training range was in Hempstead, TX (Impact Zone).
Instructors: AWATT sent me by request a de-classified resume of their instructor, who is an active duty Green Beret. The experience of this gentleman is impressive with actions in Central & South America and Iraq. He has been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. There was an assistant instructor who is a former USMC with deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Training Day:
Report time was 8 AM sharp and we trained until 4:30 with a one hour lunch break. The range was designed more like CQB, with targets 25 yds or less. There were dirt berms as usual, barricades, barrels, simulated rooftops and walls . There were four of us and one other student that joined our class. We had two instructors: one main person (Army SF) and one assistant (USMC). After the usual safety and range rules, we jumped in. The SF instructor would verbally instruct, and the USMC instructor would demonstrate with his pistol or carbine. Paper targets were used for all exercises and ranged from rows of black circles of different sizes and blue man CHL type targets.
Part1- pistol training. We practiced drawing from the holster and firing single and multiple shots. What was different from my previous pistol classes was an emphasis on obtaining a sight picture right next to and in front of my face even before extending out my arms. This took a lot of getting used to. This technique was helpful (per SF instructor) if you had chest rigs/gear as it reduced the risk of snagging on your equipment. Another potential benefit was that you had your sight picture early and could fire at any time from face to arm extension. Despite the potential advantages, I had great difficulty with the sights so close to my face and will need a lot more practice. However, it was good to try another method.
Part2- once we were all comfortable, then we practiced transitioning from rifle to pistol. We would fire 2 rounds with our ARs, simulate either malfunction or dry gun, and switch to our pistol. All the exercises were repeated multiple times.
Part3- We concentrated on the carbine for the rest of the day. We practiced controlled single fire from low ready, then controlled double taps all at 2-3 different distances (but all within 20 yds). There was no practice on clearing carbine malfunctions. The philosophy was; if your rifle malfunctions, go straight to your secondary weapon.
Part4- we then practiced shooting while moving-forward and sideways at multiple targets.
Part5- the final exercise was a culmination of all of the above. This was a running and obstacle exercise. You started on the simulated rooftop, then went to a wall, then ran towards a barrel and another wall, then ran to another barrel and a tube, then another barrel and a wall. At each station, you shot multiple rounds at 4 different targets and did so from kneeling, standing, prone, sideways, etc. You shot left handed for some stations and right handed for others. Since there were five of us, we saw how the others performed. It was a tremendous workout and you learned how flexible you are (or not).
There were many learning points. You learned how well your equipment worked in dynamic movement. For example, my Vortex 1-6x24 scope was fine until the maneuvers had me around corners and under barrels that simulated shooting under a car. Switching to an Aimpoint T1 was more ergonomic with the obstacles. It would have been better if I had an offset red dot from the top rail in addition to my main scope. One of the students had this offset setup and rocked the course. Some of my friends had equipment malfunctions and fortunately had backup rifles. A pistol fell out of one student’s holster and he did not know it until he had to reach for his secondary weapon. One person had an inside the waistband holster, which did not work well. Chest rigs did not work as well as battle belts, especially reloading under the barrel. We ran the obstacle course twice for each person and used three 30 round mags each cycle. I felt safe during the course.
Conclusion: I am not an expert and this was only my second carbine course. I would recommend this class and especially our instructor to anyone interested in learning how to use their carbine effectively. Each exercise was repeated several times and the instructor tried to give everyone personal feedback as well as general instruction. Having the second instructor was also helpful because you had a different perspective and another pair of eyes to keep everyone safe. Both instructors were very personable and approachable. I was exhausted by 4:30. It was an awesome experience. Suggestions for improvement; 1) have steel targets for some exercises, especially for the obstacle course phase. There were so many holes in the paper targets that you did not know if you actually hit anything. Safety is always a concern with steel plates and perhaps we were too close. 2) Alternatively, the paper targets should be changed out more frequently so that we may have better visual feedback. 3) It was nice to have the assistant instructor demonstrate what the main instructor was verbalizing. However, I would have preferred to see the main instructor also demonstrate the mechanics of some of the techniques. 4) I would like to have had more reloading exercises on the run and in different positions while firing. 5) One of the barrels that simulated firing under a car kept rolling forward. That should be stabilized or anchored down. The above suggestions would make an already terrific course spectacular. Finally, we all had more appreciation for the dedication and training of our professional military. Was the $450 per person cost worth it? Absolutely. I am planning for their Carbine level 2 class.