Is Civilian Tactical Training Ridiculous?

With the idea of protecting ourselves as private citizens gaining more popularity, there seems to be a growing trend for people that are seeking training as well. Training classes are filling up and people are investing in learning how to shoot properly. However, there are those out there who are taking their firearms training to the next level and are seeking training in team and squad tactics much like what military and law enforcement would learn. Is it beneficial for these people as civilians to dress up and practice raiding buildings, laying ambushes, and conducting patrols?

THE "TACTICAL TRAINING" STIGMA

There are alot of people out there who feel that civilians have no need for military training and that they are learning the wrong things. Some even go as far as to say these people are just bored and trying to 'play soldier' to feel good about themselves. I personally have felt this way about militias, but mostly because of how I see them conducting their "training", with people whose 100 yard dash is best measured using a calendar. Also these militias don't seem to hold any physical standards and appear to hold very rudimentary firearms handling standards. Many people who have never served in the military or who have never left the flat range or the forums think that training in small unit tactics means you are trying to be part of one of these boogaloo teams, which may or may not be the case. I am not saying these stereotypes are true, but it is important to talk about the stigmas out there.

WHAT IS "TACTICAL TRAINING?

Per the dictionary, tactics is defined as:
"Means by which a strategy is carried out; planned and ad hoc activities meant to deal with the demands of the moment, and to move from one milestone to other in pursuit of the overall goal(s). In an organization, strategy is decided by the board of directors, and tactics by the department heads for implementation by the junior officers and employees."
In laymen terms, tactics is basically a series of calculated actions with the ultimate goal of achieving a certain end. This means that you are going to have to take risks and I assure you that everything that goes into small unit tactics is a calculated risk from the type of patrol formation to how you are going to clear a room.

When people think of tactical training as a whole they probably picture a bunch of bunker assaults and ambushes and room clearing. This is part of it for sure, but they seem to be completely missing the bigger part of it all. When you are assaulting a bunker, you are having to make a plan and gamble that your plan will work. When you lay an ambush, you are gambling that the force you are ambushing isn't being followed up by a much larger force. Everything about tactics is a risk and that is why there is so much to learn as far as scouting, recon, formations, rates of fire, procedures, etc. There is more to tactical training than just "DRESSING UP AND PLAYING SOLDIER" for a weekend for at least $500. Tactical training is all about learning how to play chess, not checkers. It is getting these people off of a flat range (CHECKERS) and into the real world where actions have consequences (CHESS). You are training to fight a living, breathing, thinking opponent in tactical training. On the flat range, you are not exposed to any kind of tactical problem solving, but people seem to really think the flat range is where it is at. Most of these flat range people seem to think that if they learn to shoot really good, they will just rise to the occasion and John Wick the situation.

WHAT CAN TACTICAL TRAINING TEACH YOU?

The lessons that a civilian can learn from small unit tactics are not the same as the lessons they will learn by training on a flat range. the takeaway on the flat range is direct and obvious. You are going to learn how to properly and safely use your weapon against a threat. Small unit tactics teaches you how to do things the military does, yes. However the lessons it teaches civilians is a bit more indirect and almost sympathetic to the situation they are put in during this tactical training. They will learn to respect the fact that their opponent will not just be a static target, that their actions will have consequences, and timing is very important. They will also gain a new understanding for observing their surroundings and the consequences of relaxing their situational awareness. Force on force training will further strengthen the lessons learned from this training. Tactics will give you a new respect for the word "sacrifice" in the sense that everything you do is going to be a compromise and you are going to have to make sacrifices to achieve victory. Tactical training is basically a way to teach people what it is like to fight against a determined enemy and hopefully give them a respect for the fact that "winning" a gunfight is relative. Winning in the real world is not achieved through firing 10 rounds on a paper target in less than a second at 7 yards, but rather through using your brain to immediately respond to a constantly changing environment with a series of calculated risks.

IS IT WORTH THE INVESTMENT?

There can be a steep cost to learning tactics from a professional, but I would say that it can be a great eye opener for those who have never served in the military or have only ever done flat range training. Some believe that people defend themselves just fine with no tactical training. I feel like this argument is one of the weakest you can use. My immediate question is why these people even bother preparing and training to use a firearm to defend themselves when over 95% of them will never have to use it. If you are serious about learning how to defend yourself and those around you, then yes I think that tactical training can be well worth the investment. I'd argue that most of the time, small unit tactics training will have a greater return on investment that going to a flat range class monthly. You will learn how to fight in the real world and you will see where you need improvement better than a flat range. Conducting a field exercise and remaining kinetically engaged will teach you more about the areas you need to improve than a flat range can, by far. Plus, it is fun as hell to conduct war games and play soldier. Airsofters do this all the time, so why not do it with real guns and simunitions or blanks? YEP!!! Airsoft players pay for this training, and they are more tactically sound than your paper-shooting butts.