One of the more forgotten elements of fitness in my mind is agility in full fighting order (FFO) which includes body armor, ammunition, water, rations, medical gear, navigation equipment, and operational gear. This load can be easier to maneuver with if you have a setup that lowers the center of gravity. I like the British belt kit concept for this reason. It allows me to carry a generous amount of gear for 24 to 48 hours and allows me to minimize the load on my trunk and torso. This in turn helps me minimize the risk of developing irreversible injuries to my spinal column whilst fighting. But with that said, whatever layout you choose, it should allow functional and effortless access to your combat loadout without hindering manipulations. Now let’s move on to discussing agility with your fighting load.
INDIVIDUAL TASKS
If we look at the individual responsibilities when you intend to win a firefight, we need to consider our battle drills and how we are moving. When we take fire, we should try to get in a low profile as soon as practicable and return fire upon locating the origin of the incoming fires. This means landing and changing positions need to be accomplished with speed and control in order for us to snap into a firing position and immediately stabilize our platform for accurate firing.
After establishing a base of fire, it may be prudent to shift your position to the left or right for better cover or to just “get off the X” as it were. This can be helpful right before conducting buddy rushes where suppression is not just a check in the box, but the only thing that will somewhat decrease the enemy’s ability to gun you or your buddy down while moving. Believe me, when I say that fighting another human being is like fighting yourself. They will be able to notice the general area of your return fire and anticipate where they need to shoot, based on the muzzle flashes or foliage disturbance. These movements will need to be conducted quickly with the help of your core, legs, and arms. Trust me when I say that it is draining to try and lift yourself plus 50lbs 6 inches off the ground while hurling yourself a foot or two using one hand.
This position shift can conceivably be accomplished with ease right away by conducting a roll or two right when you hit the ground, between a few aimed shots, or even just before starting your rush. Though, this twisting and rolling motions is somewhat easier to perform than lifting and heaving your weight, it requires a good amount of momentum and follow through. I will also note that your equilibrium will not appreciate this either with the weight and strain shifting as well, causing an uneven blood flow, even temporarily. I would equate it to spinning yourself in an office chair about 10 times and stopping quickly. This is just something you will have to deal with and kind of the give and take problem with trying to cheat on how much you are working.
Once you have conducted a position shift, you will have to jump to your feet and burst yourself as far as you can or even to a specific piece of cover whilst keeping a low profile and controlling your momentum. Once you have gotten close to the cover, you can stop short and crawl the rest of the way, or slow down and try to fight your entire weight for an easier landing. It is up to you, but remember that it is important not to waste time getting into a good firing position to cover the next groups movement.
Now let us look at something like a rollout where you are focusing on getting a shot off while minimizing your profile to make it harder for the enemy to play “whack-a-mole” with your dome. This is something that is used not just in military combat, but is applicable anywhere there is cover to be utilized. The specific movement here I am talking about is snapping in and out of cover. The idea here is to expose yourself just enough to deliver your pew pew justice with prejudice while also keeping the time you are exposed to a minimum. I would also remind you that it is likely that you may have to snap back into cover and move immediately out of the area if accurate fire starts stitching your cover. This means you need to have a good core and good legs in order to facilitate this without pulling a muscle.
AREAS OF CONCERN
The areas of the body you will want to monitor and build up, if nothing more than to prevent injury, is the core, legs, back, shoulders, calves, chest, and triceps. These muscles can be given a good general level of fitness through bodyweight training and isometric concentrations, but with the added weight, you are going to increase that challenge in ways your training probably didn’t even prepare you for.
BUILDUP AND ADAPTATION TRAINING
The best way I have found for developing a tolerance and finesse with these movements is to start out with conquering them with your bodyweight. From there, perform these by adding a piece of gear like your plates, then your belt kit without ammo. Once you have developed a sufficient level of endurance and finesse, I recommend adding ammo. This can be a long process, but it is essential to build up to it in order to minimize the strain on your joints and muscles. I have incurred some terrible injuries from just throwing weight on and going at it. It is not something for the faint of heart.
BODY AND MIND
During the period of adaptation of these movements, you don’t want to just blindly work on the micromovements, but rather stay in the mindset of taking fire and get switched on to your role of delivering judicious fire on your enemy as swiftly and intensely as possible. Be the warrior throughout your workout and enhance your techniques while also conditioning your mind to live and breathe war. Earn your place in Valhalla by being worthy of the Valkyries’ attention. Damn, that was motard as hell, but true as fuck.
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