TNVC recently completed another Nightfighter 101 class at Badlands Tactical in Grandfield, OK. We ran this class in conjunction with a NF201 course, so it was a full house in town. We had a great mix of civilian and law enforcement students in the class.
We cannot say enough about the support we get from Bobby at Badlands. It is a great place to train and stay at—he is very accommodating for the training. The facilities are perfect for the class, and it will remain a staple venue for us for the foreseeable future.
We could not have asked for better weather. Highs in the 70s, lows in the 40s. The weather was just about perfect for training.
We saw a wide spread of night vision devices and student experience in class. I can say that again this was one of the more novice classes we have taught—which really shows the value of Nightfighter 101. We did not experience any night vision gear related issues in the class.
We did have a couple of weapon issues in the class. A carbine lost its buffer retaining pin, which caused a pretty hard stoppage for the student. There was also a pistol that went down for a spring issue as well.
We run a pretty aggressive tempo to our classes for working between the two relays. A lot of this has to do with working on a semi-reverse schedule, and we have a lot of training objectives we want to cover. Jamming mags prior to class and having readily available food and drinks helps make your breaks more enjoyable, relaxing, and keeps our students alert and receptive to instruction. Small things like that can help you make the most of your breaks and helps you meet timelines to keep the tempo of the class up.
The packing list is a real thing—it provides the basic amount of gear that the class needs for students to get the most out of the course. It does not have to be the latest and greatest gear; we will help you get the most out of what you bring. But not having gear on the packing list can affect your ability to complete all the training objectives for the course and we want to you to get the most out of the class.
Additionally, several companies stepped up to offer students swag and door prizes for their attendance. We really appreciate their generosity and are proud to have them associated with our classes.
Ops-Core
Unity Tactical
Thyrm
Otte Gear
Phokus Research Group
Blue Force Gear
Cloud Defensive
Defense Mechanisms
NodPods
Koffinwurks
Subrevtech