First aid training is all about stopping a wound from bleeding.\u00a0 Of course, we want to do everything as safely as possible but nothing goes perfect all the time. If a mistake is made it is good to know how to mitigate the problem as quickly as possible.\u00a0 We learned how to apply a tourniquet, how to pack a wound with quick clot gauze, and how to dress a surface wound. The staff at the academy are very knowledgeable which makes learning fun and interesting,<\/p>\n

During training, each person is given an instructor to work with. I had the honor of working with Keith Hutcheson.\u00a0 He helped me figure out various ways to improve my accuracy, my flinch, and made sure I was being safe.\u00a0 We started with dry fire practice just to get used to the various commands we would hear during the event. This also lets us get used to handling the firearm without the worry of recoil. This is something that gets in my head which is why I am going to work the next year to get past that issue.<\/p>\n

Live Fire Practice<\/h5>\n

After dry fire practice, we went to live fire. We practiced various drills and scenarios that we would face in the competition. Ar the very end we did what is called a 5×5 classifier. This is how that works:<\/p>\n

First string:<\/strong>\u00a0At the start signal, draw and fire five rounds freestyle. (Freestyle means the shooter may use either hand or both hands to control the firearm.)<\/p>\n

Second-string:<\/strong>\u00a0At the signal, draw and fire five shots using only your strong hand.<\/p>\n

Third-string:<\/strong>\u00a0At the signal, draw and fire five rounds. Perform an emergency reload, and fire five more shots freestyle.<\/p>\n

Per IDPA rules, an \u201cemergency reload\u201d is when the magazine and chamber are both empty. Therefore, your initial magazine for this string should only be loaded with five rounds.<\/p>\n

Fourth string:<\/strong>\u00a0At the signal, draw and fire four shots to the center of the target, then one shot to the head freestyle.<\/p>\n

I did ok with this but I am still very slow.\u00a0 I also was just slightly low on my headshot. All things to work on over the next year.<\/p>\n

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