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| Alan Mullenax just after Pepper Spray Fire Drill in triple-digit heat - definitely not a buttercup! |
Alan ran a live-fire drill with a crew this weekend in 100+ Florida heat.
Pepper spray shot from 2-meters, aimed at the forehead. (Just so you know - when it started getting tense at the White House during the Return to Sender event, LEO trotted out several guys kitted-up with pepper tanks nearly the size of SCUBA gear, which I am certain had one hell of a range and spray pattern. They also had pepper-balls ready to bloop from pepper-ball bloopers)
I'm going to have to incorporate this into my Combatives program...
Here's Alan's report:
Specifically, the course was 30-35 meters long. Three stationary shooting positions, the last being a parallel movement across the targets at about 5-7 meters. Three targets down range, standard B-26.
Shooter
would load and make ready pistol. Upon command, pepper spray was shot from a
distance of 2 meters with the shooters forehead as target. Shooter would then
draw pistol and proceed to first position and engage each target with two
rounds each, then to second and third in like manner finishing with a parallel
movement across the targets at 5-7 meters.
Understand
that heat index was in excess of 100 degrees for this drill. Sweat quickly
caused pepper to moved down the face into the eyes and further. I was burning down
to my navel after completion.
The
object of the exercise was to learn to fight through despite great adversity.
Also to understand the effects of pepper spray and that unless hit directly in
the eyes, as much as 30 seconds are available to fight before incapacitation.
That
and driving home the the concept of "toughen up buttercup", it ain't
gonna be easy. ;-)
Just
about everybody was blind by about the third position. A couple guys took the
blast right in the eyes and were still able to negotiate at least part of the
course.
Who
the fuck does shit like this?
Americans,
that's who.
Damn Alan, you are HARDCORE! Did you have trouble breathing? I have rubbed my face inadvertently after cutting up habaneros and that was very uncomfortable but nowhere near the heat of pepper spray. Bravo dude!
ReplyDeleteNo problem breathing. Intense burning and stinging though that makes CS a cakewalk. Much harder on the eyes too when it finally gets there.
DeleteTake away? Goggles at least. Mask better. Unlike CS where you can manage to keep some level of vision, once this stuff gets in the eyes it's game over. Completely blind.
Goggles are great, except when you are talking heat and humidity. They must have ventilation or they will fog up...ventilation allows the spray fumes and certain amount of mist to enter also.. use ANTI-fog solution on inside and I always keep a rag handy to quicky wipe sweat from my face which turns to steam under the goggles. TAKEAWAY...if you'll be using goggles, TRAIN WITH THEM so you will at least be aware of their limitations.
DeleteCheck out ESS Turbo- Fans. We learn down here. ;-)
DeleteOut-friggin-standing. We did live fire exercises somewhat this on active duty, and they are essential. Smoke, iritants, darkness, and 'offensive dynamics' are essential to realistic training.
ReplyDeleteHats off to Alan for the realistic training.
Swim goggles are a must for the coming "festivities".
ReplyDelete...really
ReplyDeleteA while back, spraying a roomates pillow with a pretty strong O.C. spray after drinking all afternoon earned me a shot in the face of same the next day. I was ready though, thin vaseline coating on face and a surprise that wearing contact lens kept eye blinding to a minimum. I don't know if 100 degree heat would ruin the vaseline. It was worth it though, about ten-fifteen minutes after turning in he was howling. Came out of his room face all red, tearing, spitting and cursing up a storm. When i asked him what happened, (barely straight faced) he said I poisoned him... I told him no, thats a classic sign of alcohol poisoning... I had to finally bust out laughing and tell him when he tried to call 911 for an ambulance. Man, he was pissed. Maybe some heavyweight waterproof sunblock would be a barrier too.
ReplyDelete