GENERAL:
NEW FOR 2023
When attending CSAT classes in the future, please have:
Electronic Ears
Tourniquet
Thumb drive
The reasoning behind the Electronic Ears is simple. We want you to hear range commands on the line and during scenarios. Input can be made without shouting.
As for Tourniquets, I watch many a person who have one on their gear, not use it as they don’t want to remove it from the pouch or the plastic. If your tourniquet, is so fragile that it cannot be used for training, you need to buy a different one. You should have training tourniquets as well. If you need one, the Pro Shop will be happy to sell you one.
Finally, bring a thumb drive as it has never been easier and cheaper to collect class information and handouts than at this time in history.
THE CSAT WAY ON FACEBOOK AND PATREON
We continue working on new video content for the Patreon Operator and Patreon Instructor. As of 1 Jan 2022, we had 170 videos on the site.
You can visit “The CSAT Way” on Facebook for video updates.
NASHVILLE
Outstanding job, Nashville Metro on pushing the fight and turning this guy’s birthdays off. I know you will have after actions briefings and continue to refine your tactics and training, but thanks for setting a new standard and example for other LE to follow. This guy needed a dirt nap.
A mentally disturbed MAN who identified as a woman whom we shall call a “transformer” shot his way into an unprotected Christian School and murdered children and adults. Responding officers killed the transformer and pushed the fight through all the standard modules we teach. Watching the video, I was concerned for the kids playing on the playground as the transformer pulled through the parking lot right past them. Schools need Guardian Programs with multiple armed teachers to protect their kids inside and outside the school.
Schools are soft targets and the transformer shot his way through the front door glass and simply ducked through to gain access. Most schools are like this. School officials gambled that it would not happen to them as they did not have security on-site or a Guardian Program/ School RSO.
Democratic foot soldier taking a break…
I am not sure that we will ever get the true story on the shooter because the Feds are involved and take their orders from Washington. Unfortunately, politics will work its way into the situation.
GUARDIAN/SINGLE OFFICER INSTRUCTOR COURSE
We will be offering a Guardian/Single Officer Instructor Class starting this summer. It will be a six-day course. The first three will be learning the instructor modules and the final three will be helping teach a three-day Guardian 1 class. The first will be 16-21 July.
Contact me for a flyer: paulkoko@hotmail.com
CALENDAR
I have adjusted some classes on the calendar for the Fall to include putting the AIT (Low Light) classes back in November. You will see my name as lead on more classes.
Also, if you are interested in an Advanced Hostage Rescue class this summer on the road, let me know. I will make a trip or two. I have some private seminars I will be delivering as well.
Posted: 3/7/2023 10:58:33 AM EDT
I'm thinking of taking their pistol classes, (civilian) especially CQB, but I'm a little worried about the fact that Paul Howe isn't teaching the classes himself anymore. The biggest value of in-person classes is the instructor diagnosing and correcting the technique errors, and I'm not sure how well this skill can be transferred to other instructors even if they are great shooters themselves. The theory I can read in a book :) Has anyone had recent experience with taking the post-retirement classes there?
I saw the above note on a forum and will answer it here.
Short answer is, Yes. CSAT Training is where is should be.
Long story, I had to take time off to create the CSAT Way Videos. With that, I did put Instructors in charge of classes. I have two sides to CSAT, an LE, and Civilian. I have also encouraged my instructors to go on the "road" and teach a class to see all the complexities that present themselves. It is not as glamorous a life as everyone thinks.
Starting early summer to fall, I will be teaching a lead again. I wanted my instructors to take lead so they better know now what I expect out of them. The quality has always been there as I am behind the scenes and do get feedback from new students and repeat customers. I want to know the real deal. I am also there to mentor my instructors should they have questions. They need to understand all the moving parts behind the scenes.
Further, I created a video library. I felt it was important to get a baseline/library of videos for new students, future students and for those that could not make the migration to CSAT. Some are raising families and cannot afford the travel. I will likely go on the road for select proven customers in the future. The other reason for doing videos is for future generations to see and hear it from me. This includes the current generation of new LE Firearm Instructors, some of whom are thrust into the job without any preparation. They can now simply click on a computer and learn about their trade without any fluffy tactics or gimmicks.
In the end, if an instructor is on my website, they have proven themselves and I know I can turn my back on them and they will deliver a superior and safe live fire block of instruction.
I am not retired. I doubt if I ever really will. I generally work 7 days a week, if not teaching I am filming or doing maintenance plus the routine paperwork and e-mail correspondence.
The reality is, we have a lost generation that needs all the help they can get in reestablishing solid fundamentals and basics that will serve them on their journey.
CSAT INTERNAL MEMO
(This is part of a routine communication I do with my training team)
All, Internal Only,
Current State of LE
They are sucking.
Their egos will not let many admit it. Their Leadership is weak management at best. That Is all many have. It will take a decade to rebuild. The pendulum may be swinging back to center with the Chicago Mayor being thrown out. This decline cannot be sustained without an evolution or revolution in the big cities.
Many, many, tactical and meat-eater types have voted with their feet and are taking their experience with them. Dallas is recruiting Austin Officers to let you know how bad it is. Many times, big city surrounding agencies absorb officers who are disgusted with the big city BS. Our DPS is now slated to patrol Austin and pick up the slack.
It will take some larger agencies a decade to recoup losses once the liberals lose control of their departments. People who you might consider duds in the agency might now become the new subject matter experts and act as a slow poison to the incoming generations.
Tactical Peacocks from Special Ops have not helped training over the past decade, spewing bullshit tactics and techniques. Naïve Officers do not know who to believe and do not understand how to train.
The other problem is those that watch and mimic the Feds and their tactics are equally as screwed. Many times, they do this for liability reasons to use the Feds as protective litigation shield.
NEW LE ARTICLE ON SITE:
TRAINING AND PRIORITIES 2023
THE WORLD
From a Friend:
I am compelled to comment on the astonishing level of denial in the US and the absolute effectiveness of the mainstream media at blocking bombshell reports.
Elon publishes the Twitter files (through left-leaning Matt Taibbi) showing they undermined the election and suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story.
Seymour Hersch a Pulitzer Prize winner publishes a report that we blew up the Russian pipeline.
Tucker on Fox publishes the videotapes from January 6 showing that capitol police were unharmed and acted as tour guides for the nonviolent protesters.
Multiple peer-reviewed studies indicate that face masks and lockdowns were completely ineffective.
FBI and the Department of Energy both reported that Covid resulted from a laboratory release in Wuhan.
In all five cases, mainstream media has published denials and attacked the reporters because they can't attack the facts.
I might have expected one or two of these five devastating reports to have been covered up but I'm severely disappointed they're all five were buried.
It is criminal that democrats now want to start wars to bring our economy out of the dump where their policies have put it over the past couple of years. Destroy our economy and start a war to help recover, it is the democratic way.
UKRAINE
The above link in a short and sweet assessment of Ukraine and other things I agree with. The media has lied to us on just about everything important recently.
INSTRUCTOR CORNER (Input from the guys on the ground)
Basic training for new SWAT operators
I have trained tactical officers from all over the country for about 10 years now and common conversation that comes up is about the smoke fest of a basic SWAT they attended. I commonly hear stories of early morning wake ups and long runs followed by PT and more runs. It seems that a good deal of Basic SWAT schools is more of a haze fest or rite of passage than they are about preparing the brand-new SWAT officer to report to a team and be useful.
In today’s climate of law enforcement, we are all faced with recruitment issues, retention issues and working shorthanded. When we do have time to train, we need to make sure we are doing more than checking a box. We need to scrutinize the training and make sure we are getting our new officers and tactical guys the proper training to set them up for mission success.
Excessive PT has a place in the high demand of a tactical team but in my opinion, it is not during training time. Based on the accounts I hear from students, many of these basic SWAT courses are holding more of a week-long selection process than a training class. It is important to have a selection process but as a team leader I want to conduct that process on my own. Selection needs to occur prior to attending a Basic SWAT.
I have found that at CSAT we attract students from all over the country to attend our basic SWAT courses due to the high emphasis we put on accomplishing learning objectives. It is not uncommon to find that a student has previously attended a different Basic SWAT before coming to us.
The idea of a basic SWAT should be to take a new officer, with little or no SWAT operational knowledge, and be able to send them home ready to respond to a basic call up. In a Basic SWAT I want a student to show up with basic gear and zeroed weapon systems. From there I will give them the base line knowledge of how to be a contributing member of their team and begin their SWAT journey. Our goal is to send your officer back as an asset to the team.
Bio:
Nick Stewart has served with the Nacogdoches Police Department since 2008. Nick is currently the Lieutenant of the Special Operations Division that is made up of the narcotics unit, K9 unit, traffic unit, and lake patrol. He is also the assistant commander of the Nacogdoches SWAT team, a multi-jurisdictional team that operates in the Deep East Texas area. Nick is the lead law enforcement instructor at CSAT where he has been teaching Law Enforcement classes since 2012.
MEDICAL
A friend who sells medical equipment told me not to recommend that tourniquets be used for training.
I responded that they are just like magazines for your weapons. They need to be checked, used, and separated if needed for training and operations. If a $30 tourniquet is going to crap out with little use, it needs to be discarded.
The picture of the box below is of 24 SOFT-T Tourniquets that we routinely use, pass out, collect, wash, dry and reuse in future classes. I cannot remember one failing. This is why I use that brand and not a “delicate” CAT. I would rather have a bit more bulk and a reusable piece of gear than a worrisome disposable one that cannot be taken out of its wrapper to do a test run on it.
Again, the same applies to a $30 magazine for a weapon. Magazines are the life blood of a weapon and every professional I know would load and shoot it prior to carrying to ensure proper function.
The Medical Field should not have a separate standard for equipment durability.
EQUIPMENT FAIL
The below relatively new Sig failed a Guardian student in class. It had a dead trigger and was supposedly looked at before for the same issue by a Sig Armorer and was given back to the student.
People ask why I shoot Glocks? I can fix them if they ever break. The other issue I have with above gun is the trigger angle. If you were to put on a glove and fire it, would your trigger finger fit without starting to depress the trigger? They are great guns, but these are the little things I look at when selecting firearms.
The below link is worth the time to watch about the military and how events are recorded. It is an exceptional piece of history through detective work.
STEEL
A “Tailed Orca” is BC Blade Works latest creation.
I like the tail for certain carry methods. It allows a fast index and recovery of the blade without excess time acquiring it like the ring on a Karambit.
This can be placed offside, behind an ammo pouch for a left hand retrevial should someone attempt to take an officers service pistol.
It also lays nicely on top of your belt, either right or left in civilian attire.
I carried it in my right from pocket and while it does carry well and does not print because of the sleek design, I still like the thicker original Orca for daily use. The Tailed Orca is a great dress knife as well.
It cuts just like the full size Orca, I just swing it a bit faster.
Tailed Orca weight w/sheath: 4.7 Oz
Standard Orca w/sheath: 6.5 Oz
“Be sure to check in at csattss.com for our line of Tomahawks and limited-edition blades.”
HUNTING
Not much to report. Mole kills are up, hog kills are down…
Corncrete might be working on the hogs…
RANGES
Spraying and mowing has begun…
The CSAT WAY Book
IN CLOSING
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on the range.
Paul R. Howe