For those of us who have been in the military, we need to understand that what we learned in our military training is great, but it is not the end all be all of the tactical and firearms world. In fact, the military is very behind of firearms training due to the fact that they don’t have the time or resources to train you in the ways you can be trained here in the civilian world. But the one thing missing from the civilian world is combat experience. And by combat experience, I mean the idea of being personally engaged and having the ability to do what it takes to survive, but also realizing the reality of engaging another human being.
The problem with getting out of the military and thinking that you know all you need to know is the fact that you didn’t go into enemy territory alone, only armed with a pistol and a knife, most likely. That is what it is like here in the civilian world where you have to conceal your piece and are pretty much restricted to a pistol. Also there is no more machine gun support, suppressing a target, or ridiculous body armor and water weight. There are still the threats of active shooters and IEDs going off here, unfortunately. The world has not gotten much better here in the US since we are now under constant threat of terrorist attacks, whether it is a guy running around with a hatchet, or a mass shooting with bombs and rifles like in Paris. In this case, your experience is going to be very much valued. The only issue is that your experience is still going to have to be adapted to suit the civilian carry laws. Think of it as training for the new rules of engagement.
The only thing you have that can be applied to the civilian world from your military training is an open mind and the discipline to keep practicing and being accountable for all rounds, because every round matters in a self defense shooting. Other than those two things, never forget your combat experience but remember to scrutinize your military training for what will work in this new style of firearms application. Cover,return fire, and distance are the priorities that I feel will be the easiest to bring into the civilian sector and will also be the most valuable. Just remember to be open to learning new things and remember that your military training is good, but it doesn’t really prepare you for carrying in the civilian world.
