Home | Purpose | Training Sessions | Equipment List | Equipment Vendors (Local) | Equipment Vendors (Internet) | Local Gun Shops / FFLs | Gun Shows | Other Local Militias | Champaign County Links | Other Links | Discussion Boards | FAQ | Quiz | Contact

Unorganized Militia of Champaign County

Training Sessions

.

As of June 2019:
If it's not already obvious, the group has been on hiatus for a number of years. We may start back up in 2020 or 2021.

Next Training Session...

TBD

_____________________________________


Previous Training Sessions...


October 2009
Dates: 24-Oct-09
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: We covered radio communications, reconnaissance, and SALUTE reports. Later we hit the range and did some troubleshooting drills, such as ball-and dummy drills.


September 2009
Dates: 26-Sep-09
Start Time: 0930
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Hand-to-hand combat, patrolling. The H2H class was taught by a martial arts expert. An excellent class, though we did have a minor injury. :(


August 2009
Dates: 29-Aug-09
Start Time: 0930
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Planning and Reaction to Contact/Fire, handguns. An Army vet taught the former. Great class and excellent leadership & instruction. The handgun class was taught by a long-time member. Everyone did great.

July 2009
Dates: 25-Jul-09
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Weapon familiarity, Classification AQT target shooting, , and a patrol through rough terrain. We field-stripped weapons while blindfolded, and had contests to see who could remove their firing pin the fastest. Fun stuff! During the patrol we had some unexpected excitement (incoming fire). Had a great turnout and there were lots of lessons learned.


June 2009
Dates: 27-Jun-09
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Fundamentals of rifleman skills and fundamentals of patrolling. We had a few new folks show up, so we decided to cover the fundamentals.


May 2009
Dates: 23-May-09
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Small unit tactics, advanced patrolling techniques, and tactical movements. The latter covered crawling and movement into cover. Thanks to the instructors who taught each segment - you guys did great.


April 2009
Dates: 25-Apr-09
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Close-Quarter Battle (CQB), a classroom session on rifleman skills, and fast-reaction shooting drills on the range.


March 2009
Dates: 28-Mar-09
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Land Navigation. One of the best Land Nav classes we've had. We learned both old school (using map and compass) and new school (GPS).

February 2009
Dates: 21-Feb-09
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Small Unit Field Tactics. Based on a professional course another member and I took. We primarily practiced movement and road crossings. Also performed shooting and movement drills. Everyone learned a lot despite the harsh weather.


January 2009
Dates: 17-Jan-09 through 18-Jan-09
Start Time: noon on 17-Jan-09
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Overnight FTX. Built shelters and did a midnight patrol. Cold but rewarding!


December 2008
Date: 13-Dec-08
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: All day in the field! Training on danger area gap crossings, security, over-watch procedures, and casualty recovery training (drags, lifts, and carries). Also performed movement w/ shooting drills.


November 2008
Date: 22-Nov-08
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Emergency medical, fundamentals of radio communication, and basic patrol techniques. Had a great turnout! :) In the medical class, which was taught by a full-time paramedic, we learned how to perform manual resuscitation using intubation (oropharyngeal airway and Ambu bag). The radio class covered the pros and cons of using FRS, GMRS, and amateur radios. During the patrol we practiced road crossings and basic hand signals.


October 2008
Date: 11-Oct-08
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Hand-to-hand combat and field exercises (react to contact). Thanks to Wyrm and the members of NWODF for conducting this exercise. Learned a lot!


September 2008
Date: 27-Sep-08
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Readiness exercise and troubleshooting. During the readiness exercise, participants shot at steel targets located at 50 and 100 yards. At 100 yards, the targets correspond to 3, 4, and 6 MOA. Scores were recorded and full gear was worn. No zeroing was allowed beforehand. Participants also performed ball-and-dummy drills followed by quick-response drills and Australian Peel Back maneuvers.


August 2008
Date: 23-Aug-08
Start Time: 0930
Location: Graham HS running track (morning) and Champaign County (noon).
Subject: In the morning we did Physical Training (PT). It consisted of timed pushups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and running one mile. There was also a classroom session on physical health. Durign the afternoon we practiced field tactics.


July 2008
Date: 26-Jul-08
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Brief introduction to amateur radio (a.k.a. why you should get your ham radio license!), camouflage and concealment, and then quite a few hours of shooting on the range. The shooting consisted of Classification AQT and snap shooting.


June 2008
Date: 28-Jun-08
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: CQB, zeroing the rifle, fundamentals of exterior ballistics, quick reaction shooting, and weak hand shooting.


May 2008
Date: 31-May-08
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Rifleman skills. The morning session was strictly classroom. We went over the fundamentals of shooting and critiqued dozens of shooting photos. During the afternoon session we put the skills to the test on the range. Buddy teams were assigned and shooters shot at 25 meters in a variety of positions. Everyone shot the Classification AQT at the end of the day. The high score was 200.


April 2008
Date: 26-Apr-08
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Weapons Familiarity and Hasty Ambush. Participants took turns assembling and disassembling weapons. Afterwards we patrolled the woods and practiced the hasty ambush.


March 2008
Date: 29-Mar-08
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Land Navigation plus a short course in tactics & strategies. Had a great turnout!


February 2008
Date: 23-Feb-08
Start Time: 1600
Location: Champaign County
Subject: We had an unexpectedly low turnout, so the normal plans had to be shelved. Instead we covered mindset and basic rifleman skills, and hit the range to practice them. It never hurts to cover the basics. :)


January 2008
Date: 26-Jan-08 through 27-Jan-08
Start Time: 1600
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Our annual overnighter.


December 2007
Date: 29-Dec-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: We learned how to properly and thoroughly maintain a weapon using copper solvent and surfactants (for the removal of carbon). Afterwards everyone went to the range and shot the Classification AQT numerous times. We saw many improvements in AQT scores. (FYI, a week later we had a mini-session for two members. The instructor gave them a class on basic marksmanship skills. Afterwards the participants demonstrated their newly-learned skills on the range. Their accuracies improved by an order of magnitude compared to the week before.)


November 2007
Date: 24-Nov-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: The first segment was on shooting accuracy. Participants shot at "Classification AQT" targets, which require the rifleman to shoot 8 rounds in three different positions. The second segment was "radio communication." The instructor explained the concept of a "code card," which is more formally known as a "Counter Encrypting Operations & Intelligence" (CEO&I) card. A patrol was conducted that allowed each participant to practice using the CEO&I cards when communicating via radio.


October 2007
Date: 20-Oct-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Using a compass, measuring pace count, Army Qualification Test (AQT), and a patrol.


September 2007
Date: 22-Sep-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Bayonet training, range estimation, and a patrol. The M24 binocular with graduated reticule was used by participants to measure range. It worked very well. Also had some new members show up. Welcome!


August 2007
Date: 25-Aug-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Precision rifleman skills. Included camouflage and sniping techniques. Also did a long patrol. Had a good turnout and got to meet some new people! :)


July 2007
Date: 21-Jul-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Tomahawk training and basic rifleman skills.


June 2007
Date: 30-Jun-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Did a Physical Training (PT) exercise in the morning at Graham HS. This included running, pushups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. Everyone put in a great effort! After lunch we did CQB training. The afternoon was spent performing Fred's AQT on the shooting range.


May 2007
Date: 19-May-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: The subject of the morning session was "Fundamentals of Knife Fighting." This was a first for us. It was taught by a member who has a lot of knowledge on the subject. We learned a lot, and no one got hurt! (We were using rubber knives.) The afternoon session consisted of two OPFOR drills. Got a bit scratched up by the briars! Had a good turn out, and met some new faces to boot. Thanks to all who showed up!


April 2007
Date: 28-Apr-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: First aid / combat pistol, long patrol, hand signals, immediate action drills. The pistol fighting was taught by a very experienced person. ;) Had one of the best turnouts ever!


March 2007
Date: 10-Mar-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Standard assault, actions on the objective, and treatment of casualties. Had a great turnout. And radios worked very well!


February 2007
Date: 17-Feb-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subjects: CQB/room clearing/urban. It was a challenging session, as participants had to recall & use skills learned in previous sessions. The basement floor because an icy mess, but it was worth it! Thanks to all who showed up.


January 2007
Date: 13-Jan-07
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subjects: Raid, actions on the objective, and treatment of casualties. Also EPW search/handling/dealings. A cold but excellent session!


December 2006
Date: 16-Dec-06
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subjects:
• Lessons learned from November's training session
• Overview of commonly-used radio communications standards (FRS, GMRS, and 2-meter/VHF)
• Review of SALUTE reporting guidelines and tools
• Review of hand signals
• A LONG patrol
• Target practice

Had a good turnout!


November 2006
Date: 18-Nov-06
Start Time: 1000
Location: Columbiana County
Subject: Training with NEODF. We left SW Ohio very early on Saturday morning, and arrived at the NEODF training grounds at 1015. Training included 3-plate target practice, land navigation, and codes/ciphers. It was excellent training, and I highlyencourage anyone living in NE Ohio to check them out. Special thanks to Efraim for inviting us.


October 2006
Date: 27-Oct-06
Start Time: 1900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Night Ops. This was a first for us. Participants did a patrol at night, and practiced raiding a vehicle. The conditions were quite nasty (cold and wet), so there were a lot of lessons learned!


September 2006
Date: 16-Sep-06
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Close-Quarter Battle. Participants practiced the proper method for entering a structure. Thanks to Ghost13 for conducting this session for us!


August 2006
Date: 19-Aug-06
Start Time: 1200
Location: SWODF Training Grounds in Highland County, OH
Subject: This was a two-day joint training session with SWODF. The subject was Land Navigation. After the classroom portion, the participants measured their pace counts. They were then challenged to find the base camp using maps, compasses, and coordinates. The next morning (20-Aug) all participants performed peel-back drills under live-fire, including the Australian Peel Back. Special thanks goes to Ken E. of SWODF for conducting this session.


July 2006
Date: 8-Jul-06
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Two separate sessions were conducted: Physical Fitness Evaluation and Long Patrol. Had an excellent turnout, including a lot of new faces! The PT included timed crunches, sit-ups, pull-ups, and running (1.5 miles). The patrol included a tactical lunch. The patrol was very hot, but thankfully we had a very good medic who kept close tabs on everyone.


June 2006
Date: 24-Jun-06
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Patrol and Army Qualification Test (AQT). Fred's targets were used for the AQT, which simulates 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards at an actual shooting distance of 25 meters. I'm happy to report that the results were more encouraging than the last AQT. Looks like practice has paid off!


May 2006
Date: 20-May-06
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: "The Raid." Participants raided a structure to find and rescue a captured comrade. The exercise was very fast-paced, and underlined the importance of excellent teamwork, preparation, and communication skills. Participants also practiced CQB shooting at silhouette targets. Thanks to all who showed up!


April 2006
Date: 29-Apr-06
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Ambush. Had a good turnout, and we learned a lot!


March 2006
Date: 18-Mar-06
Start Time: 0830
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Cover and concealment. Though the turnout was less than expected, we had a great session.


February 2006
Date: 11-Feb-06
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: An active Army Sergeant gave us a talk about the following topics:

- Effectiveness of modern combat rounds
- Reliability of modern combat weapons
- Basic formations
- Ambush / anti-ambush tactics

We had one of the best turnouts ever. Thanks everyone!


January 2006
Date: 7-Jan-06
Start Time: 0900 sharp
Location: Saint Paris Public Library.
Subject: Amateur Radio Training. Every member of the militia should get his/her amateur radio license. This training session prepared each student to pass the Technician Class / Element 2 Exam.


December 2005
Dates: 2-Dec-05 through 3-Dec-05
Start Time & Date: 1500 2-Dec-05
Location: Champaign County
Subjects: Cold Weather Survival and Tracking. On Friday evening we made shelters from materials found in the woods and slept in the shelters. The temperature got down to 18 °F, but each of us still managed to stay somewhat warm. On Saturday morning we practiced formations, hand signals, crawling, and rushes. In the afternoon we had a special session on tracking and counter-tracking. We all learned a lot. Many thanks to snettrecker of Northern Cincinnati for conducting the tracking session for us.

To read a more detailed account of what occurred during this training session, please visit this page.


November 2005
Date: 12-Nov-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Emergency Field Medicine. An EMT taught us the basics of emergency First-Aid. An excellent class!


November 2005
Date: 5-Nov-05 through 6-Nov-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Highland County
Subject: CERT Training. Four members underwent 20 hours of training and received certificates.


October 2005
Date: 1-Oct-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Urban/indoor tactics. This included learning how to negotiating corners, doors, and windows. Our thanks and appreciation goes to Wyrm for conducting this training session for us.


September 2005
Date: 3-Sep-05
Start Time: 0930
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Had a great turnout! We covered a number of subjects:

- Patrolling & formations
- Hand signals
- Phonetic alphabet and numbers

In addition to the above activities, we conducted a "backpack inspection." Participants were encouraged to bring their fully-loaded packs, and all in attendance evaluated the contents of each. For a list of items to be considered for inclusion in your pack, please visit the Equipment List page.


August 2005
Date: 6-Aug-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Introduction to rifleman skills, hand signals, and battle drills. Had a great turnout, and met some new faces. Thanks guys!


July 2005
Date: 16-July-05
Start Time: 1000
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Edible and Medicinal Plants. Participants spent a day in the brush with survivalism expert & author Sunshine Brewer to learn about edible and medicinal plants. We had an excellent turnout, and learned a lot. Thanks Sunshine!


June 2005
Date: 4-June-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Rappelling. We learned a lot. Plus it was a lot of fun. Our thanks and appreciation goes to The Constitutional Militia of Clark County for conducting this training session for us. My wife also participated. Click here for some pics.


May 2005
Date: 7-May-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Had a great turnout! After performing a patrol, each participant practiced shooting 1" targets at 25 meters (4 MOA). Fred's Guide to Becoming a Rifleman was used as a reference. We thought it would be easy, but it wasn't! Ball-and-dummy drills were conducted in an effort to "smoke out" flinching, bucking, jerking, and blinking. One participant demonstrated a huge improvement in his shooting ability.


April 2005
Date: 2-Apr-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Diagnosing shooting accuracy problems. The results from last month's AQT strongly suggested all participants are in need of more tutoring & practice while on the firing line. During this session, habits that impede shooting accuracy such as flinching, bucking, and blinking were "smoked out" (and hopefully cured) using the ball & dummy test. Fred's Guide to Becoming a Rifleman was used as a reference.


March 2005
Date: 5-Mar-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Army Qualification Test (AQT) and Cardiovascular Endurance Test.


February 2005
Date: 5-Feb-05
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Firearms safety review, precision shooting, and shooting under physical stress.


January 2005
Date: 15-Jan-05 through 16-Jan-05
Start Time: 1500
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Cold Weather Survival Skills. Our first class on this subject! Learned how to build a lean-to and make a fire under wet and cold conditions. We camped outdoors in sub-zero temperatures.


December 2004
Date: 11-Dec-04
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Hand Signals and formations. Thank goodness the weather was cooperative!


November 2004
Date: 6-Nov-04
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: The first half of training will consisted of professional classroom instruction on specific field strategies (ambushing, etc.) The second half of training consisted of field maneuvers and target practice. Our thanks and appreciation goes to the Preble County Unorganized Militia (http://commander_01oh.tripod.com/) for conducting this training session for us.


October 2004
Date: 16-Oct-04
Start Time: 900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: The first half of training consisted of classroom instruction on specific field strategies used against an enemy (cover and concealment, ambushing, etc.) The second half of training consisted of field maneuvers.


September 2004
Date: 4-Sep-04
Start Time: 0930
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Basic Rifleman Skills. Skills taught included shooting positions (off-hand, sitting, kneeling, and prone), breathing, follow-through, focus, mindset, safety, trigger control, weapon handling, weapon conditions, and range commands. We also had a quiz on emergency communication procedures.


August 2004
Date: 7-Aug-04
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Tactical Shooting. This included:

- Tactical movement (crouched walking, etc.)
- Close-range shooting while moving

It was challenging and fun!


July 2004
Date: 10-Jul-04
Start Time: 0900
Location: Greene County
Subject: Land Navigation.
We met in John Bryan State Park, where we covered the basics of lat/long, UTM coordinates, and triangulation. Each participant also measured their 100 meter pace count.


June 2004
Date: 5-Jun-04
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: We had a meeting from 0930 to 1200 to discuss communication issues during an emergency situation (rally points, ham radio frequencies, etc.), followed by target practice on the range. After lunch we had a written quiz on hand signals. After the quiz we practiced movement and hand signals in the field. Everyone did very well!


May 2004
Date: 1-May-04
Start Time: 1700
Location: Champaign County
Subject: We practiced night shooting, night movement, and night maneuvers.


April 2004
On 2-Apr-04 we went down to Knob Creek Gun Range for the weekend to witness the nation's largest machine gun shoot. The festivities also included an excellent gun show. Had an excellent time!


March 2004
Date: 6-Mar-04
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Urban (indoor) tactics and close range/multiple target acquisition. Our thanks and appreciation goes to the Preble County Unorganized Militia (http://commander_01oh.tripod.com/) for conducting this training session for us.


February 2004
Date: 7-Feb-04
Start Time: 0900
Location: St. Paris Public Library
Subject: Ham Radio Training. We prepared students to take the "No Code" Technician's Class exam. A very special "thank you" goes to the founder of http://www.monix.net for his assistance in teaching the class. We owe you one!


January 2004
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: January's training session was a review session, wherein we revisited some of the skills we learned in the past year. This is what we reviewed:

Firearms Safety
Hand Signals
Movement
Rifleman Skills
Hand-to-Hand
Field Gear
Land Navigation


December 2003
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Outdoor survival skills. Our thanks and appreciation goes to the Preble County Unorganized Militia (http://commander_01oh.tripod.com/) for conducting this training session for us.


November 2003
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Qualification shoot and quick/snap shooting.


October 2003
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Marksmanship, tactics, and fieldcraft - Part II. Field training only.


September 2003
Start Time: 0900
Location: Champaign County.
Subject: Marksmanship, tactics, and fieldcraft - Part I. Classroom only.


August 2003
Start Time: 0930
Location: Taylorsville MetroPark.
Subject: Land Navigation.

Skills taught included map reading, triangulation, understanding UTM coordinate system, and reading a compass.


July 2003
Start Time: 0930
Location: Champaign County
Subject: We had a special session for everyone in July: Hand to Hand Combat. Subject matter experts traveled from NE Ohio to teach us this valuable skill. Our thanks and appreciation goes out to them.


June 2003
Start Time: 0930
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Field Movement. Topics covered included crawling and formations.


May 2003
Start Time: 0930
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Weapons Familiarity. It was a "hardware" class, wherein we studied mechanical features of commonly used weapons (handgun, shotgun, rifle). Terminology and theory of operation was covered for each weapon type, though primary emphasis was on rifles. Subject matter experts demonstrated field-stripping procedures, and students were encouraged to shoot each type of weapon on the firing range.


April 2003
Time: 0930 - 1300
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Basic Rifleman Skills. Skills taught included shooting positions (off-hand, sitting, kneeling, and prone), breathing, follow-through, focus, mindset, safety, trigger control, weapon handling, weapon conditions, and range commands.


March 2003
Time: 0930 - 1300
Location: Champaign County
Subject: Basic Field Medicine

Our thanks and appreciation goes to the Preble County Unorganized Militia (http://commander_01oh.tripod.com/) for conducting this training session for us. We had a great turn out!


February 2003
Time: 0800 - 1200
Subject: Field Equipment

We covered basic field equipment, including the medium A.L.I.C.E. pack and Equipment Belt.


January 2003
On January 4th we made a trip to Radcliff, Kentucky to visit Gold Nugget Army Surplus, US Cavalry, and Mae & Jesses.


December 2002
Time: 0800 - 1200
Subject: Basic Rifleman Skills

We reviewed and practiced the following:

- Safety rules
- Weapon conditions
- Basic shooting positions (off-hand, sitting, kneeling, and prone)
- Natural point of aim, breathing, trigger control, follow-through