Close quarters combat training: using the IDPA system

Infantry Magazine, March-April, 2004 by Jay Shebuski

After competing for several years within the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF), the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA), the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) 3 gun, and numerous local plate, steel, and pin shooting competitions. I have concluded that infantrymen shoot poorly at close quarters combat (CQC) distances (i.e. 0 to 25 meters). There are plenty of civilian men and women who shoot as a hobby who can routinely outshoot infantrymen. I attribute this to the methodology that the practical/ tactical civilian shooting sports have developed, which creates shooters who can reflexively engage multiple targets quickly and accurately at CQC distances. The U.S. Army Infantry is 30 years behind these organizations in CQC weapons training and qualification. Recent U.S. Army publications such as FM 90-10-1--Change 1 (An Infantryman's Guide to Combat in Built Up Areas) and chapter 14 of the Ranger Handbook covering urban operations touch on the topics of shot placement and engagement time, but the Infantry has yet to develop an effective system to evaluate, improve, and sustain those individual CQC marksmanship skills. I propose that the Infantry adopt such a system. A CQC individual weapons training methodology that integrates IDPA, weapons currently assigned to infantrymen (M9, M4, and M249), and the imperatives published in chapter 14 of the Ranger Handbook and FM 90-10-1, C1.

IDPA

IDPA shooting matches place individual pistol shooters in multiple civilian "real world" scenarios/courses of fire (COF) where they are evaluated on shot placement, engagement time, and weapon-handling skills. It is a mini-individual live-fire exercise requiring use of cover and shooting on the move, with targets that require multiple hits and value head and chest hits highest.

How it works

There are commonly four to seven COFs during a one-day IDPA match. Each COF is constructed in a three-sided, earth-bermed bay. After a safety brief, shooters are broken down into squads. Squads then rotate through the COFs in a round robin fashion. At each COF, an informal scenario brief is read and explained to the squad. The squad safety officer (SO), a senior more experienced shooter, gives this brief. The SO also gives the range commands, handles the shot timer, and follows the shooter through the COF (Figure 1). The standard IDPA range commands are, "Load and make ready, shooter ready, standby, start signal (start signal can be verbal, audio buzzer, i.e. timer, or visual at the discretion of the range master/OIC), unload and show clear, holster/ sling, range sale." Each shooter moves up to the start position, receives the commands and negotiates the COF. Upon completion, the range is cleared by the SO, and the shooter's time is recorded. Each target is reviewed for shot placement score, and any observed penalties are assessed. The shooters score is then recorded on his score sheet. Those individuals not shooting help paste the target holes, reset reactive targets, or act as the scorer.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

The structure of an IDPA match, with its round-robin rotation, safety briefs, organic shooting squad leadership, and range commands lends itself to easy understanding by platoon and company leadership. More importantly, it is a simple system that supercharges the learning process because it:

* Allows an individual to watch more experienced shooters perform;

* Gives shooters immediate shot placement feedback;

* Allows a shooter to receive a "hot wash" on his performance from a senior leader; and

* Gives shooters scores that will rank them against every shooter issued their weapon.

Shot placement (Target)

The current IDPA target (Figure 2) is similar in overall size to the 25-meter E-type silhouette that is used for firing the Alternate Pistol Qualification Course (APQC), but has scoring areas that reward head and upper chest hits. Our infantrymen need a similar CQC target that rewards habitual head, upper chest, and pelvis shot placement. Center mass shot placement is not the CQC standard.

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

In CQC, enemy soldiers must be incapacitated immediately. Shots that merely wound or that are mortal but do not incapacitate the target instantaneously are only slightly better than clean misses. Members of a clearing team should concentrate on achieving solid, well-placed headshots. This shot placement is difficult for some soldiers to learn, having been taught previously to aim at center of mass.--FM 90-10-1, C1

Most close quarters engagements are won by who hits first and puts the enemy down. It is more important to knock a man down as soon as possible than it is to kill him.--Ranger Handbook

An Infantryman must be trained to know where to place a shot that will knock down and/or kill the threat. He must be able to reflexively place those shots on multiple threats, continuing to engage the threat(s) until he has knocked them down and/or killed them.

The only shot placement that guarantees immediate and total incapacitation is one roughly centered in the face, below the middle of the forehead, and above the upper lip. Shots to the side of the head above the horizontal line passing through the ear opening to just below the crown of the skull and from the cheekbones rearward to the occipital lobe are also effective. With practice, accurate shot placement can be achieved.--FM 90-10-1, C1