Listed are some of the training services I offer individuals and groups. These classes, based upon personal and practical experience in the topics covered, are offered to the Prepping/Survivalist community outside of the paradigm usually taught. Aside from these and the future classes to be listed, I can tailor a class to your group’s specific needs and abilities per request. Be sure to check out the training schedule for the remainder of 2019 and Spring 2020. Forward all inquiries to: [email protected]
***All course prices are reflective of training at the NC site.***
RTO Basic
This class will teach students the basics of communications at the Team or Squad Level in the field. Topics of instruction include:
- Identifying Equipment Requirements
- Writing a Signals Operating Index
- PACE Planning for Communications
- Basic equipment capabilities
- Traffic handling
- Improvised antenna types, uses and construction
- Setting up and running an NVIS HF station
- Message Formats
- Setting up and communicating from a field site
Two day course will culminate in an field training event running a TOC station and Hide site in the field. Students will each build an antenna and demonstrate competency in team communications basics during the field exercise. Amateur Radio license qualification is helpful, but not required. This is NOT a ‘ham radio’ class but each student will come away with a basic understanding of a team’s communications needs in a tactical environment and how to best meet them under less-than-ideal circumstances. No equipment is required for this course; however, if students want to get field practice with their own gear, it is highly encouraged but done so at their own risk. Instruction is completely off-grid.
RTO Advanced
Two day class picks up where the RTO Basic Course leaves off, covering advanced techniques for clandestine communications in the field. Points of instruction include:
- Advanced SOI planning
- creating a brevity matrix
- Planning and coordinating a dedicated transmitting site
- Theory, construction and use of directional wire antennas
- Recognizing and mitigating signs of Electronic Warfare
- Advanced HF Techniques
As with RTO Basic, the course will culminate in a field exercise where students demonstrate the concepts covered in a live environment. By the end of both courses, students will be able to build a bulletproof communications network with even the most basic off the shelf equipment and little, if any, external support.
Signals Intelligence / Radio Reconnaissance
Two day course covers the essentials of signals collection and analysis in an asymmetric warfare environment. Course specifically focuses on building skills to better prepare a retreat or small unit for intercepting and exploiting an OPFOR’s ground communications. Students will learn:
- Communications Mapping of your Area of Operations
- Common, Off The Shelf tools for Signals Intelligence
- Planning and construction of Listening Posts
- Radio Direction Finding (RDF) Techniques
- Signals Interception and Analysis
- Coordinating with an Analysis and Control Element (ACE)
- Tactical Exploitation
Each student in class will receive open source tools for conducting signals intelligence. At a minimum every student will come away with the essential skills needed to receive possible early warnings or simply stay abreast of problems in their area of interest or potential threats to their patrol.
Scout Course
Three day class covers the basics of scouting and reconnaissance for irregular or unsupported forces. Course focuses first on marksmanship to 400 meters, personal camouflage and ghillie suit construction, individual and team movement, observation techniques, practical range cards, target acquisition, and basic wilderness survival in an off-grid encampment. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate abilities required for functioning as a small team to effectively locate and engage a simulated enemy, replicating real-world guerrilla operations.
Recce Course
The Recce Course is the follow-on to the Scout Course, focusing on camouflage, observation and stalking as a team while also learning how to secure and and effectively set up a perimeter to effectively defend an area. The Recce Course goes far beyond conventional fire and maneuver small unit tactics, implementing effective strategies for groups with limited numbers and resources.
Fighting Carbine
Students will begin with basic weapons proficiency and work their way up through team movements at close quarters and extended ranges. The course focuses on the realities of combat by emphasizing movement techniques and weapons manipulation to keep students alive in a fight. Drills covered include:
- Survival mindset
- Basic weapon setup & weapon manipulation
- Body position and recoil management
- Magazine changes
- Principles of Pekiti Tirsia applied to gunfighting
- Movement as a team
- Negotiating civilians in your environment
By the end of this course students will have a grasp not only of the basics of fighting with a carbine, but foster a mindset of protecting lives of noncombatants.
I’m glad to see that you are offering classes. Do you have a schedule set?
Yes. An announcement is going to be made next week once the last couple parts are coordinated.
Thanks and I’ll keep checking back for more details
Hi-
We would like an RTO course in the intermountain west in autumn, 2018. What would it take to bring you here?
All the best,
MH
Mary, I’m going to be in Montana in September. Send me an email if we need to schedule something specific for y’all.
Do you offer beginner basic survival courses for children? We live in the piedmont of N.C. I have 3 boys who would love this on a more basic level. Thanks.
Melissa
I can. Send me an email and we can discuss specifics.
Are there any schedules up for 2023/24
https://brushbeater.store/collections/training-courses
Hey scout… Sent you a message…
P76
Roger. I was out of town over the weekend. Standby.
Thank you NC Scout for coming out this past weekend! It was a great time and we all learned something! The material covered was clear and concise. Your hands on method of teaching make learning the information easy even for an old knuckle dragger like me!! I look forward to taking your other classes and even repeating the RTO course!!! Thanks again Brother it was worth every penny!
I had a blast Brother- you and your crew are top notch. I am both proud and honored to have the opportunity to train with such a good group. Thank you.
Interested in training classes. Can you send me more info?
Email me. [email protected]
NC Scout, I had a blast and learned a ton this past weekend! I enjoyed your hands on approach of teaching and helped make learning the information easy even for the ham n00b that I am. I look forward to taking your other classes.
Anytime! It was an absolute honor to train with you my friend. I’m looking forward to doing it again in the future.
I recently attended a private class offering of the RTO course conducted by NC Scout. I can’t overstate the quality of this training. NC Scout is both tactically and technically proficient and has the advantage of having “been there done that” when it comes to tactical communications under austere conditions.
The course is pretty much as advertised on his Brushbeater blog. What isn’t discussed are the “extras” you receive. “Extras” in the form of class discussion of particular issues and solutions related to communications planning, radio operation, and capabilities.
This course is definitely planned and presented as a “prepper” course. It presents a solution set (although not necessarily universal) to operating a TOC integrating a “retreats” various nodes such as patrols, LP/OP’s, QRF, and admin/log nets.
The course description clearly stated this wasn’t a Ham Radio course and it wasn’t. It was very basic instruction that even the most novice among us could understand. The students in my class had a wide range of knowledge and skills, but NC Scout moderated the technical aspects to that of the lowest common denominator, but would elevate the discussion as the students grasped the concept, moving onto a higher technical level. I never once felt the instruction was above my head or that I was just accepting my own ignorance and not taking up class time at the expense of others.
From an equipment aspect, there was a lot of “gear” brought by participants for show and tell purposes. However, the instruction focuses on handheld radios with frequencies in the 2 meter and 70 cm range. There were enough licensed Ham’s in the class to keep it all legal so that wasn’t a problem. While NC Scout isn’t a fan of Baofeng radios, he recognizes they are extremely popular with the prepper community. They are pretty much the “lowest common denominator for radios. However, you run what you “brung”, when it came to the radios and there were no equipment failures at all, that I am aware of.
Training started with an explanation of Signal Operating Instructions (SOI). I think many think of this in terms of a long complex document along the lines of military use or that published by the AmRRON project. While the military SOI is too complex for prepper use and the AmRRON version is really intended more as a standing SOI transitioning from normalcy to SHTF, NC Scout’s distills the SOI down into what is practical for a retreats use. NC Scout’s presents a simpler view of an SOI that changes daily, is briefed on a white board at shift change or OP Order brief. It includes all the essential elements of an SOI, but without the complexity.
Training continued on Day 1 with presentation of several “reporting formats”. I won’t list these, you have to take the course, but these formats are relevant to the tactical security of a retreat and support the signal’s security principles of uniformity and brevity.
Training continued on with presentations on antenna theory and the construction of expedient antennas. However, as the course description emphasizes, this is not a Ham radio course and NC Scout “dummies this down” for even the most technically challenged of us can “get it”. There followed a “arts and crafts” project, the construction of a jungle antenna for UHF/VHF as well as several long wire HF antennas conducted as a practical exercise/lab for this class.
Day 1 included a practical exercise utilizing all the morning’s instruction to include the constructed “jungle antenna” and use of all the reporting formats. This exercise consisted of the establishment of a “TOC” and a remote station exchanging communications traffic utilizing each of the reporting templates.
Day 2 focused on the conduct of a reconnaissance patrol establishing a patrol base, running up the “jungle antenna” and observing an OPFOR again providing information utilizing reporting templates.
In summary, this was a great class, presented by a knowledgeable/proficient instructor with not only the technical expertise, but also real world experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to take additional classes from NC Scout.
I thank you tremendously, not only for hosting me but the more than generous words. I was honored to train with you and y’all were the absolute best class possible. Not since I left the Army did I feel cohesion in a group like the atmosphere and tone set by you and yours.
Thank you again.
Do you have another date scheduled for the RTO class?
Yes. The next one is 9-10 JUN. I’ve got a few more dates also. Specific post is incoming.
I realize you do not want to publicize the location where you teach the class, but can you provide a rough area of where it will be – eg, Asheville area, Durham area, Ft. Bragg area. It will help with my planning, since I am frequently in NC visiting an ailing family member. You can PM me with the answer if that works better. Thanks.
Its in central NC. Shoot me an email.
I’m wondering how close you are to Durham, as I visit Durham often on account of an ill relative.
David Shimm [email protected]
Do you ever come to Florida in the winter when the weather is beautiful? We’re in SW FL and would love for you to come to our area some time soon.
Shoot me an email, I’ll try to work y’all into the schedule.
Very interested attending some of your courses. However, I was not aware of the extent of those you offer. Could you send me a list with a calendar of when each will be held?
https://brushbeater.wordpress.com/training-calendar/
Looking forward to having you out!
Have you considered put any of your courses online. So that someone such as myself in AZ who may not be able to make it back to NC can still experiance all be it it’s not in the field.
None of my courses are really suitable to being conducted online. That’s not to say there may not be webinars at some point, but it won’t scratch the surface of what we do in class.
But that said I can be available for travel. Shoot me an email, there’s others in AZ who’ve contacted me and we might be able to make this happen.
Do you have any students in their 70’s?
Yes.
Thanks. And, thanks for the quick response.
Would you be interested in going to Alaska?
We are interested in several of your training classes and I am sure we can get other. We are located in Sterling Alaska in the Kenai Peninsula.
I would certainly come to Alaska. Send me an email and we’ll get something figured out.
Ncscout,
What is your email address?
[email protected]
The Basic RTO and Advanced RTO that you are going to have in February, you have the classes listed in Tennessee. Where in TN? I can tie those in with visiting children and grandchildren in TN.
They’re in Tellico Plains. Email me for instructions on registering.
Thanks, I’ll be getting back with you
Hello NC Scout!
I am interested in taking your Scout course, and I have reviewed the packing list and everything, I have a question about the blank fire adaptor. I am running a 14.5 inch barrel with a pinned Nox muzzle device and im 100% sure a blank fire adaptor will not work with it. Am I still able to attend the course and whats the way/method for that blank fire portion of the course???
You’re definitely still able to come- I have one for you. You’ll need an A2, so you’ll have to run one of my weapons.
Recently completed Combat Carbine course with an amazing group. The course was a great refresher from my (ancient) Army basic & current patrol rifle quals. NC Scout is as humble as they come, with low stress training, real world experiences and with a focused objective. Do yourself a favor and get his practical training to train others. “Stuff” without a trained operator is just a supply dumb for the prepared. Thanks NC Scout for a great course.
Thanks brother! Having you out was awesome!!!
Will bring another bottle of Battle Line & jerky for the next class!
How do you sign up for a class?
Email me.
I am interested in the RTO course in Washington April 29 may 1st. My good friend and his Dad are taking this course I want to join them.
Right on. Send me an email at [email protected]
I would like more information on the Fighting Pistol course please. I sent an email. Thanks!
Hey, sent you an e-mail but you may be tied up or missed it. Q’s re: the comms course:
My daughter and I are looking at your 6d comms classes in MO or WY. I totally get that you’re not releasing location info, but can you answer a couple of general q’s?
1. Looks like we are not overnight in the field, so show up say 08-1800, then overnight in a local hotel, right?
2. Can you advise which airports you might be within an hour or so of for these?
3. I see from the gear list, it’s super-light…like no radio. I also see you sorta hating on Baofengs (which is fine…but then you wrote a book on them?). So seriously, I show up with a good knowledge of physics (I’m an engineer, my daughter is sharp) and no gear except a notepad, and I’m good?
Thanks!
Sent you an email regarding upcoming courses.