Land Navigation Training – Part 1

Land Navigation Training – Part 1

Written for Angler by BTB

This week is ANGLER WEEK at SPEARHEAD!

On Thursday, (8) men posted at 0445 with their compasses in hand and their minds ready to learn.

The professor was posted in the front, and class was in session

The Thang

Learn the principles behind:

• Direction – Degrees, Minutes, Seconds
• Baselines – True North, Magnetic North, Grid North
• Azimuth / Back Azimuth

Learn the parts of a Lensatic Compass:

• Cover, Base, Lens, Sighting Wire
• Handling, effects of electricity and metal, accuracy
• Various methods of use including whole body and thumb and cheek

Group moves to football field
Line up on goal line

Measuring your pace:

• Count your steps over 100 yards. Repeat x 4. Average the results. This is your pace.
• Adjust your baseline pace for: Slopes, winds, surfaces, elements, clothing, and visibility (and rucks of course)
• Discussed conversion factors and how to apply your baseline pace.

COT

Next Thursday morning will be Land Navigation Training – Part 2 (Practical Application).  Location TBD.  Bring a compass and a string.  We will be practicing what we learned by navigating between points using only a compass heading and distance.

Moleskin

Angler, being a Vietnam Veteran from the United States Army, has a lot of training and practice in the art of land navigation. In GORUCK Challenge 815, Angler was a shadow, and he saw that the team made a lot of avoidable errors in navigation. SPEARHEADs will be prepared from now on.

This training was great, and will be the beginning of a series.  After next week, we will try to do some training on map reading.  Once we have learned that, we will make plans to go out to an orienteering course and practice what we have learned.

Radar was able to use his field experience from the military to add to Angler’s lesson.  It is great to have such good resources at our disposal.  I can’t wait for next week to put this all to the test.

Thanks to everyone for coming out.  What a great community we have here at SPEARHEAD!