Things to know about VBSS training
Before you start
First and foremost, you must be completely dedicated to be a VBSS Boarding Officer. Most of your time won't be spent boarding ships, shooting pirates, and blowing shit up. Instead, a majority of time will be preparing for your mission, preparing and presenting a brief to your CO and Command, and all gathering evidence/building paperwork from completing your mission. Not to say being a VBSS BO sucks at all, but it's not all about shooting pirates like how the media plays it out to be.
During training
VBSS training can be broken down into 4 basic phases:
SRF - B
SRF - A
VBSS NCB
Boarding Officer School
SRF - B, or Security Reaction Force- Basic is a week-long course your ship holds every quarter for new check-ins. Typically your top Master-At-Arms person or someone of that matter holds the course. The first few days pretty much consist of powerpoints; with the last two being more hands-on. One of the days you get batons and get to do strikes on each other (of course you have a big pad to protect yourself). The other part of the day you learn basic mock take downs. Remember to learn the strikes and take downs because you'll be doing them all over again in SRF-A. Finally comes the best, or should I say worst part of SRF-B:
That's right! Your final part of SRF-B is to place all the take downs and baton strikes your learned, while being OC sprayed. Unless you're that .1% that is immune to the spray, this is going to be one of the most painful days you'll ever experience. The key is to finish the course as soon as possible, while the meantime doing everything right. In the end, after you fight the big red man, you can wash your eyes out since you're probably in an incredible amount of pain right now. If someone brought milk with them, use it on your eyes as it will neutralize the acid a lot sooner. Of course, the effects will be there at least for several hours, if not for the rest of the day. However, after the pain goes away you can now say that you're one step closer to being a boarding officer.
Pre-Reqs
Before I go further, this is probably the best time to go over all the prerequisites you'll need in the long run, particularly for SRF-A. Gun quals, make sure you go to your scheduled shoots and do well, whether it's with the M9 or M16. If you have never shot a weapon, right now would probably be the best time to go over the basics with a Gunner's Mate. Also, make sure your 3591, AKA your gun card is accurate and correct; on my ship we had an issue with our GMs putting in wrong scores, like putting a 8 for one of the pistol-low light scores when the highest is only a 6.
Talk to your current VBSS team about doing a Jacob's Ladder climb. If you're stationed out in Hampton Roads, every Friday at NSA Northwest (yeah that one base in bum fuck North Carolina/Virginia) the schoolhouse opens the ladder up for anyone to climb. This will give you the opportunity to get comfortable with all the gear as well as climbing the ladder. You have two minutes to climb the ladder by the way. The key is to keep the momentum, meaning don't stop. Once you stop the ladder will start swinging; side to side, back and forth making it more difficult to get up. While you're at it buy some gloves too, particularly some Mechanix ones; 15 bucks at the NEX!
Stretcher Bearer PQS, one of the prereqs that is overlooked by many but still very important. Talk to your HM2 or HM3 about scheduling a time to go over basic First Aid procedures as well as basic SAR litter identification. The PQS should only take you a week or two to finish.
The second class swim qual is another prereq you'll need, chances are you did this during your commissioning source so you should have no problem doing it again. If you're really that motivated, try swimming with your cammies on and geared up. It shall help you for VBSS NCB in the future...
SRF-A
Security Reaction Force- Advance for long is a two week course held outside of your command. If you're in the Hampton Roads area, the school is held at NSA Northwest, a good 45 minute drive from Virginia Beach or downtown Norfolk. For your first day, make sure you get there on time (aka at least 0545) to make sure you have a spot. There will be instances where the admitting process will get hectic because many commands are deploying soon and need their sailors to go through the pipeline alot sooner. You will see people, perhaps brand-new Ensigns freaking out at MA1's/GM1's so he or she can get into the school. Please, don't be that guy.
Once you get in, you'll get assigned all your VBSS gear as well as plastic guns and rounds to play with. They'll give you gloves, but if you brought your own gloves as previously recommended you won't have to worry about stinky-hands syndrome. Nobody wants to have that. You'll get assigned books to study from as well. You cant keep them but it doesn't hurt to check them out every now and then for the test.
The first week will consist of a basic gun shoot using simunition rounds (aka paint bullets), mock take downs, and basic entry/pier procedures. NBD, but make sure you don't muzzle your teammate, unless you want to get kicked out of school.
The second week is the best week and where you put all of what you learned from the first week together. You'll do 3-4 indoor entries, using sim rounds and a couple of scenarios outside on the mock pier. You will get hit with rounds, whether you're the good or bad guy. Either way, this week is probably the best part of VBSS school. Similar to the last paragraph, don't muzzle your teammate or shoot anyone within 5 feet and you'll be ok.
VBSS NCB
VBSS NCB, or Non-Complaint Complaint Boarding is a 3 week course held in the same building upstairs . Your instructors will consist of an E-6, who runs the admin part of the course as well as civilian instructors, who will teach you everything else. These instructors all have previous military experience, whether it's with the SEAL times or with the Marines. You first day they will PT the hell out of you in order to weed out the weak ones. As long as you stay in shape you should be alright.
The first week will consist of gear issue, basic power points, DT (defensive tactics), but more importantly you'll be doing a lot of shooting. The instructors will force you to carry your gear everywhere, so get used to carrying heavy equipment for the next 3 weeks. For the shoot, by the end of the week you will have shot about 1200 rounds, both with the M4 rifle and M9 pistol. Once again get with your GMs if you don't feel too confident with your shooting or weapons handling ability. On Friday you will have your first practical exam consisting of shooting a certain amount of targets within a certain amount of time. Just pay attention to what they teach you and you should be alright. You're given two tries, so if you mess up the first time you have a chance to get your bearings straight and get it right the second time.
The second week you continue with some DT, but you move on to the mock ship trainer and learn entry procedures. You'll learn rapelling and be climbing a caving ladder alot with your gear on. All the tactics you have learned from SRF-A at this point... throw it away. The instructors will teach you a whole different method that is designed to make the VBSS mission a lot smoother. You also have a multiple choice test this week. You'll have a review so just pay attention and you should do alright. On Friday is your pool day, which consists of hooking onto a mock ship and climbing it, basic water/RHIB entry, and buddy tows. The hardest part will be the ladder climb, because the instructors will be moving your RHIB and shooting water from the hoses at you as you climb the caving ladder. Not difficult at all as long as you stay focused. Congrats if you made it this far, just one more week to go.
Similar to SRF-A, the final week wraps up everything you learned. You'll have 2 more tests, with the final exam being on Friday. No biggie as long as you haven't forgotten everything. You'll have a practical with your defensive tactics. As long as you give it all you have when it comes to the take downs, hand-cuffing, and strikes, you'll be ok. Another practical will be "PT" which is pretty much doing Crossfit for about 25 minutes or so. Stay motivated and keep your guys motivated and the sooner the PT ends.
Of course you have your boardings this final week. The first boarding will be with the plastic guns and possibly the easiest scenario. Keep the detainees in custody at times and don't be too aggressive when you don't need to be. The next 3 boardings will be with sim rounds and of course the ship crew will be more hostile. Remember not to muzzle your teammates and be ready to shoot if the situation arises. If possible, your final 2 boardings will be at a real ship (the Del Monte trainer for the Hampton Roads Navy) where you can experience as close as it gets. You'll go on RHIB, hook up, and climb onto the ship to begin your boarding. Make sure your "train" stays close or else one of your guys can become a hostage. You don't want that. If your class can't do the ship trainer, you do the final boardings on the fake ship like the past 4 scenarios.
Congrats, you just finished the hardest obstacle to being a Boarding Officer.
Boarding Officer School
While NCB was the most difficult part of your training, Boarding Officer School will be the most boring out of the four. This 4-5 day course once again in the same building consists mainly of power points, with one or two hands-on lectures where you can learn the biometric kit and whatnot. During the final day or so they have you do a mock VBSS boarding brief to your "CO" so you have an idea what your Captain needs to know before you get on the RHIB. Pay somewhat attention and you'll be alright.
Finally, after all these schools you can finally call yourself a VBSS Boarding Officer. You completed a pipeline where many have failed or simply dropped because they did not have what it takes. You should be proud of what you have accomplished. Now that you have finished school, make sure you keep your knowledge fresh by training on the ship with your teams. Every now and then ATG will come on board to assess you guys and make sure you're ready for 6th and 5th Fleet. Keep training and you should be alright.
Any more questions, please feel free to ask. I'd be more than welcome to help!
