The Small Unit Tactics Series of classes are where we leave the flat range and begin working in the real world.  SUT is the model Lodestone Training and Consulting uses to teach principles of leadership.  In addition to learning techniques of SUT, the real growth comes from working as a group to overcome problems, experiencing the burden of leadership under stress, and pushing yourself more than you thought possible.   There are some things you can’t learn from a book or watching a TV show, they have to be experienced.  In this setting you learn as much from failure as you will from your successes.

This class teaches leadership skills by training on battle drills.  Day One will start with a brief lesson on Land Navigation (It is highly recommended that you attend an LTAC Land Navigation seminar or workshop prior to attending, but not mandatory.) It will then outline the different roles and responsibilities of the leadership positions in the patrol.  Students will then spend the rest of the day learning and working on Squad attack.  This will be done both during the day and night. The first night will conclude with establishing a patrol base and patrol base activities.  

Day Two focuses on react to contact and breaking contact. This again will be a full day of working and learning, with leadership positions being switched throughout the day and night.  Students will be forced to maintain contact with their fellows on their left and right.  Team leaders will need to maintain contact with their teams for command and control, and for reporting the location of enemy positions. That evening there will be a night mission, followed by patrol base activities.  

After reviewing and putting everything taught so far together, Day Three will continue with working on reacting to an ambush. The afternoon will be spent learning about the principles of a recon patrol.   That evening students will get some time off and get a real meal.

Days Four and Five will be a 36-hour field exercise.  Students will use all the lessons learned so far and will be conducting missions that will be a series of challenges.  Each student will have an opportunity to be in leadership positions during this part of training.  This will be force-on-force with an active Opfor.

If they don’t already have one each student will receive a copy of the LTAC SUT handbook.  This will be the book used by students and cadre throughout the course.  After enrolling, students will receive a detailed gear list and more information specific to the class.   This class is five days and four nights with little to no amenities.  Students will need to pack accordingly.  Students need to bring an AR-style rifle with magazines, but No Ammunition.  There is no live-fire in this class.  

There are three options for attending this class:

1. Take all five days of the class as scheduled.

2. Take only Days One through Three, which include the instruction portion of the class.

3. Take only Days Four and Five, which include the field exercise. For this option, you are REQUIRED to have taken the previous three days of instruction, either on their own or as part of the five-day class. This is also a good option for those who have attended this class previously and want to repeat the field exercise.