About the Telluric Group:
Telluric has been a premier provider of firearms and NVG/low-light/no-light tactical training since 2004. Because of the knowledge, experience and professionalism of its instructors, Telluric was selected by Aimpoint to be their US Training Partner. Telluric is also Morovision’s military/law enforcement training arm.
Telluric Founder, Mr. Brian Garrett, is a US Army veteran who served with the 20th Special Forces Group (ABN) and is currently a reserve detective with a Georgia based law enforcement agency. Other experience includes several years as a security contractor and a short deployment to support local law enforcement agencies during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Prior to founding Telluric, Brian ran a training field office for ITT Night Vision training literally thousands of military and law enforcement personnel in the art of using night vision in low-light/no-light combat conditions. Telluric was created to continue and expand MIL/ LE training.
Today, Brian runs Telluric Group and is proud of the company’s diverse range of leading instructors that have significant real world experience in military special operations, high risk security and/or law enforcement. Each is a subject matter expert in the discipline they teach.
Telluric’s firearms courses range from basic level handgun and rifle training that is appropriate for those who never received formal training up through advanced combat shooting that will challenge even the most seasoned military operators and SWAT officers.
Interview is conducted my Spiro Demetriadi, Morovision’s Director of Sales and Marketing:
Spiro is a US Army veteran and for the past 20 years he represented the Gracie Academy (Headquarters), where he handled combatives training for thousands of military/law enforcement personnel. Now, through Morovision and Telluric Group, Spiro plans on having a similar large-scale impact by reaching out to the law enforcement community in educating them with effective and reality-based NVG/low-light/no-light tactical training. Spiro exists to increase the SASOC (Situational Awareness, Survivability and Operational Capabilities) of US MIL/LE personnel.
SPIRO is from Morovision (Interviewer)
BRIAN is from Telluric Group (Interviewee)
SPIRO: I understand that you’re training facility is close to FLETC in Glynco, GA-, how close is it?
BRIAN: 3 miles from the main training center. Coming this spring 2013 we plan to offer some evening practice sessions and evening training sessions that are geared specifically for FLETC students.
SPIRO: Why did you create, specifically the night vision course – or any night vision training for that matter?
BRIAN: Because we understood what a powerful tool night vision could be for law enforcement and we saw that more and more law enforcement agencies were buying night vision technology. We also saw, though, that there was a lack of training that: 1) limited the effectiveness of the technology; 2) created liability problems; and 3) most importantly, created safety problems. As an example, there were (and still are) officers and agents who use NVG’s regularly that never fired their handgun while wearing the goggle. The NV Operator Course was developed as a minimum standard for anyone who uses NV and carries a gun.
SPIRO: Are you accepting applications for trainers?
BRIAN: Yes, we’re always looking for good instructors with the right background.
SPIRO: So what were the things your instructors saw that were lacking in the training?
BRIAN: First, there were a lot of misconceptions about the true capabilities and limitations of NV. Second, users typically had not done the right things to develop their ability to move and work under the goggle. Finally, there was little understanding of how to apply the goggle to gain tactical advantage at the individual level. We like to look at training from the perspective of Boyd’s Law (the O-O-D-A Loop). The NVG was giving officers or agents the ability to ‘observe’ better, but there were big problems in each of the other steps in the loop. That tends to create a false sense of security and lure us into situations where, all of a sudden, we find ourselves at a huge disadvantage.
SPIRO: How often do you go out and see law enforcement officers using a monocular (usually ITT Exelis’ NEPVS-14) over their firing eye versus their non-firing eye?
BRIAN: We’ve run in to it sometimes, and sometimes it could be the right answer depending on the equipment being used. For tactical teams, though, we recommend using an IR laser and wearing the goggle on the non-firing eye.
SPIRO: And why do you advise against having an operator (let’s say he’s doing tactical entry) having night vision mounted on his weapon versus helmet mounted?
BRIAN: Situational awareness. You have to point your weapon at anything you want to see for one, but more importantly you’re moving your head around to scan as opposed to moving your weapon around to scan. It’s much faster using your head so the result is that your situational awareness is significantly diminished if you’re using a weapons mounted goggle.
SPIRO: Do you prefer monoculars over binoculars? What are the positives and negatives of using one over the other?
BRIAN: It depends on your mission. Both of them have unique strengths and weaknesses. The big strength of a monocular is that the unaided eye can pick up the lighting situations that I’m operating in. That’s extremely important. The advantage of the binocular is that the operator can move more effectively and faster. We have seen operators with binocular goggles get consistently faster times on our obstacle course than those using monoculars.
SPIRO: Because you see more? More field of view?
BRIAN: No, it’s still 40 degree FOV (Field of View). I believe that binoculars enable operators to go faster because they simplify the information that’s going to the brain. Both eyes are seeing essentially the same image, so there’s less for the brain to process.
SPIRO: But the downside is that if there is a change of lighting conditions, they really aren’t going to see that.
BRIAN: Yes, that’s the disadvantage of a binocular system. What they’re having to with a binocular to understand light conditions is to use the binocular without eye-cups, and the problem there is that you have the splash on your face that can give away your location.
SPIRO: To be night vision ready, what should be standard issue gear (aside from weapon)?
BRIAN: A quality night vision helmet mount, some type of helmet, a white flashlight, tritium sights on your handgun, infrared laser on rifle… and that’s kind of a minimum… also having a laser on a handgun is a big plus.
SPIRO: And you said tritium, can you see it with night vision?
BRIAN: Yes, you can. Tritium sights on handguns do allow us to engage targets, with some limitations, through night vision goggles.
SPIRO: And what about reflex sights on a rifle, like Aimpoint – By the way, Telluric is Aimpoint’s Training Partner, correct?
BRIAN: Yes, we are. And yes, we do believe you need to have some sort of a reflex sight because it is good to have backup.
SPIRO: Will those iron sights be up and ready simultaneously with the reflex sight?
BRIAN: In my opinion, front sight is always up. Folding the rear sight down to get it out of the way is fine. Some people have fold down front sights- I personally would never fold down the front sight unless I’m using a high-power optic.
SPIRO: Back to lasers, how would you use those going in- a Dot a Flood?
BRIAN: I would say you should set it appropriate to mission. For room entry, I would have it as wide as possible. In fact, for most SWAT operations I would have it as widely dispersed as possible. And if you’re going to use it, take the time to make sure that the laser dot is centered in the illuminator beam.
SPIRO: What about being detected using a laser- can’t bad guys see you if they have night vision (even cheap night vision) or even a cell phone for that matter?
BRIAN: Yes they can see you. They can trace the laser right back to its origination. It's important to practice good light discipline with IR lights and lasers and, of course, with any visible lights.
SPIRO: Have you looked through the fused (night vision and thermal overlay) goggles before?
BRIAN: I’ve looked through them quite a few times but I’ve never had the opportunity to use them operationally, nor have I had the opportunity to really put them through any serious paces in the training environment. But I will definitely say that there is a place for that technology.
SPIRO: You use live ammo and also non-lethal training ammo, what kind of non-lethal training ammo do you use?
BRIAN: We use UTM. We’ve been using it since 2004 with excellent results.
SPIRO: And why UTM?
BRIAN: 2 reasons. When we started using UTM it was the only NLTA system that allowed you to use your own weapon and just trade out the bolt. This eliminated the need to trade out optics and lasers between live weapons and training weapons. The second and most important reason is that UTM is accurate enough that we can hold people accountable for their shots. It’s the only NLTA option that allows for that. If somebody misses by 2-3 inches because they are forgetting their holds, for instance, we can correct them.
SPIRO: Tell us about your training facility in Brunswick, GA.
BRIAN: The facility was specifically designed for low light / no light operations training. It’s a 12,000 square foot facility that can be completely blacked out. We have a 25 yard, 10 lane indoor range, we have a 550 square foot reconfigurable NLTA (Non-Lethal Training Ammunition) shoot house, a classroom that seats up to 24, and a warehouse area that we can do additional training in.
SPIRO: Finish my sentence, “I, Brian Garret wish that every federal, state, county, and local law enforcement officer…”
BRIAN: “Understood the true capabilities and limitations of night vision technology and had the tools and training to maximize its benefit.”
SPIRO: Your training is applicable to what scenarios- primarily tactical?
BRIAN: Not necessarily. Some classes, like the ones we’re doing in DC (Feb-Mar 2013) are for SWAT teams, so they’ll have a little more of a SWAT orientation. But the class Night Vision Operator Course in general is designed to be the baseline or foundation for any armed professional that uses night vision. It’s not specific to any kind of mission, it’s designed to develop individual skills that apply across the board.
SPIRO: So basically, in any low light / no light scenario, your training gives them the foundation to operate in that situation. Whether they’re doing tactical entry or for a LEO to see what’s going on down a dark alleyway?
BRIAN: Correct.
SPIRO: What do you say to those law enforcement officers who say “I only use white light and never night vision”?
BRIAN: They’re missing out on a very powerful tool. Using night vision isn’t the right answer in every situation- sometimes white light is the best option. But in the right environment, night vision technology can create tremendous advantage if we know how to employ it. Developing NV as a legitimate tool requires some training time and the ability to think critically. Having that tool available, though, gives us a ‘curve ball’ to throw at the bad guys to use in particularly dangerous situations that potentially can save a lot of lives.
SPIRO: So using white light can give away your position to somebody who may be prepared for you?
BRIAN: Yes. When the white light is on you have in fact given away your presence and possibly your position. So, we teach people to use the light intermittently and deliberately and to always light and move. It’s important to note that wearing a goggle does not preclude the use of white light. In fact, we believe that immediate access to a white light is critical when operating under goggles.
SPIRO: What do your students need to be aware of when going into low light / no light scenarios?
BRIAN: The bottom line- Ken Good, who founded the Surefire Institute and Strategos International, two prominent flashlight training organizations, talks about “winning the light fight”. When you put night vision goggles on, the “winning the light fight” idea doesn’t change. The principles of low light engagements don’t change. The goggle is simply a tool, like a flashlight, that we leverage to establish or maintain the advantage in terms of light conditions. It’s a tool that lets us move, search, assess, and engage without giving our adversary any light to work with. We still use our white light, but its role changes a bit.
SPIRO: Stealth is a huge thing. You don’t want to be visually or audibly found.
BRIAN: Yes, the whole purpose of the night vision goggle is to allow us to maneuver without the bad guy being able to track or target us. If we have tritium glowing on our watch, or keys rattling, or gear squeaking then the bad guy can very easily locate us precisely enough to hurt us.
SPIRO: If a law enforcement officer wanted to get NEPVS-14 night vision monoculars and accessories for his or her unit and needed to write a proposal to get them, what would be the main points you would recommend he or she put in the proposal to increase the chances of receiving funds?
BRIAN: I would talk about the increasing threat level to officers- the terrorist threat, the drug gang or cartel threat… Bad guys are becoming more skilled, better equipped and, most notably, more determined or more willing to hurt law enforcement officers. It’s only going to get worse. The night vision goggle makes officers safer by allowing them to work without being effectively targeted..
SPIRO: What is the most common misconception about the training that Telluric offers (is there one)?
BRIAN: Probably that the training we offer is only for SWAT/Special Operations team members, which is not true. Our training certainly addresses SWAT and military type operations but overall, as stated before, our training is designed to be the baseline or foundation for any armed professional that uses night vision. It’s not specific to any kind of mission, it’s more about developing individual skills.
SPIRO: Anything else you would like to say? Anything I have not asked that I should have?
BRIAN: Although we are able to bring this course to law enforcement agencies with our Mobile Training Team (MTT), it’s very difficult for us to re-create the training we do at our Georgia training facility, which is specifically designed for low-light/no-light tactical training. I would highly recommend that, when possible, agencies send their people to our facility.
END
Click HERE for more information and course schedule.
Limited slots available!
Call or email us to schedule training for your agency now!
800-424-8222
info@morovision.com
- Washington, DC - Hosted by Montgomery County Police Department
- Brunswick, GA - Hosted by Telluric Group at their Night Vision Facility (3 miles from FLETC)
- Los Angeles, CA - Hosted by US Marshals Service (TBD)
- Arlington, TX - Hosted by Arlington Police Department (TBD)
- Florida and New Hampshire locations (Pending)
