On Training: Volume 1

As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, member of its Combat Pistol Team for four years, and a long time Firearms Instructor/Trainer for the U.S. Military, Law Enforcement agencies, and civilians, Dustin Salomon is in a unique position to write On Training, Volume I. Salomon presents the case for changes in firearms related training that will incorporate “brain science” into shooting. He is aggressively preparing to introduce a new product line in the very near future which will, “fundamentally change the industry forever…to qualify police and others to STOP shooting.”With a solid understanding of the importance of firearms training to any shooter, whether in the military, policing or civilian, Salomon explains that traditional learning methods have relied upon the development of skillsets and repetition that place information into an area of the brain called the “declarative memory system.” In any time of need, an individual can purposefully access this information. However, in times of great stress or shock (such as a shooting incident) chemicals in the body shut down the ability to access the declarative memory and instead only allow access to another area of the brain called the “procedural memory system.” However, Salomon’s years of experience, continuing observations of thousands of shooters, and behavioral research into actual shootings, led him to conclude that current firearms training does not take into account this part of the human brain that reacts under the stress of a real shooting. Traditional firearms training tries to place information in the declarative memory system-where it cannot be accessed during a real shooting incident. Thus, the challenge for firearms training must be to make the necessary changes in approach to place information into the procedural memory system.In fact, when studied from an objective vantage point, long established firearms training methods that have been used for decades completely miss the target when it comes to effectively training shooters for maximum efficiency, accuracy and safety in real situations. At a time when budgets are tight, but effective training is more important than ever, Salomon offers the first major roadmap for an evolution in firearms training that integrates neuroscience and shooting, which actually holds the promise for fewer shootings, greater accuracy, and improved safety when it comes to using firearms- whether in the heat of competition on a range or the unbelievable stress of saving lives on the street.I highly recommend On Training, Volume I for anyone who is involved in firearms training, beginning and experienced shooters, as well as those who simply wish to have a better understanding of the positive results that could come from the integration of the science of the brain, with the science of firearms’ use under highly stressful conditions.Salomon’s work in this area holds the remarkable promise to revolutionize firearms training, making it potentially the most significant evolution in police training overall in many decades.

On Training, Volume 1, provides a critical look at institutional firearms training as it exists today from the perspective of a professional trainer, researcher and training systems designer.Two critical failures in the firearms training industry are identified. First, the failure in how training is delivered. Instructors more often focus on the content and delivery of their material rather than teaching skills in a way that their student’s brain actually learns. The emphasis is on teaching rather than learning. That must change.The second problem is a failure in institutional training design. Periodic qualifications for the armed professional are meaningless if they do not equate to operational proficiency. Training design needs to change to make skills qualifications, especially firearms proficiency, equate to the realities of day-to-day operations experienced on the job.Lessons taken from improving institutional training practice and design will also have application for civilian firearms training. This is a great read and is highly recommended for anyone who is a firearms instructor.

I am willing to concede my personal bias with regard to the author and the subject matter however ... On Training 1 begins with Mr. Salomon's presentation to the Principle Firearms Instructor's Conference at the FBI Academy. This presentation establishes a framework by which law enforcement and civilian firearms instructors can evaluate training principles and methodologies from a common perspective.This book is a major step towards integrating 21st Century Brain Science research in to each component of within the field of Firearms Training. (Military, Law Enforcement and Civilian)

Loved this author's other two books, but read this one and kind of went huh? Rambling stories.