Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1542142
the ladder. Each boarding continues to polish CQB on board and success is measured by the new traps An- drzej and Eddie dream up. Then lunch and it's clear the course's climax is appro- aching: the time to go to sea! (technically geographi- cally this is the Gulf of Gdańsk, but "going to sea" so- unds more epic, and besides the waves aren't exactly "bay-like"). Now it's no joke; you really have to watch what you're doing. Kusti is in charge, at least until everyone is safely aboard the ship. Boarding a moving ship from a moving RIB is neither easy nor pleasant. Here eve- rything is serious. It's worth noting that this isn't the highest ship side in the world and we don't carry as much kit as professionals do during a "real" VBSS. Poor is the one holding the ladder when the guys climb slowly. You can really feel the chill of the Baltic now: the RIB takes on water during the boarding, it sloshes over the ship's deck, our sea is capricious; the weather can change several times in a few hours, from rainy to sunny. Getting up the cave ladder feels like an achie- vement, but it's only the beginning of the boarding party, the real securing of the vessel follows. Two te- ams divide up tasks and decks: the mess, the bridge, the lower deck, the stern. In traditional CQB everyone holds their sector, which can be challenging: VBSS is CQB on hard mode, as the ship reveals unexpected spaces, tight corridors and compartments, narrow stairs, and the fact that it's moving. The deck slips from under your feet (ahoy! the ship keeps on going) and you have to watch many little things (one of them is a door weighing over 100 kilos that you'd better not let slam shut on someone's hand). After a few minu- tes of "clearing," both sections meet at the rendezvous point and we signal readiness to return. A RIB comes Thus passes the first half of the day, then lunch and back to class. The pace is brisk. Here the course often differs from previous editions: depending on the traine- es, emphasis is placed on different elements of VBSS and CQB. From my perspective (P.Ż.) that variability is great; thanks to it I've learned something new at each of the six courses. Again Andrzej pops up with his wealth of training gear and ideas, while HerrFlik usually stands somewhere staring into the distance and occasionally mutters under his breath. Eddie starts passing on his knowledge and, in his unique way, teaches that the most important thing in this job is thinking: he always has a story from his service for every situation. And note: while HerrFlik keeps his composure and stays silent, Eddie can get fired up when trainees do well and becomes more tal- kative, but by day's end he returns to his old rule: God can be perfect, he's good enough for a four, and the trainees will at best get a three. Evening, dinner – seaside chill? Not a chance. A sign-up sheet circulates for volunteers for extra night OTB ops (over-the-beach; OTB also stands for out-the-boat, me- aning leaving the comfort zone; this weekend is full of such moments). A reduced team will practice a landing from a RIB onto the beach, of course doing the swim-in section too. Does a wetsuit keep you warm enough in the Baltic at night? How do you swim with a weapon (and a lifejacket, easy)? There's only one way to find out. The next morning the brave are rewarded with short applause and we move on. Day two starts with VBSS in port: we get to know the ship and the legendary RIB. Another Formoza guy joins us here — Kusti — without him the whole boarding fun wouldn't be the same; no one handles approach and "sticking" the boat to the ship's side like he does (as we'll see on the "real" water). The action begins with boarding the ship in port: various techniques, of which the most important is, of course, www.fragoutmag.com