Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1542142
alongside. Kusti circles and we go through the wake again. The fun begins anew. And so for several hours, until hands drop and, above all, minds overheat. A favorite saying during this weekend from one of the instructors is, "Thinking doesn't hurt." Yes, this is a serious course and above all a unique tra- ining, the water is a totally different environment. When every- thing seems rehearsed and planned, the Baltic plays tricks: a big wave can interrupt a boarding and a task planned for two sections must be done by one. You can't experience that on land, nor the claustrophobia, the number of bruises, and the adrenaline on the ladder where the path leads only upward. VBSS is an extraordinary undertaking, and current times show how important maritime operations are. The Baltic has suddenly become the focus of NATO and civilians alike, eve- ryone has been following a series of sabotage actions and the boarding of suspicious vessels in our waters. It's worth experiencing at least once, for the adrenaline alone, to understand how CQB aboard a ship differs from CQB in a building. Those trained in "black tactics" will see why weapon handling on a ship is often different. Scenarios mastered on land won't apply here. What will be on the course? Well, pro- bably only HerrFlik knows… the only sure thing is the caving ladder, and the rest depends on the group and the instructors' creativity. After returning to port, there's time for a brief debrief and thanks, usually a diploma and a t-shirt go into hands, and un- forgettable memories remain in the head. There is no more demanding environment than the water, that's where the le- gend of the frogmen was born. *VBSS tactics are a team effort. This text was created in that spirit, not as a sum of all fears, but certainly as the sum of impressions of its two participants: Paweł Żuchowski – a fanatic of maritime operations, has ta- ken part in six editions of the VBSS course and the toughest endurance runs in Poland and Europe. He is currently finishing a novel set in the world of maritime commando tactics. mr_cultro – a sport shooter, participant in various tactical workshops, who, adhering to the motto "no skill is useless," constantly seeks new courses. After his first VBSS experien- ce, he's waiting for the next one. The sea draws you in. And VBSS draws you in even more. TRAINING