Land-Nav

**LoneStarMedic** · 10-15-2012 08:19 PM

So I recently went on a land-nav course at Ft. Bliss during day and night to navigate to various points (5 in the day, 3 at night). The course was messed up and the maps we were given were approximately 50 meters off (this is based on what we were told before we even started and the results of EVERYONE after finishing) but I feel like I got a good familiarization. Pace count beads really do come in handy, I was forced to tick mark my hands to keep track of my pace count, and the terrain (desert with thousands of small dunes topped with thorn bushes/cacti) could have been better. I used the box method when coming up to my pre-determined area in regards to azimuth and pace count and just expanded outwards to find my point, which was fairly doable during the day. This was not feasible at night though, there was no moonlight and I was only able to find 2/3 points due to them being silhouetted in the twilight of the city miles away. Are there any tips that you all can share with me to more accurately plot my points, especially when on a time hack? I was told to tie a string in the middle of the square protractor that way I'd avoid marking up my map with lines from point to point when determining an azimuth (I found this method to work well for me) but simple tips like that would really help. Thanks!

**Armyforums** · 10-15-2012 08:19 PM

**CWO Sharkey** · 10-16-2012 09:16 AM

It takes practice. Just remember to trust your compass and gauge your pace count based on terrain. I have done numerous day and night land nav courses and it just takes experience and repetitiveness.

I got some ranger beads later on in my career but always did things old school. But now new technology (e.g. ACOGs) have made things so much more easier to do.

Get a GPS lol. Joking.

Good luck.

**CWO Sharkey** · 10-16-2012 09:16 AM

It takes practice. Just remember to trust your compass and gauge your pace count based on terrain. I have done numerous day and night land nav courses and it just takes experience and repetitiveness.

I got some ranger beads later on in my career but always did things old school. But now new technology (e.g. ACOGs) have made things so much more easier to do.

Get a GPS lol. Joking.

Good luck.

**LoneStarMedic** · 10-17-2012 07:11 PM

Thanks Chief, I was actually reading a piece in the latest issue of the Army Times and it was along the lines of 'bringing land-nav back'. Maybe I've been out of the loop, but where did it go?? I mean for the entire time I've been in the Army we've always had to drill in reading a map, navigating, etc. I suppose it was more geared towards the reliance on GPS during deployment(s) an actual operations. IMO, I don't think land-nav should ever not be taught, electronics fail and sometimes nothing beats old-fashioned methods. Same thing with Morse Code, I have no idea why they don't teach that anymore...

**Angriff** · 10-20-2012 04:51 PM

As tankers we rarely do land nav. I brought it up not too long ago when a Section Sergeant was asking NCO's some ideas for STT, he had told me it's already on the schedule but we have yet to do it. And now we wouldn't be able to until at least January due to Gunnery coming up in about a week.

Seems to me the Army has come to rely too much on technology, FBCB2's and the like. Like someone up there said, technology can break. It can also become damaged in combat. I'm taking a Soldier to the Soldier of the Month board in a few days. Before the board they need to take a PT test, take a written test, complete a hand on weapons portion, and do a land nav course. He told me yesterday he doesn't know how to do land nav because they only spent one day of it in OSUT. That is ridiculuous.

**MSG Glenn** · 10-23-2012 06:56 AM

Along with my son I've have been teaching land nav to local people about to leave for BCT. Now that I know that it really isn't taught well there I'll redouble my efforts.

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