The term refers to his encounter with an AK-47 armed guerilla at an airport in Mozambique where he was armed with a Browning Hi-Power. 2003) (Kozinski, J. Product prices mentioned in articles and videos are current as of the date of publication. Id argue that if the two shots at (and hopefully in) the chest of an aggressor fails to convince him to break off his attack, then youd be better to drop your aim to fire the third shot (and perhaps fourth and fifth shots) at the pelvis next. Proper tactics can vary greatly depending on the circumstances and situation. However, in a dynamic situation, the fraction of a second it takes to assess the threat could put your life in danger. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. [7] Fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered an enemy combatant, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, at 10 paces (7.5m (25ft)). If youve been around defensive pistol shooting for a while, youve likely heard of the Mozambique Drill (AKA, failure to stop drill). Shots to the chest can also slow an attackers advance, even if they dont completely incapacitate him. Fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, at 10 paces. Silveira v. Lockyer, 2003. The two movements espoused Marxist beliefs and were regarded as communists by the Rhodesian government. Even better (although much more difficult), make the final shot as youre moving offline. Springfield Armory recommends you seek qualified and competent training from a Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! As the story goes, a Rhodesian named Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. Doing so was illegal under laws banning mercenary activity in Israel, West Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. Shooting Skills: The Mozambique-Failure Drill, Light Em Up: Home Defense Lasers and Lights. Jeff Cooper created The Modern Technique of the Pistol and the Combat Mindset. Titanfall Blisk is working under a new long-term contract with the IMC on the Frontier, providing Combat Intel and Counterinsurgency services. They also feared for their lives due to a perception that a black majority government would place them on trial for murder and other crimes. This proposal was quickly dismissed as the Rhodesians did not see how they could arm or use large numbers of non-English speakers. There is evidence that the Departments of Justice and State tacitly encouraged Americans to volunteer for Rhodesia as part of efforts to prevent the country collapsing before a negotiated solution to the war could be finalised. It kind of worked. Hearing this story, Cooper later incorporated this three-shot drill into his program of instruction as a way to end a fight that cannot be immediately stopped with bullets fired into the chest. [5] South Africa and Portugal provided Rhodesia with assistance, and it was able to evade the sanctions and covertly trade with many countries. At the time of UDI, the Rhodesian Army had a strength of over 18,400, including 15,000 reservists, the Rhodesian Air Force had a small but modern fleet of combat aircraft and the paramilitary British South Africa Police included 7,000 full time and 25,000 reserve personnel. In the chaotic maelstrom that swallowed up untold treasure and an entire generation of people, soldiers of fortune found employment opportunities on a previously unprecedented scale. Rousseau immediately performed a "double tap" maneuver, a controlled shooting technique in which the shooter makes two quick shots at the target's torso. [40], Foreign volunteers for the Rhodesian Security Forces were generally motivated by personal political and ideological beliefs or a desire for adventure. 2023 Springfield Armory. The British military did not take up a suggestion by the FCO that it warn servicemen against enlisting with the Rhodesian Security Forces on the grounds that serving as a mercenary was not actually illegal. You have entered an incorrect email address! Rousseau immediately brought up his Browning HP35 pistol and fired two bullets into the target's upper chest, usually enough to incapacitate or kill outright. Seeing that the guerrilla was still advancing, Rousseau made an attempt at a head shot that hit the guerrilla through the base of his neck, severing the spinal cord. [36][74] These volunteers may have further encouraged the Rhodesian Security Forces use of the 'body count' of guerrillas killed as a measure of success, with this having been a key metric in Vietnam. These articles frequently highlighted the experiences of Americans who were fighting in Rhodesia. The Rhodesian military also adopted some of the terminology used by Americans in Vietnam, such as referring to guerrillas as 'gooks' and labelling one of their supply lines the 'Ho Chi Minh trail'. [62][76], The nationalist groups that were fighting the Rhodesian regime and many progressive groups worldwide considered the volunteers to be mercenaries. Engaged in a firefight at an airport in Lourenco Marques, Rousseau encountered a guerilla fighter armed with an AK-47. [26], Several individuals and companies recruited United States citizens to fight in Rhodesia. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[970,250],'democraticunderground_com-medrectangle-1','ezslot_2',177,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-democraticunderground_com-medrectangle-1-0');report this ad I came about after Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau told the story of an encounter he had in combat at an airport. [29] Advertisements were also placed in other American magazines, including Shotgun News and Shooting Times. The ZAPU argued that the failure of the British and US governments to stop the flow of volunteers was a barrier to reaching a negotiated settlement with the Rhodesian government, and demanded in 1977 that this be halted. The historian Luise White noted in 2004 that "the figure most sources cite is 1,500 foreign soldiers, of whom perhaps 400 were American", though the Rhodesian Army put the number at 1,000 including 100 Americans. Rousseau later related the story to an acquaintance, Jeff Cooper, who incorporated the "triple tap" or "Mozambique Drill" into his practical shooting technique. Many of the Europeans had previously served with the French Foreign Legion. For simple evaluation purposes, position a target with a V1 and V2 zone 5 yards to your front. Learn how your comment data is processed. [44] The Rhodesian military rarely discussed the foreign volunteers with journalists. The Rhodesian government actively recruited white personnel from other countries from the mid-1970s to address manpower shortages in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. Those who were combat veterans resented being placed under the command of younger and less experienced Rhodesians. Rousseau immediately brought up his Browning HP35 pistol and fired two bullets into the target's upper chest, usually enough to incapacitate or kill outright. No country ever officially recognised Rhodesia's independence. So, as the story goes, Rousseau was involved in a firefight at the airport. A quick how-to on shooting the Mozambique Drill. Britain and the United Nations Security Council imposed wide-ranging trade and other sanctions on Rhodesia with the objective of forcing it to return to its previous status. [34] The Rhodesian government paid the airfares of volunteers who were unable to afford to travel until 1977. Due to factors such as body armor, the bolstering effect of drugs, or failure to hit vital organs, the body shots may not be immediately effective, necessitating the third shot. [28] This magazine had been established that year to promote mercenary opportunities, and provided a positive portrayal of the lifestyle available to mercenaries. [8] The academic Michael Evans has written that "the Fronts world-struggle ideology was based on a conspiratorial interpretation of modern politics that emphasised virulent forms of Anglophobia, anti-communism, anti-internationalism, and anti-liberalism". Rousseau immediately performed a double tap two shots to the center of the torso. Therefore, the more difficult head shot should be used as a follow up to your double tap. Those who did so received amnesties as part of the British government measures associated to end of the conflict. Forum Categories Some years back, Col. Cooper developed what he called the Mozambique Drill for the purposes of dealing with this type of situation. All Rights Reserved. [38] The prohibition proved difficult to enforce, as it was not possible to prevent Britons leaving the country. Many could well have been avoided or mitigated, had the perpetrators known their intended victims were equipped with a rifle and twenty bullets apiece, as the Militia Act required here. Got a message for Democratic Underground? Failure in a gunfight is not an option. Mike Rousseau was friends with Colonel Jeff Cooper, a legend in the firearms training world and the founder of Gunsite Academy. Save my name and email to use for future comments. Thats why practicing the Mozambique Drill is so important. |-- Places The military took steps to prevent material encouraging enlistment with Rhodesia from being circulated in its bases and service newspapers, however. The drill is also sometimes called the Failure Drill, as the third and final shot is made in response to a situation when the double tap fails to stop an advancing threat. This proved impossible due to the large numbers and difficulty of checking their backgrounds. Upon hearing the story of Rousseaus encounter, Cooper incorporated a three-shot drill into his training at the famous Gunsite Academy. The United Nations General Assembly had adopted a similar motion several days earlier at the behest of several countries in southern Africa. Click the Go To Forum Thread link below to jump in! I came about after Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau told the story of an encounter he had in combat at an airport. They generally joined the Rhodesian Security Forces individually after seeing advertisements or after being contacted by recruiters. Rousseau was carrying his Browning HP35 pistol when he turned a corner and found himself face-to-face with a guerilla armed with an AK-47. Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics takes a look at the Mozambique Drill and puts his own spin on it, suggesting for arguments sake to try firing all three shots to the head instead of two to the chest and one to the head. Miss the zone, and the projectile could deflect off the bony areas of the skull without eliminating the threat. Most of the mercenary soldiers carried FN FAL or HK G3 rifles. [86] Due to the difficulty of drafting legislation that could effectively ban Britons from serving with Rhodesia or enforcing the measures that were brought in, there is no record of any British citizens being punished for serving with the Rhodesian Security Forces during the war. So how does a Rhodesian mercenary figure into the story? The bottom line: Accurate head shots are hard. |-- Ask the Administrators In the late 1960s and early 1970s, much of Africa burned. Frankly, I dont know of many shooters who maintain the level of skill to pull this off consistently at 3-5 yards. The Portuguese government banned Rhodesian recruitment in the late 1970s, but was unable to enforce the legislation. This is an effective way to stop a threat that isnt immediately stopped by two shots to the bodys center mass. During the Mozambican War of Independence, a Rhodesian mercenary by the name of Mike Rousseau was engaged in a firefight at the airport at Lourenco Marques. Rousseau was fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques, which is now called Maputo. |-- Political Videos These men were often directed to wear Rhodesian uniforms, and the South African government falsely claimed that some had volunteered for the Rhodesian Security Forces. [50] The high proportion of white Rhodesians who were born outside the country or held citizenship of another country also complicates the matter. [94], Many of the foreign volunteers opposed the March 1978 Internal Settlement, under which the white Rhodesian government agreed to cede power to moderate black leaders. Rousseau then aimed for the head, and fired the shot that finally put the enemy solder down. Anything less than three seconds is very good. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Lourenco Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. In 1977 the pretender to the Albanian throne, Leka I, asked the Rhodesian government to train a battalion of Albanians that he hoped to recruit. However, since you wont have time to interview your attacker in the heat of the moment, the specific cause of the failure isnt important. The drill was inspired by an incident encountered by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the Mozambican War of Independence (1964 to about 1974). Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. [16], The Rhodesian Security Forces were considerably expanded over the war. What the drill emphasizes is shot placement and the ability of the defender to end the deadly encounter quickly. In this work she estimated that around 100 Americans served with the Rhodesian Security Forces between 1976 and 1980. The Mozambique Drill is a close-quarter shooting technique in which the shooter fires twice into the torso of a target (known as a double tap to the center of mass), momentarily assesses the hits, then follows them up with a carefully aimed shot to the head of the target. No matter the reason, the third shot should stop the attacker in his tracks. These Kuben Blisk is a South African mercenary Pilot who served in the IMC 's forces as a ranking commander and contracted mercenary. [82] British citizens were prohibited from joining the Rhodesian Security Forces under the terms of an embargo enacted in 1968, with those who did so potentially facing fines or imprisonment. Rousseau had a pistol. The party was deeply committed to maintaining the white minority's status, with this motivating a decision to declare independence from the United Kingdom rather than submit to a transition to majority rule. The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. FRELIMO was the dominant political party in Mozambique fighting for independence from Portugal. [92] Many of the Americans wrongly believed that their government opposed their presence in Rhodesia, with articles in Soldier of Fortune and works by the author Robin Moore also claiming this. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. As he turned a corner, he encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. Volume 9: EDC Digital Magazine. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. During a fight, he bumped into a guerrilla soldier armed with an AK-47. Thank you for your support. These organisations provided recruits for the security forces as well as private industry, including farms, mines and timber companies. The drill was inspired by an incident encountered by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the Mozambican War of Independence (1964 to about 1974). Its editor was a strong supporter of the white Rhodesian cause and wanted to encourage Americans to fight for Rhodesia. If you can successfully perform the drill in under five seconds, youre doing better than most law enforcement officers. |-- Latest Breaking News Originally, it was called the Mozambique Drill, but the more current name is Failure Drill. FRELIMO attacked targets in typical guerrilla-style warfare and, like other small insurgent forces, they made full use of hit and run tactics, their knowledge of the terrain, and used the monsoon season to their advantage. Two to the body, one to the head, is guaranteed to leave them dead.. McAleese had previously led a group of British mercenaries in Angola, and was posted to the elite Rhodesian Special Air Service (SAS) after completing training. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. Rousseauarmed onyl with a pistolturned a corner and encountered an enemy soldier carrying an AK-47. |-- Archives It may be ironic that the Mozambique Drill is a technique used with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, during the Mozambican War of Independence from 1964 to 1974. Although in most situations, the two perfectly placed shots to the chest should disable an attacker, there are several reasons they could fail. Africa has always offered employment opportunities to those with certain skills. [95] On 21 December that year the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 460 that, among other things, called for the British authorities to expel all "mercenaries" and South African forces from Southern Rhodesia. [103] Stephen Jeffreys' 1980 play 'The Jubilee Too' included a British volunteer who had returned from Rhodesia as one of its characters. The Triple Tap Callsign can be unlocked by playing with the Mozambique, and Triple Tap XL can be unlocked via Advocate Gift. While Im no gunfighter and there isnt any (sane) person who wants to learn gunfighting from me, Id offer another alternative that might be more slightly attainable to more people, and which is suggested by our own Stephen Wenger based off of his decades in studying armed self-defense. Rousseaus exploit turned into the Failure Drill and was included in the Academys curriculum starting in the late 1970s. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the [22][27] Men with previous military experience, and especially service in wars, were preferred. Heads bob around erratically and the effective zone is relatively small. At the start signal, draw your weapon and fire two shots to the chest (V1 zone), followed by one shot to the head (V2 zone). These two additions to the drill could make a world of difference in a real-life self-defense situation. Of course, we have to be careful of adhering to dogma, no matter where it comes from. Soldier of Fortune ran large numbers of articles on foreigners in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Bush War; each edition published between 1975 and 1980 included at least one article on the subject. The. [22] The army units manned by full time personnel, which included a high proportion of white regular and conscripted soldiers, were the most powerful element of the security forces and formed a strategic reserve that responded to the guerrilla activities. It was expected that most of the volunteers for the security forces would not settle in Rhodesia. Mike Rousseau was a white Rhodesian mercenary engaged in combat against FRELIMO guerillas in and around the Mozambique capital of Maputo. The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. He also noted that the party drew on the ideas and language used by the contemporary radical right movement in the United States to justify UDI. [58], Foreign volunteers who were accepted were required to swear an oath of loyalty to Rhodesia, and the Rhodesian government considered them to be members of the security forces rather than mercenaries. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. |-- General Discussion As of 2021, the literature largely comprises brief discussions of the topic as part of books and academic journal articles on broader issues.