: The British Military Advisory and Training Team and the Creation of the Zimbabwe National Army", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foreign_volunteers_in_the_Rhodesian_Security_Forces&oldid=1135864497, The historians Peter Godwin and Ian Hancock have written that foreign volunteers represented only a "tiny minority" of the Rhodesian military in 1972, with 90 per cent of recruits being Rhodesians and most of the remainder. Heres the connection. It sought to attract more white immigrants to the country, but from 1973 onwards the white population decreased. 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. Rumored to have begun with Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau and adopted into coursework at Gunsight Academy, the Mozambique Drill is intended to drop an advancing threat immediately. The. The failure to stop drill is a great drill but it is only a drill, and one of many. Its a handy tool to have in your defensive tool box just in case shots to center mass dont accomplish what they are supposed to do. [36] In 1976 some current and former British soldiers were sent unsolicited leaflets that encouraged them to enlist in the Rhodesian Army and explained its conditions of service. [104], Few works by historians have been published on the volunteers who served with the Rhodesian Security Forces. The third shot should be aimed to destroy the brain or brain stem, killing the target and preventing the target from retaliating. [42] Small numbers of black ex-Flechas from Mozambique were also accepted after the end of Portuguese rule in that country; they were paid less than white soldiers. The foreign volunteers who fought for the country are celebrated by these groups. [7] The party believed that Rhodesia needed to take a stand against the perceived communist threat to protect western civilisation in Africa. [44] Opponents of the regime frequently highlighted the issue of 'mercenaries' fighting for Rhodesia, and claimed that they were often mentally unstable and had little regard for civilian casualties. The academics Jacob Ware and John Campbell stated in 2022 that people from more than fifteen countries had volunteered to fight for Rhodesia, including "several hundred" Americans. 50 Rounds of 185gr JHP .45 ACP Ammo by Federal - AmmoForSale.com The Portuguese forces collaborated with Rhodesia which had experience from the Bush War in the early 1960s to create special forces teams to deal with FRELIMO. If youve been around defensive pistol shooting for a while, youve likely heard of the Mozambique Drill (AKA, failure to stop drill). [32] For instance, the American neo-Nazi Harold Covington claimed to have served in the Rhodesian Army before being deported due to his racism. When a double-tap to the chest failed to stop the aggressor, a third shot to the head ended the threat and created the Mozambique Drill. [81], The British government was opposed to its citizens fighting for Rhodesia. 2023 Springfield Armory. The third shot should be aimed to destroy the brain or brain stem, killing the target and preventing the target from retaliating. Blisk's character is based off Rhodesian mercenary Michael Rousseau, who popularized the shooting technique known as the Mozambique drill. here to send us a message. 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. 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. Rousseauarmed onyl with a pistolturned a corner and encountered an enemy soldier carrying an AK-47. [47], All foreign volunteers were required to complete basic training upon arrival in Rhodesia, even if they had prior military experience. These articles frequently highlighted the experiences of Americans who were fighting in Rhodesia. Back in the day when European countries colonized portions of Africa, this area on the east coast of Africa was called Portuguese East Africa. [69], Despite the Rhodesian government's claim that it did not recruit mercenaries, the British mercenary Peter McAleese was accepted into the Rhodesian Army during 1976. Now you understand the history and background as well as the importance of the Failure Drill. Once you can achieve repeatable accuracy, then you can start to speed things up. 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. The Portuguese used WWII vintage pistols in their two decades long colonial wars in Angola and Mozambique (some claim the gun Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau used in the original Mozambique . While catchy mottoes are easy to remember, the technique itself can be difficult to master. Jack Malloch - Wikipedia [60] Foreign volunteers who openly expressed extreme racial views were deported. Africa has always offered employment opportunities to those with certain skills. [78], The nationalists argued in their propaganda that the Rhodesian regime's need for foreign volunteers illustrated its political and military weaknesses. Important Notices: By participating on this discussion One such soldier of fortune was Mike Rousseau. Canada had similar laws to the UK, and France and New Zealand were unable to prevent their citizens from travelling to Rhodesia to fight. So, as the story goes, Rousseau was involved in a firefight at the airport. Save my name and email to use for future comments. [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. Setup: 1x USPSA Silhouette Target: The volunteers had a range of motivations. [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. These volunteers felt that Ian Smith had betrayed white Rhodesians by signing this agreement. |-- Topic Forums The latest content straight to your inbox plus an automatic entry to each of our monthly gungiveaways! | Discussion [40] They were recruited by the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) from a French military base in Djibouti. Originally, it was called the Mozambique Drill, but the more current name is Failure Drill. [47], The Rhodesian Special Branch sought to vet all of the foreign volunteers for security risks. [38] The prohibition proved difficult to enforce, as it was not possible to prevent Britons leaving the country. Sometimes in practice, I will draw my weapon and shoot one shot to the chest . They generally joined the Rhodesian Security Forces individually after seeing advertisements or after being contacted by recruiters. |-- Political Videos Seeing that the fighter was still advancing, Rousseau attempted a head shot that hit the guerrilla through the base of his neck, severing the spinal cord. Click the Go To Forum Thread link below to jump in! Col. Jeff Cooper - A shooting legend and the man who codified the drill. Mozambique Drill - Wikipedia If you can successfully perform the drill in under five seconds, youre doing better than most law enforcement officers. Rousseau told his harrowing story to Jeff Cooper, who thought that it made a darn good defensive shooting drill. [22] The number of white conscripts in the security forces was also increased by considerably expanding the age groups of men who were required to serve and the periods of active duty reservists needed to undertake. These letters were closely scrutinised, as many of the men who had written them were considered "obviously nuts" by the Rhodesian Army's recruitment officer Major Nick Lamprecht. This is a great exercise to work on speed, accuracy and self-defense tactics. board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules Habah l'hargecha hashkem l'hargo -- "If someone is coming to kill you, rise against him and kill him first.". Sometimes shooting a bad guy in the chest just isnt enough. Rousseau immediately brought up his Browning . views and opinions of Springfield Armory. Portugal had ruled Mozambique for . So how does a Rhodesian mercenary figure into the story? Engaged in a firefight at an airport in Lourenco Marques, Rousseau encountered a guerilla fighter armed with an AK-47. The concept of the Mozambique Drill is to ensure a threat is stopped even if the initial center mass shots fail to get the job done. |-- Editorials & Other Articles The need for non-Rhodesians to sustain the country's independence was also considered problematic. The Australian parliament passed legislation banning Australians from serving with Rhodesia in 1978. One of the earliest versions of this three-shot drill required law enforcement officers to fire two shots at center mass, then lower their weapon to the ready position while assessing the need for the third head shot. Rousseaus exploit turned into the Failure Drill and was included in the Academys curriculum starting in the late 1970s. (snip) Rousseau related the story to an acquaintance, small arms expert Jeff Cooper, founder of the Gunsite Academy shooting school, who incorporated the "Mozambique Drill" into his . [1] From 1962 its government was led by the Rhodesian Front political party. As historians have found it difficult to access Rhodesian records, it is not known exactly how many foreigners volunteered for the Rhodesian Security Forces. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. .22 LR Self-Defense Ammo Testing - Gunpowder Magazine For simple evaluation purposes, position a target with a V1 and V2 zone 5 yards to your front. Position a silhouette target (preferably with outlined V1 and V2 zones) five yards from the firing line. It is vital to mix up your training, firing different numbers of shots into your targets, at different locations, because you never know if your first shot or your fifteenth is going to be the one that stops the threat. As of 2021, the literature largely comprises brief discussions of the topic as part of books and academic journal articles on broader issues. An accurate shot to the T-zone (the area between the eyebrows and upper lip, also called the ocular cavity) damages the brain and central nervous system and secures instant incapacitation of the target. The views http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Cooper_%28colonel%29. Bryce Towsley - The Mozambique drill was made famous by | Facebook [67] Many of the volunteers were frustrated that they were paid only in Rhodesian dollars, as foreign banks would not process this currency and the Rhodesian government allowed no more than R$1,500 to be converted to other currencies. This is an effective way to stop a threat that isnt immediately stopped by two shots to the bodys center mass. Of course, we have to be careful of adhering to dogma, no matter where it comes from. [32][33], The Rhodesian Security Forces' recruitment staff responded to people who wrote letters of inquiry after reading the advertisements. The Rhodesian Front's ideology held that the end of colonial rule in Africa and the development of African nationalism during the 1950s and 1960s had been the result of international communism aided by a policy of appeasement towards African nationalists by the United Kingdom and other western countries. a close quarter tactical method of killing a target with two shots to the chest and one follow up shot to the head. Jeff Cooper created The Modern Technique of the Pistol and the Combat Mindset. [51] As a result, there are a range of estimates of the numbers of foreigners who travelled to Rhodesia to serve with the security forces: British citizens made up the majority of the foreign volunteers who served with the Rhodesian Security Forces. 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 Rounding a corner Rousseau found himself unexpectedly face to face with a FRELIMO guerilla armed with an AK47 at a range of about ten paces. To guarantee instant incapacitation by impacting the brain and central nervous system, the head shot must be delivered to the area between eyebrows and upper lip, otherwise, various bony areas of the skull could deflect the bullet.