[84] The FCO advised anyone who sought information about fighting for Rhodesia that doing so was illegal, but did not explain why. [99][100], A range of works have provided positive portrayals of the foreign volunteers. Those who were combat veterans resented being placed under the command of younger and less experienced Rhodesians. [44] Many volunteers were also strongly anti-communist, and wanted to stop the further spread of this ideology in Africa. [96][97] In January 1980 the British Lord Privy Seal, Ian Gilmour, stated that the British government had committed during the negotiations that led to the Lancaster House Agreement to not remove foreigners from the Rhodesian military prior to the election. Two to the body and one to the head is guaranteed to stop a threat. The most effective way is two easy shots to the attackers center of mass, then assess the target. 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. 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. This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 09:37. Mike Rousseau was a white Rhodesian mercenary engaged in combat against FRELIMO guerillas in and around the Mozambique capital of Maputo. MOZAMBIQUE DRILL.. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. [42][68] Two of the former French volunteers who remained in Zimbabwe after the war were sentenced to death for murdering a caf owner during a robbery in 1982 and were executed the next year. Frankly, I dont know of many shooters who maintain the level of skill to pull this off consistently at 3-5 yards. [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)). As he turned a corner, he encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. Many of the Europeans had previously served with the French Foreign Legion. I came about after Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau told the story of an encounter he had in combat at an airport. [30] Some ads described service in Rhodesia as "fun". [106], Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces, Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence, February 1980 Southern Rhodesian general election, "Foreign Fighter Problem: What the War in Rhodesia Means for Ukraine", "Fine-mannered, articulate and urbane: the mercenary as deadly romantic", "Security Council resolution 460 (1979) [Southern Rhodesia]", "Rhodesia: Oral Answers to Questions Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 16th January 1980", "Many Rhodesian Whites Threaten to Quit Jobs", "Rhodesia's Approach to Counterinsurgency: A Preference for Killing", "Mercenary Activity: United States Neutrality Laws and Enforcement", "The White House and White Africa: Presidential Policy on Rhodesia 1965-79", "The 'New Model' Armies of Africa? Two to the body and one to the head became the mantra. [1] From 1962 its government was led by the Rhodesian Front political party. [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. 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. [74], The Canadian spree killer Mathew Lamb was able to join the Rhodesian Army in 1974 after being released from a mental institution. [46], In addition to the actual volunteers, thousands of South African Police and South African Defence Force (SADF) personnel were deployed to Rhodesia by the South African government to serve in or alongside the Rhodesian Security Forces. Hitting the T-zone is a challenge. 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. Live The Armory Life. |-- General Discussion: Presidency [38] The prohibition proved difficult to enforce, as it was not possible to prevent Britons leaving the country. [105], Modern white supremacist and far-right groups continue to provide a positive portrayal of white rule in Rhodesia. The Portuguese government banned Rhodesian recruitment in the late 1970s, but was unable to enforce the legislation. Mike Rousseau was a trained soldier so he instinctively presented his handgun and shot the guerilla twice in the chest, launching both rounds in quick succession. 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 . He named it after the country where the incident occurred, dubbing his drill the Mozambique Drill., Practical Variations to the Mozambique Drill, El Presidente Drill Assessing Your Shooting Skills, The Best Self Defense Ammo Ballistic Testing. However, even with two new and bleeding nipples, the guerrilla was still coming at him, so Rousseau tried for the head. Blisk's character is based off Rhodesian mercenary Michael Rousseau, who popularized the shooting technique known as the Mozambique drill. 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. 2003) (Kozinski, J. The Guardian reported in 1979 that "his presence is a source of embarrassment to the regime which has always insisted that it does not want foreign mercenaries". Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. These two additions to the drill could make a world of difference in a real-life self-defense situation. Thankfully, the shot hit the attackers throat, severing his spinal cord and eliminating the threat. 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. In many countries it was illegal to serve with the Rhodesian Security Forces. Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals [48] The British intelligence agencies also infiltrated agents into the Rhodesian Security Forces.[49]. [9] It took pains to not be seen as racially or politically extreme, and the party's rhetoric was focused on the need to combat the perceived communist threat rather than the goal of sustaining racial superiority. The Mozambique Drill, which is also known as the Failure Drill, Failure to Stop drill, the "Djibouti Shooty", or, informally, "two to the chest, one to the head," is a close-quarters shooting technique that supposedly originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, in the Mozambican War of Independence, hence the name. the phrase was coined by a rhodesian mercenary named Mike Rousseau while he was serving in Mozambique. : 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. The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. My Forums, Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com The British noted that such a resolution might prove impractical as many Rhodesians held dual citizenship. Big Forums 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). opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent Even better (although much more difficult), make the final shot as youre moving offline. 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. [98], The ZANU won the February 1980 Southern Rhodesian general election. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the Rousseau immediately performed a double tap two shots to the center of the torso. Sometimes shooting a bad guy in the chest just isnt enough. [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. [75] The Rhodesian Army only learnt of Lamb's history after his death during an operation in 1976. These organisations provided recruits for the security forces as well as private industry, including farms, mines and timber companies. [62] The revelations about Lamb's history embarrassed the Army and led to concerns in Rhodesia about the quality of the foreign volunteers. 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. [8] The historian Donal Lowry has endorsed Evans' views, noting also that "the Rhodesia Front sought to combine the notion that Rhodesia embodied the best of true Britishness, the notion that white Rhodesians were the sort of people who once made the Great" of Britain, while turning to America as the only remaining champion of the Free World. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. 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. [21], While most of the security forces' personnel were black, the Rhodesian government had a strong preference for whites. Your goal should be three accurate shots in under four seconds. Upon hearing the story of Rousseaus encounter, Cooper incorporated a three-shot drill into his training at the famous Gunsite Academy. The two movements espoused Marxist beliefs and were regarded as communists by the Rhodesian government. Ex-military wanting to ply their tactical handiwork in return for treasure were welcomed to Mozambique to help the Portuguese military. "The Mozambique Drill: A History and How To", "Lesson Plan: Immediate Target Engagement (CMC-22 Combat Marksmanship Coaches Course 08/12/2008)", "History of the Failure Drill: Mozambique Revolt Roots", "Shooting Skills: The Mozambique-Failure Drill", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mozambique_Drill&oldid=1141379493, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 19:40. According to the anecdotal history, the technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, engaged in the Mozambican War of Independence (1964-1974). Although he aimed for the fighters ocular cavity, the adrenaline coursing through Rousseaus body caused him to miss. John McVicar Malloch ICD, was a South African-born Rhodesian bush pilot, gun-runner and sanctions-buster who flew in World War II and in various legal and illegal roles around Africa and the Middle East until the early 1980s. It is commonly known as a" Mozambique Drill" because it comes from a story told to Cooper from Rhodesian Mike Rousseau, a mercenary during the Mozambican War of Independence. Portugal still maintained strong control over Mozambique. a close quarter tactical method of killing a target with two shots to the chest and one follow up shot to the head. The ZANU was supported by China and the ZAPU by the Soviet Union, both of which were communist countries. If youve been around defensive pistol shooting for a while, youve likely heard of the Mozambique Drill (AKA, failure to stop drill). Armed with a Browning HP35 pistol chambered in 9mm, Rousseau immediately brought up his Hi Power and shot the guerrilla twice in the chest. If a few hundred Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful of weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars." The most common motivation was opposition to governments led by black people, but other volunteers were motivated by anti-communism or a desire for adventure. What the drill emphasizes is shot placement and the ability of the defender to end the deadly encounter quickly. For simple evaluation purposes, position a target with a V1 and V2 zone 5 yards to your front. [90] The activities of Americans in Rhodesia were widely publicised in the United States, leading to protests. 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. Two shots to the chest failed to stop the guy, so Rousseau had to transition point of aim for a head shot. FRELIMO was the dominant political party in Mozambique fighting for independence from Portugal. He named it after the country where the incident occurred, dubbing his drill the Mozambique Drill.. 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. 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. Portugal said it supported the Mozambique people and designated it an overseas territory in the 1950s in lieu of calling it a colony, but it was still a colony no matter how Portugal presented it. Rousseau then aimed for the head, and fired the shot that finally put the enemy solder down. Named for Mike Rousseau, an associate of Jeff Cooper, who, ironically, died during the war in Rhodesia. 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. Some years back, Col. Cooper developed what he called the Mozambique Drill for the purposes of dealing with this type of situation. 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. As he turned a corner, he bumped into a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. The Mozambique Drill brings together low-round count that challenges a shooter's speed, accuracy, and fundamentals. 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. Oops, there's been an error. 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 modern technique shooting method. [62] He had previously attempted to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces, but was rejected. [72], The Rhodesian Army regarded the volunteers as disloyal and undisciplined. In the 1980s, the Los Angeles Police Department began teaching the drill but renamed it the more politically correct Failure Drill. Live The Armory Life. Let your fellow shooters know share this article using the Facebook, Twitter and other social media icons below. Jews Can Shoot is a civil rights group that honors the memory of the Holocaust to preserve, protect and defend the Second Amendment and was formed for the purpose of education regarding gun laws, gun rights, legal precedent and cause-related advocacy. Rousseau and his mates were in action clearing the airport in what was then known as Lourenco Marques, the Maputo appellation came later. Kuben Blisk is a South African mercenary Pilot who served in the IMC 's forces as a ranking commander and contracted mercenary. Portugal had ruled Mozambique for four hundred years, had subsequent deep roots in the country, and was not leaving without a fight. You have entered an incorrect email address! Rousseauarmed onyl with a pistolturned a corner and encountered an enemy soldier carrying an AK-47. These articles frequently highlighted the experiences of Americans who were fighting in Rhodesia. [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. board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules If the target continues to advance despite two well-placed shots to the torso, the shooter follows up with a more precisely aimed (and more difficult to accomplish) head shot. From the beginning, Africas indigenous people resisted. His third shot was low, taking out the fighters neck and spinal cord. "All too many of the other great tragedies of historyStalins atrocities, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Holocaust, to name but a fewwere perpetrated by armed troops against unarmed populations. [66], The volunteers typically found conditions in Rhodesia to be tough, and those who had joined up due to a belief that they would enjoy a good lifestyle were rapidly disappointed. the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC. People have an annoying habit of wanting to move around when you are shooting at them. This proved impossible due to the large numbers and difficulty of checking their backgrounds. You may have also heard it called the Failure To Stop Drill. [45] Some American volunteers were attracted by a belief that the war in Rhodesia was comparable to that which had been fought on the American frontier. [22][27] Men with previous military experience, and especially service in wars, were preferred. Felons can be high on adrenalin or drugs to the point that they do not recognize or respond to pain. 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. 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. Copyright Ammotogo.com 2023 All Rights Reserved. Jeff Cooper created The Modern Technique of the Pistol and the Combat Mindset. A British deserter from the Rhodesian military claimed in 1976 that 2,000 of the 6,000 regular soldiers in the Rhodesian Army were British and another 100 Americans. There arent a lot of guarantees in a gunfight, but the Failure Drill just might be your best defense in time of need, particularly if you are facing an opponent wearing body armor. Rhodesian officers also sought to use their networks in other militaries to attract volunteers. The bottom line: Accurate head shots are hard. Then, they can make a smooth transition to the third V2 shot if it is necessary. | Discussion 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'. The failure to stop drill is a great drill but it is only a drill, and one of many. |-- The DU Lounge It is not the only way to do things, and was never intended to be taken as the one true way.. Got a message for Democratic Underground? The Mozambique drill is performed for both accuracy and time. |-- Latest Breaking News Rousseau was fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques, which is now called Maputo. He also wrote that these men were from 38 different nationalities. [7] This is a drill created during the Mozambique War of Independence, when a Rhodesian Mercenary (Mike Rousseau) had an up-close encounter with an opponent wielding an AK-47. If a few hundred Jewish fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars. Modern zombie culture has also appropriated the Mozambique Drill. [11], UDI and Rhodesia's racial inequalities led to the outbreak of the Rhodesian Bush War. Silveira v Lockyer, (9th Cir. As he turned a corner, he bumped into a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. 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. Forum Categories and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the 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. [79] Both the main nationalist groups believed that the volunteers' presence indicated that western governments supported the Rhodesian regime. the technique may also be called a triple tap, or failure to stop drill. [91] The American volunteers were generally regarded in the United States as mercenaries. During a fight, he bumped into a guerrilla soldier armed with an AK-47. Rousseau immediately performed a "double tap" maneuver, a controlled shooting technique in which the shooter makes two quick shots at the target's torso. Save my name and email to use for future comments. He turned a corner and came face-to-face about 10 paces with a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. [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. [62] Those who failed this training had to leave the country, with their airfare home being paid by the Rhodesian government. Its a port city in southern Mozambique where it can be hot with humidity over 80 percent. The Rhodesian government attempted several strategies to address these shortages. Volume 9: EDC Digital Magazine. [37] Some of the Americans volunteered to work as security guards on farms in Rhodesia as this offered the opportunity to fight communists while receiving higher pay than that offered by the security forces. [4][12] The resistance to the Rhodesian regime was dominated by two black nationalist movements, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). List of battleships of the United States Navy, List of aircraft of the Malaysian Armed Forces, http://practicalfirearmstraining.com/reading/HandgunDrillsPDF.pdf, Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, USMC manual CMC-37R of 8 Feb 2006: METHOD OF TARGET ENGAGEMENTS. Accurate hits will beat fast misses every single time. [34], American and Australian volunteers who had fought in the Vietnam War were generally well regarded by Rhodesian soldiers, and were often posted to the elite SAS and Selous Scouts. Not exactly a headshot, but the situation was terminated. If the target is still advancing and active, apply a third, more surgical shot to the head to shut down the threat.
rhodesian mercenary mike rousseau