Rousseau then lowered his weapon to the ready position. Heads bob around erratically and the effective zone is relatively small. [60] Foreign volunteers who openly expressed extreme racial views were deported. [62] Those who failed this training had to leave the country, with their airfare home being paid by the Rhodesian government. in 1978, he was the final recipient of the Rhodesian civil Independence Commemorative Decoration for services rendered to the country. slams Colorado gun control bills, Biden's FAA Nominee Can't Answer a Single Question About Aviation, Russell Brand was challenged to give examples of MSNBC pushing misinformation (that was a BAD idea), Trump Reveals What He'll Do If He's Indicted, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. [35] Organisations representing veterans were another method used to contact potential recruits. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. [70], Ware and Campbell wrote in 2022 that the foreign volunteers had little influence on the war, and the pressure from western governments on the Rhodesian government to agree to a transition to majority rule was of greater importance. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. [101] Robin Moore included profiles of twelve volunteers as part of a non-fiction book he wrote in 1976 that argued that the Rhodesian government was not racist and sanctions against it should be lifted. Oops, there's been an error. Some years back, Col. Cooper developed what he called the Mozambique Drill for the purposes of dealing with this type of situation. [1][5][8][9], The Mozambique Drill was incorporated in the Gunsite curriculum from the late 1970s. [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)). Body armor, extra thick clothing, psychoactive drugs, or even a massive adrenaline dump are all reasons those first two shots may not be effective on your target. It is not the only way to do things, and was never intended to be taken as the one true way.. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! So, as the story goes, Rousseau was involved in a firefight at the airport. During the fighting, he encountered a guerrilla fighter armed with an AK-47 at . As he turned a corner, he bumped into a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. Rousseau told his harrowing story to Jeff Cooper, who thought that it made a darn good defensive shooting drill. Heres the connection. However, the guerilla soldier kept coming, with two bleeding wounds to the torso, and still armed with his rifle. If any of your three shots land outside the V zones, you have failed the drill. |-- General Discussion Canada had similar laws to the UK, and France and New Zealand were unable to prevent their citizens from travelling to Rhodesia to fight. [46] Economic factors also influenced some of the volunteers, as they believed that the Rhodesian Security Forces offered better career prospects than those available in their home country. [66] The difficult conditions contributed to high desertion rates. 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, [22][24], Another strategy used to address white manpower shortages was seeking white volunteers from outside the country, which the Rhodesian government began doing in 1973. There was a flurry of unrest in Mozambique. 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. If any of your three shots miss, you have failed the drill. The Rhodesians' brutal counterinsurgency tactics also proved counter-productive. [30] As a result, White has observed that the volunteers were typically more willing to fight and even die for the ideology of the Rhodesian Front party than for Rhodesia itself. Modern zombie culture has also appropriated the Mozambique Drill. Failure in a gunfight is not an option. and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
Flat nose bullets and hollow points were not in widespread use, so those FMJs from Rousseaus HP35 must have passed right through the fighter. The Triple Tap Callsign can be unlocked by playing with the Mozambique, and Triple Tap XL can be unlocked via Advocate Gift. He finished the job with a headshot. [66], Under the terms of the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement that ended the war the British government resumed control over Rhodesia in December 1979, with the country temporarily reverting to the colony of Southern Rhodesia until elections could be held. The Portuguese government banned Rhodesian recruitment in the late 1970s, but was unable to enforce the legislation. ), Shoulder Holster: 8 Pro Up-Top Carry Options (2023). 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. [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. [26], Several individuals and companies recruited United States citizens to fight in Rhodesia. He has trained with some of the countrys finest firearm instructors in handguns, rifles/carbines, shotguns and long-range shooting. here to send us a message. [22], From the mid-1970s the Rhodesian government began placing advertisements seeking volunteers in the international media. [23] In 1979, the military historian John Keegan noted that foreigners made up between a quarter and a third of the strength of the RLI. [23], The expansion of the security forces, increasing battle casualties and a decline in the white population due to high rates of emigration led to serious shortages of white personnel that greatly hindered the Rhodesian war effort. It sought to attract more white immigrants to the country, but from 1973 onwards the white population decreased. In 2021 White wrote that the numbers of foreign volunteers may have been small, and the ex-Rhodesian generals she had interviewed "scoffed at me when I asked if there were fifteen hundred foreigners in the Rhodesian Army". [41][42] The CIO regarded this as a success, but all other elements of the Rhodesian government were sceptical. You sweat just standing still. [7] The party believed that Rhodesia needed to take a stand against the perceived communist threat to protect western civilisation in Africa. [5][9], The Mozambique Drill is featured in a number of movies, notably Heat and Collateral, both directed by Michael Mann.[10]. You can also take two steps to the side to get offline of the attack before making the final head shot. Most of its members left Rhodesia after the company was withdrawn from operations to be retrained, though some settled in Rhodesia. Portugal had ruled Mozambique for four hundred years, had subsequent deep roots in the country, and was not leaving without a fight. [104], Few works by historians have been published on the volunteers who served with the Rhodesian Security Forces. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. The United Nations General Assembly had adopted a similar motion several days earlier at the behest of several countries in southern Africa. Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators. It is not known how many Vietnam veterans fought in Rhodesia. Handgun Training for Personal Protection. It was expected that most of the volunteers for the security forces would not settle in Rhodesia. [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. opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent [83] Various approaches were considered to develop legislation to ban recruitment by the Rhodesian Security Forces during the late 1970s, but none eventuated. Forum Categories [16], The Rhodesian Security Forces were considerably expanded over the war. That was in the 1400s and 1500s when Portugal set up trading settlements that evolved into colonies. One such soldier of fortune was Mike Rousseau. 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. The Rhodesian government openly advertised in the American Soldier of Fortune magazine during 1975. [16] The academic Kyle Burke has written that some anti-government paramilitary forces in the United States draw inspiration from the volunteers, and cite them as an example when encouraging violence against African Americans. 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. The shots should be fired as fast as you are able, however they shouldnt be so fast that you miss your intended target. Your goal should be three accurate shots in under four seconds. He named it after the country where the incident occurred, dubbing his drill the Mozambique Drill.. [44] Many volunteers were also strongly anti-communist, and wanted to stop the further spread of this ideology in Africa. So how does a Rhodesian mercenary figure into the story? Its editor was a strong supporter of the white Rhodesian cause and wanted to encourage Americans to fight for Rhodesia. [38] The prohibition proved difficult to enforce, as it was not possible to prevent Britons leaving the country. [73] Foreign volunteers typically received a hostile reception from their Rhodesian comrades, which contributed to many leaving before the end of their contract. Center mass is easier to hit quickly, and in most cases will effectively stop a threat. Rousseau and his mates were in action clearing the airport in what was then known as Lourenco Marques, the Maputo appellation came later. [39] An exception was a group of almost 200 French military personnel who enlisted together in late 1976. Under three seconds, and youve got some major skills. Judge turns down New Jerseys request for stay in NSSF lawsuit, MSU professor illustrates problem with gun control advocates, 71-year-old Philadelphia man shoots back at armed robbers, sends them fleeing, Texas congressman faces censure over gun control support, MO lawmaker believes he can get GOP support on gun control, Bump stocks back on store shelves in three states, Colorado Democrats introduce assault weapon ban, Bill reintroduced to abolish the Tiahrt Amendments, Nebraska Constitutional Carry bill overcomes filibuster threat, appears poised for passage, Former D.A. Product prices mentioned in articles and videos are current as of the date of publication. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. If I were to guess, I would say Rousseaus ammo was a 115-grain with a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. These
The Rhodesian government did not formally reply. In this work she estimated that around 100 Americans served with the Rhodesian Security Forces between 1976 and 1980. 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. History. Those who did so received amnesties as part of the British government measures associated to end of the conflict. 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. Live The Armory Life. Its a port city in southern Mozambique where it can be hot with humidity over 80 percent. [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. [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. 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. Its much harder than you may think. 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. Those who were considered potentially suitable were sent information packs, and asked to supply documentation to support their application; preference was given to applicants who provided notarized documents in their response. [28] This magazine had been established that year to promote mercenary opportunities, and provided a positive portrayal of the lifestyle available to mercenaries. Rousseau was fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques, which is now called Maputo. 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. All rights reserved. Relying on instinct and training, Rousseau delivered a double tap to the combatants chest with his Browning Hi Power pistol and 9mm ammunition. Important Notices: By participating on this discussion I prefer the original name, but whats in a name? Africa has always offered employment opportunities to those with certain skills. The drill was inspired by an incident encountered by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the Mozambican War of Independence (1964 to about 1974). [81], The British government was opposed to its citizens fighting for Rhodesia. Rousseau immediately performed a "double tap" maneuver, a controlled shooting technique in which the shooter makes two quick shots at the target's torso. However, even with two new and bleeding nipples, the guerrilla was still coming at him, so Rousseau tried for the head. The Mozambique drill, originally developed by a Rhodesian mercenary, MIke Rousseau, is a standard practice drill for self defense.