Class gets a crash course in orienteering

PLAINS - Two Saturday mornings ago in the Plains VFW, there was a special operations orienteering class taught to anyone who was interested in learning map reading, compass use, and cross country navigation.

Bob Miller, the instructor was a retired First Recon Marine and Hunter Education Instructor. He said he was the teacher of the teachers in the hunter education courses who taught orienteering.

The class started out with classroom instruction. To start, the difference between magnetic and true north was discussed. 

Other terms and tricks were discussed, ranging from declination (the difference between magnetic and geographic north), azimuth (the direction of bearing from compass, ded-reckoning (the use of just eyesight to find direction, which leads to being lost) and so on. 

Miller then covered all the intricacies of a compass and how they are used, discussing the cardinal points and how to shoot a bearing to ensure you alway find your way back.

After a lunch break, Miller took the class out to the Fred Young Park and had them run courses utilizing a special operations method of finding your way. 

Miller said next year he will be teaching a wilderness survival course.