The course is designed specifically to provide students who will find themselves driving their UTV/SXS vehicle in remote or scenic areas with limited support conducting search and rescue operations. The course will provide a basic level of instruction in off-road driving of UTV/SXS and develop off-road driving skills. The class will cover different SXS/UTV driveline systems and suspensions their subcomponents unique to today’s SXSs and how they work. Specifically, the difference of the driveline, belt systems, and CVT style transmissions. Students will better understand the pros and cons to each system and how to get the vehicle they are using to perform to its fullest. Students will learn different driving techniques while driving off road such as vehicle dynamics, approach and departure considerations, tire set up, drive line set up, the proper use of traction and momentum, failed hill climbs, obstacle negotiation, and proper throttle and braking control usage.

Students will also learn basic recovery techniques to quickly and safely get their vehicle unstuck and regain mobility on the trail. Students will be showed the bare minimum gear needed to conduct basic recovery and how to properly employ it along with conduct proper stuck assessment. If the SXS/UTV is equipped with a factory winch, proper winch and rigging usage will be covered. The course is taught in a classroom-based setting for the first portion and then moves into a field environment where techniques are shown and then taught through practical hands on where students will perform those tasks utilizing the ACE Off road training area for student to practice their skills in a controlled environment.

Class size 8-10 people
Target audiences: Firefighters, technical and wilderness rescue teams, ambulance drivers, adventure tourism guides

*Redirects to PST site for registration, must be a First Responder with Pstachio account: Course ID: 25-516-03 WVPST Charleston

Instructor Biography
Thomas Burton is a retired Master Sergeant from US Army Special Operations, originally from our very own Oak Hill, WV. Mr. Burton is the owner of two West Virginia small businesses, Black Side Solutions LLC, a defense consulting company specializing in Ground mobility and defense acquisitions as well as West Virginia Overland LLC, an adventure tourism guide and training company.
Mr. Burton has an extensive technical and tactical background with multiple certifications from various training ranging from the mechanical field, welding, advanced driving, SERE School, CDL, Parachutist, and SOF advanced combat training course. He has obtained extensive operational experience from his seven combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Most notable, Mr. Burton served 11 years in Special Operations with seven years serving as a ground mobility assault driver in 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta (Delta Force).
Mr. Burton spent his last five years in Special Forces Command serving as a program manager for all of the command’s ground mobility vehicle programs, managing the vehicle requirements and development for all of United States Special Operations Command programs. He was directly involved in the development of vehicle requirements, testing and fielding of some of the following vehicles: Polaris MRZR, Flyer Defense GMV 1.1, Non-Standard Commercial Vehicles (Hilux, land cruiser 79 and 200 series.)
He most recently finished up a two-year run as program manager and trainer for a SOF ground mobility training program, teaching team level small unit mobility driving and recovery skills to special operations units. Mr. Burton in now in to the private sector to continue work in the defense consulting industry and the over-landing and training industry.