From the Citizen Soldier side: A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of running another pistol range for my National Guard unit. I say "pleasure" because next to shooting, teaching others to shoot is almost as much fun. This group of shooters were made up of those who missed the range during our "summer camp."
We had M9 and M11 pistols. This pistol course is "fun" to those who shoot a lot. You have 40 rounds and get 30 targets. There are multiple tables and in some, the shooter has to change magazines. It's all timed, and you don't have a lot of time. The last table requires walking towards the targets. Many of the first time shooters only hit 5 targets. Really, for the first time with a pistol they did pretty good. This is a hard course for somebody who's never shot a pistol... The above shooter finally qualified the third time through. He didn't give up, so neither did we.
6 comments:
Hand grenade!
CP,
Being that you were on ships, I'd guess you haven't learned to respect grenades.
Most of the REMFs would scare me if they had any. I'm afraid they'd pull the pin, throw it and hang onto to the grenade.
No, the best place for some of these people is behind a desk.
These are the types that when I was deployed with them and if they actually had to go outside the wire once in a while...I'd tell them:
"Don't load your weapon. If we get shot at, hide under the vehicle and throw me your ammo if I need it. Please do not point that weapon at me again, or I will leave your ass out here on the streets of Baghdad."
"If we get shot at, hide under the vehicle"
*snerks* *wipes coke spray off monitor*
!. With you on being scared of grenades.
2. BDA was 4 M67 (think we had 67's) and we usually carried 2, with the levers taped. Might have been 61's. Memory fails me on this.
3. Saw several turned in after patrolling that had the pins inadvertently ripped out.
4. If you had to use the things, meant the bad guys were conversational distance away.
5. Things never quite got that desperate for my lot, thank God.
6. Rumor had it there was an impact fused version with a red lever that was only issed to specially trained troops (Green Beanies?).
7. Always thought we needed special training for the regular ones. Dangerous and scary. Particulary in heavy brush or at night.
8. Later, on a security job that required us to clear buildings, requested flash bangs.
9. Was informed that their use required special training and certification and that we would have to carry M-67's when operational. (?)
10. Could rabbit on quite a bit more on this particular weapon, but will spare you for now.
V/R JWest
Many, many years ago, in a land far away...called Ft Polk, LA...I went through "Grunt School 101" and got a degree in how to kill people with an 81 mm mortar and other weapons.
One day in training, they gave us each a training hand grenade. It was the same size and weight as a real one, but only had a fuze that went "pop" when it went off.
I threw one up hill in the woods.
The damn thing hit a tree, bounced back and rolled down next to me.
If it had been a live grenade, I'd not be writing blogs today.
I learned really fast.
Later in building clearing training, I saw many guys try throwing training grenades up stairs...most of the time they bounced back down causing the thrower to have a funny look on his face.
Respect them little bombs.
Yay for the shooter who didn't give up! ...anyway, it looks fun, who in the heck would quit?
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