When you start hearing that snap, do a quick head count. Some of your folks who have never been shot at will drift away somewheres unless you discourage such behavior. Keep them close by, conditions permitting, and encourage them (don't shout or scream at them) to get with the program. Had to do this when I was a private. This can happen to any of the ranks. Idea: Try a live fire exercise, if you can find a place to do it, where people have to crawl forward with live rounds being fired overhead. Kinda frosty, but damn good training. Better than finding out something awful in your first shoot-em-up.
Basic in '69 had exactly what you suggest; it was just a standard thing. Crawling on back, past pits that exploded (arty sims), negotiating wire, with a couple of M-60's firing overhead. The "course" was entered by coming up out of a downrange pit, ala WW-I. I thought wtf? On reflection, I wouldn't have traded that evening for anything.
I’m surprised that anyone still thinks that CW2 is actually going to kick off at all. We’ve been saying it’s right around the corner for twenty years now.
@ Badger... we had the same in '64... was a riot rolling onto our back and watch the tracers overhead. Was sobering to think there were four rounds between each tracer-- and those looked like they were almost touching. Wild days, for sure. And then we crossed the puddle.
When you start hearing that snap, do a quick head count. Some of your folks who have never been shot at will drift away somewheres unless you discourage such behavior. Keep them close by, conditions permitting, and encourage them (don't shout or scream at them) to get with the program. Had to do this when I was a private. This can happen to any of the ranks. Idea: Try a live fire exercise, if you can find a place to do it, where people have to crawl forward with live rounds being fired overhead. Kinda frosty, but damn good training. Better than finding out something awful in your first shoot-em-up.
ReplyDeleteBasic in '69 had exactly what you suggest; it was just a standard thing. Crawling on back, past pits that exploded (arty sims), negotiating wire, with a couple of M-60's firing overhead. The "course" was entered by coming up out of a downrange pit, ala WW-I. I thought wtf? On reflection, I wouldn't have traded that evening for anything.
ReplyDeleteI’m surprised that anyone still thinks that CW2 is actually going to kick off at all. We’ve been saying it’s right around the corner for twenty years now.
ReplyDeleteIf you heard the snap, it wasn't aimed at you.
ReplyDelete@ Badger... we had the same in '64... was a riot rolling onto our back and watch the tracers overhead. Was sobering to think there were four rounds between each tracer-- and those looked like they were almost touching. Wild days, for sure. And then we crossed the puddle.
ReplyDelete