Today we performed live fire at the range with our M-4s. We shot 170 rounds at pop-up targets at ranges 50 yards, 200 yards, and 300 yards. It’s not as easy as it looks, especially when loaded down with 40 pounds of battle rattle. In my case, I was doubly-damned since my Kevlar vest (with plates) was a size too big (I had a size 'large,' but should have had a 'medium'). As a result, the loose fit meant that weight was all on my shoulders, rather than being distributed across my entire torso (as designed). Needless to say, I’m tired. At least, at the end of the day, I was able to turn in the large and procure a medium in its place.
The best aspect of the day was the weather. We’ve been expecting rain, and it finally came. But never when we were outside. However, the overcast sky kept temps way down for south Texas in June…a welcome surprise. Storms are predicted for the rest of the week, so I guess it’s only a matter of time before we get drenched. The way I look at it is: (a) I won’t melt; (b) my clothes are washable, and (c) better to be drenched by rain than by sweat!
So far, everyone here (there’s ~36 of us) seems to be enjoying the course. Since we have evenings off, and there’s a DVD player in the classroom, several of us are gathered right now to watch movies. Not too bad as camping goes. Off to bed now for another 0500 wakeup.
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