Day 11

Weapons were issued yesterday so today, we got intimate with them. A well-cared for weapon is a weapon that you can have confidence in and will be there when I need it. So, the entire morning was once again spent in the classroom. We tore apart and rebuilt the M4 rifle and M9 pistol over and over again. Eventually, the slowest of the bunch paid the price in push-ups. The thing is, we're doing the Army thing here...know their tag line these days? One Army, one fight. So, we were all doing push-ups together, the Army way. Honestly, it woke me up and somehow, push-ups make a bunch of Navy guys laugh so it did lighten things up a bit. We also learned all the adjustments on the M4 which we'll need when we "zero" them in a few days at the range.

After lunch, we headed outside to 93F and high humidity. It was Category 5, black flag. If it wasn't, we would've geared up in our battle armor for this next evolution but thanks to the heat, we skipped it. We found some shade and started working on our shooting positions. As we qualify here soon, we'll be in one of three positions: Kneeling, Supported Prone or Un-supported Prone. Prone is essentially being on your belly. Supported would mean the rifle was supported by a block, sandbags, or really anything except for your body. Un-Supported would be up on the elbows. Kneeling is self-explanatory. In these positions, we focus on control, breathing, and focusing on the target. The goal in breathing is to exhale and then while holding that, fire. The reason is that no muscles are moving which can move the rifle. It creates a very, very stead shot. I was amazed how well it worked. My favorite position before doing this with the battle armor is supported prone, using the rifle's cartridge to support it. Totally flat-bodied on the ground felt the best. The toughest was kneeling. Tough to keep the rifle steady while pulling the trigger.

To wrap up the day, we had a lecture on Oz culture. From religion, to customs, do's and don'ts, geography, Oz history, and how the enemy operates in Oz. We had someone different than the drill sergeants teaching this part. This man was a retired First Sergeant who has recently visited every single location we have in Oz so he knows the country well...very well. It was a very good presentation.

After another mediocre dinner and some much anticipated FaceTime with Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow, I finally got out for a run at sunset. Given the long days (been going from 7am-6pm every day so far) and carrying our weapons with us all day, I thought I'd be too pooped. Lesson learned: you're never too pooped to run. Just get out there and do it and you'll be glad you did. It was a short run with a mixture of asphalt and trails. Word is that there are a lot of trails out there but sorta hidden. I will make a more sincere effort later to find them. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon...our only day off.

Goodnight, everyone. First Aid tomorrow morning and then "rollover" training begins. We're not talking about "stop, drop, and roll," either. Stay tuned.