Dry Firing

Fireguard sucks....oh well wakeup was the usual 0430...crutching my way to the bathroom so I can brush my teeth...then crutching myself downstairs and my buddy Johnson would bring my gear down for me....Thank God we have battle buddies....anyways the Platoon Guide would report in to the Drill Sgts then getting ready for a 8k Roadmarch...looks like I'm not doing that today (it's not a graduation requirement but the 10k and 15k is)....I'll be going on the Company Truck with the other profiles....anyways gave me rucksack to Johnson damn I feel sorry that he has to march with two rucks....anyways got on the truck and chat with the other profiles and watch my battle buddies marching while I was watching from the truck...We're marching to the Dry Fire range where we would get used to the rifle and practice using the four fundamentals....damn it's boring in this truck and guess what I have to go to the bathroom so I end up holding it for 1 and 1/2 hours until the March was over...by the time we got to the range we got in formation and then I rushed to the latrine with my crutches...god damn these things make me slow....anyways then I would get in line for chow...DS Mckay looked over us and yelled at us to eat it faster and chug down the food down our throat so we would get on training....anyways we were told that our Rifles had to be up and facing downrange...at all times to prevent accidental discharge or even fratricide(killing a friendly) we would just practice dry firing using the four fundamentals...

1. Steady Position
2. Proper Aim (Sight Picture)
3. Breathing
4. Trigger Squeeze

(Dry Firing Range is Range 2 I think)

Soon it would be my turn to get into the foxhole but I couldn't get in with crutches since Senior Drill Sgt said something about it. so I leave them aside and got into the foxhole...then we would commence practicing damn I can't wait to shoot live rounds tomorrow...anyways we would continue dry firing it and DS Hoaglund would watch me and said "Pretty good Pvt" Oh that made me feel good.... after that I would just sit on the bleachers and wait for the rest to finish the exercise...anyways then I would get my crutches and sling my weapon on my back. When exit the range you would meet a range safety and he or she will make sure our rifle doesn't a round in the chamber. When coming up to him/her you would say "No Brass No Ammo Weapon on Safe Drill Sgt!" (if it's an officer say sir or mam please) Shakedown is a search for live rounds and they check everything from your pockets to your LBV and cap...evidently we didn't shoot any rounds but we would be doing that everytime we exit a range..after that we would get our MREs and we wouldn't eat it just yet. Well our next destination is the EST where we would have computerized rifles to practice grouping and zeroing. The EST is right near our Company area and the buses would drop off us at the site and then we would settle down and eat our MREs...meanwhile we would get a brief from a civilian running the place about what not to do and such...damn we're being rushed again today to eat the MREs I didn't even get to eat frickin Cracker and my main meal....oh well I'll wait til dinner chow...anyways we would wait for the platoons to finish and soon it would be my turn in there to fire this rifle...Drill Sgt Sanchez and Drill Sgt Johnson was observing and was frowning due to the results many of the Privates were getting...anyways put my crutches down and got into the prone position. These rifles are the M-4 and damn I love these rifles, I wish I had one though instead of those long M-16s...anyways I grouped then zeroed wow....The others were having problems and their rounds were everywhere compared to mine which were right in a 4 cm circle...Pvt Goss damn his rounds were everywhere and some were even not on the target...oh well...Drill Sgt Sanchez says a cripple could do it why you Privates can't? That made me laugh inside and soon we got out and march all the way back to the Company...we would ground our gear then dinner chow and mail call...got a letter from Aaron and the Boston Red Sox scores, nice they're doing great this year hopefully they win the World Series again this year...shower then to bed....I wish the pain would go away....I have a followup next Saturday I hope I won't need to use these crutches anymore....no fireguard tonite...tomorrow we get to fire live rounds...