The two personal weapons
of our army are the M-9 pistol and the M-16 rifle. After a round is fired, the case is
ejected. Below are cases that I
picked-up from the two ranges. On the
left is a case from a pistol that we would shoot this day. On the right is a rifle cartridge case from
yesterday. The 124 grain pistol slug
travels at 1260 fps. The thinner, longer
55 grain one from the rifle travels at 3330 fps.
This is LTC Bowers at the
rear of the Great Room in Building 905.
This is CPT Niven near the
parking lot of the
The is MSG Pecoraro in front
of the pistol range instructing us on safety before we begin.
Suddenly, and for the
first time since we arrived, three targets popped-up behind the MSG. There were 20 of us in the bleachers so it
didn’t seem right for the only non-soldier to speak out-of-turn, but I did have
an impulse to shout, “Look out, Sarge!
They’re right behind you!”
Maybe, if I would have
looked around, I would have found others smiling in surprise. The rule, however, is that we are here for
serious business to be taken seriously.
The conditions were more
suitable to good photos than had they been on the rifle ranges. The best angle would have put me in front of
the shooters, but I didn’t ask.
When the weather is fair,
the earplugs are well-seated and enemy is made of plastic, shooting pistols is
fun.
MSG Pecoraro scored 30.
SFC Fedderly scored 30.
Later, COL Dolieslager would
comment that there was significance in the American Eagle that appeared as we
were finishing our work. I had noticed
its nest – you can see it high in the tree on the horizon between the markers
for Lane 4 in the picture below.
I had not noticed the
eagle, though. I couldn’t do a careful
search of my photos until I got home, but then I found it. Click here for COL
Dolieslager’s eagle.
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