On Shooting

9, August 2008 in national service
Tags: army, atp, cadet, firing, infantry, live firing, live range, marksman, marksmanship, mbt, national service, ns, ocs, officer, officer cadet, officer cadet school, shooting

You sit there waiting for your detail to be called, dozing off in an awkward position with rifle in hand and head nodding incessantly toward the muzzle. Then when you get called up, you line up, put on your helmet, sign out and collect your ammo, check the magazines, keep them, put on your earplugs, take a couple of deep breaths and proceed into the chamber.

Then you walk to your firing lane, you wait for the detail in front to finish firing, then proceed to take up position. By this time, you should be perspiring profusely and heart pumping at overdrive. You tell yourself to make every shot count, to stay calm and composed and to remember all the fundamentals (don’t snap, tuck in the butt, grip firmly, breathe-release-hold). Then the command is given, “Firers, magazines of 6 rounds load, and ready.” Target comes up, squeeze off, and down goes the target.

Then your Captain yells at you, “Eh, where you aiming! You shooting wrong target!” You feel disheartened but quickly adjust to the right target, struggling not to panic and to regain focus. You continue shooting. This time, the heart pumps faster and faster, while the breathing gets heavier and heavier.

Then the last target comes up, you gun it down and the announcement of “Firers, unload check clear” comes, then you heave a sigh of relief. You walk out of the chamber in step, with earplugs in ear (almost isolating you from the world), recounting the shots nd the crap mistakes you made and feeling utterly disappointed. You reach the ammo point, return the magazines, sign the forms then realise you’re drenched in perspiration.

As the cadet conducting walks out of the control room, you eagerly wait for his announcement of the people who made marksmen.

Then you know it’s all over when you hear your name. You feel happy momentarily, then the euphoria dies down. You take seat, helmets off, and you rest. Because shooting is tiring. It is absolutely draining–the eyes, the body, the mind.