Shoup Airlines

Pixels

Back to the EST today for practice simulation of the qualification range. I shot expert this time around, so either I was just all jacked up yesterday or someone messed with my weapon while I was at Med-Quarters.

I’m hoping I can get another chance to zero just to either rebuild my confidence or readjust the sights. I’m a little happier with the EST performance, but that just ain’t the real thing. Of course the Drill Sergeants show no real sympathy, but you never know. Hopefully, one more lousy performance will convince them.

Moving Targets

So this whole qualification thing may be harder than I first thought. Everyone has a 2 day lead on me, but that shouldn’t matter or so I thought. There are 3 targets on this range, one at 75 meters, 175 meters and 300 meters. The target is a basic silhouette of the human body from the waist up. The 75 meter target is smaller, about from the armpits up. Did I mention the targets move? I thought so. The 75 meter target pops up for 3-5 seconds, the 175m for 5-7 seconds and the 300m stays up for 8-10 seconds. You also get multiple targets at the same time on occasion. You fire from the prone (lying down) supported (sand bags) position, the prone unsupported (no sand bags) and the kneeling position. Getting the idea that we’re constantly moving yet?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the temperature never got above 35 degrees today. And no, you do not wear gloves while firing. Passing for the day: 27 out of 44. Shoup: 28 out of 44 on the first run. Shoup is not a happy camper. Shoup on the second run: 26 out of 44. Shoup is now in the stages of what Beni would call “pissed!” This is not your standard pissed.

We go back to the sim tomorrow and then qualify Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I will not be happy until I shoot Expert: 36 out of 40. Something had better change. Fast!

Pink Eye CLP!

Up at 0500 and raring to go only once again to be hurried up and wait and wait and wait. We went to breakfast and then I had an 0700 appointment but chow was done long before 0615. That was the first wait.

Wait until 0700, sign in at the medical center for a follow up on my eyes. Sit and wait again until the doctor arrives. At 0900 the doctor arrives, checks me out and tells me there is no way I had pinkeye. The culture came back positive for CLP, the frellin’ oil we use to clean our rifles!!! Turns out when I got hit in the eye the other day, it was CLP getting flung into my eye!

After all this, the doctor ends up prescribing antibiotics for my throat and all the crap I’ve been coughing up the last 4 weeks.

Finally ready to rejoin the platoon, I’m told I need a battle buddy (Army’s term for ‘never go anywhere alone’) before I can leave. So I wait… and wait… and wait some more… and then just simply wait until 1300 when someone from Charlie Company finally clears Med and we’re on our way.

My luck, I walk right into a health and welfare inspection (Basic’s term for tearing your wall locker to pieces) and DS Hampton (the one that loves smoking me the most) gets the biggest Cheshire Cat grin I’ve seen yet. “SHOUP! OPEN UP THAT DAMN LOCKER!” Didn’t matter that everything was squared away, he ripped it to pieces! Clothes sprawling, drawers flying, socks rolling. Oh, but how I got the last laugh. I had borrowed some maps and protractors from DS Sydnor to teach a review class last Sunday. DS Hampton saw these, flipped out, and thought he was really going to smoke me.

“SHOUP! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? STEALING THE PLATOON’S SUPPLIES!?!”

“No, Drill Sergeant! I borrowed them to tutor some soldiers.”

“THE HELL YOU DID!!”

“Ask DS Sydnor, I borrowed them from him.”

Now DS Sydnor was standing right behind DS Hampton with an even bigger grin on his face. DS Hampton pulls an about face, sees DS Sydnor and all that comes out of his mouth is “God Dammit!” as he flings all the maps and protractors into the air and stomps off. Oh, how I love pissing him off! DS Sydnor looks back at me and smiles, “Welcome back, Shoup. Welcome back. Now, about that locker…”