28 Aug 18
“Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless when facing them.”
Rabindranath Tagore
USMC “Poolies”
Last weekend here in CO, we conducted a live-fire Program in the serious use of military rifles.
Attendees were all young USMC “Poolies.”
Who have been enrolled by local USMC recruiters, and are waiting for their “ship-out date” to USMC recruit basic training (usually sixty days or less), are called “Poolies.”
My Grandson is a Poolie!
In the interim, local recruiters work with Poolies regularly in an effort to get them into good mental and physical shape in preparation for basic training. Their relentless efforts pay-off in terms of low drop-out rates!
On his own initiative, my dauntless Grandson organized his fellow Poolies into a one-day Training Class at an outdoor range, and a group of local DTI Instructors and I spent a day getting these magnificent young men and women, who have so audaciously stepped forward to wear their Country’s uniform and defend this nation, up-to-speed in modern small-arms technique!
Naturally, we run a hot range. I explained to my young students that they would likely not see a hot range during their enlistment, but that they needed to learn everything they could from us, and then be good students once on active duty.
We brought a number of M4s for them to use.
We worked on using sighting systems, running a trigger, running the manual safety, moving with the rifle, effectively engaging threats at various ranges (including moving targets mixed-in with bystanders), and host of other subjects!
It was an intense day!
Yet, what stands-out most is the way this Program affected me, and my DTI Instructors!
After seeing the outstanding learning attitude of these splendid young men and women, seeing that they are not afraid of failure (they are not afraid of anything!), that they are willing to work tirelessly improving their skills, that they stepped-up to the line again and again, that they literally cannot be discouraged, I’m no longer nearly as pessimistic about our future as I was last week!
My attitude has improved!
It is our honor and privilege to pass-on to this magnificent current generation several millennias-worth of hard-learned lessons.
Later in the year, we’ll be working with the recruiters themselves!
We’re just getting started!
/John
