combat skills, or something like it

Today marked training on basic combat skills, primarily related to convoy operations and individual movement techniques.

Probably nothing differentiates those who kill for a living (or possessed those skills) from those who do not than events like today, where you have to move in simulated combat conditions.

There are tasks such as ACE reports that are de rigueur to light infantrymen and their cohorts that are alien to just about everyone else...but like it or not, the common denominator of life on the ground in theater is the ability to shoot people as needed. Up close. With a rifle.

Today's training had cursory coverage of some of the things basic to movement under fire, although there's only much you can teach to soft-skills, which comprised the majority of my group going through training. Of the folks who are in killing-people specialties, they are predominantly not ground maneuver guys, let alone infantrymen.

So much for getting reacquainted with a long gun. You have to watch the guys who have no experience, because they end up doing things like putting their muzzle almost in front of you trying to engage targets outside of their sector of fire. I'm not saying that everyone needs to go to Ranger School, but like any task, it takes practice. Some are naturally better at it than others; some are not.

I guess I'm thankful for my time spent in the 82d Imperial a few years ago; between that and what I did as a lieutenant and cadet before, certain things just don't go away. It's really akin to riding a bike, albeit with slightly more lethal consequences.

The battalion NCOIC of my old AC/RC battalion, also an alumnus of the 82d Imperial, used to play stump-the-chump with new guys coming to the unit; he would have me stand in front of them with my right side exposed and make them try to guess my basic branch. More often than not, they responded Infantry, which, of course, made both him and me laugh, as I'd turn and then show either lawnmower brass or crossed butterknives. Once you've gone light, there are certain changes that occur in terms of fieldcraft; I acted a bit differently after having been light than when I was mech. Not to take away from my mech brethren, but as a former armor guy (or, more bluntly, a Tanker Without A Tank, leading to the Acronym I Cannot Say), I just liked being around lightfighters more. They were a lot more congruent to my beliefs and attitudes about being in the military.

Tomorrow marks the last day of training, which should cover Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain. I'm a little curious as to how we will cover MOUT in a day. I await with baited breath.

Incidentally, I was far too smoked to make it out to the hash. Household6 advised me that hashing in El Paso almost guaranteed bad juju, so I decided to skip. Besides, I ran 7 this morning.