Land navigation class today was great. Pretty good training on navigating without a GPS. Mostly just basic knowledge on using a compass to navigate a topographical map. I enjoyed the class because I think I will use a lot of the knowledge camping and hiking.
I never knew how to do a reverse azimuth to find your exact coordinates on a map. Also I never really understood all of the coordinates that a map or GPS gives you.
After the class they sent us out into the woods with a compass, map, and 4 coordinates. Each squad had to find the coordinates in order and radio back the information on the posts at each site. I was never very good with a compass, but now I fell pretty confident.
The weather sucked pretty bad. A little bit of rain/sleet mix and 38 degrees. All in all a pretty good day though.
Tomorrow is the final day of training. The FTX (Field Training Excercise). It is supposed to be everything that we learned the last two weeks all combined together. I have this crazy feeling that it is going to go something like Mogadishu. The will take out the front and rear HUMMWV’s then as we try to gather the wounded they will hit us with RPG’s and pick us off one by one. I plan on being a gunner so that I can use my amazing sniper skills to eliminate as many insurgents as possible. I am nervous about it and I know it isn’t real. All of the instructors are former Marines, Army, and Special Forces. One of the Air Force guys is a TACP (my dream job). One is a Marine Corps sniper. One was Marine Corps Force Recon. Oh well. Wish me luck. We will need it.
When in doubt……SPRAY & PRAY……..
Thats how you run out of ammo. Not a good feeling to hear that click and reach down to no more mags. Happened to me today.
I was being metephorical……………thats when you butt-stroke the enemy and take their gun and magazines……….unless it’s the Marine DI