Friday, July 3, 2009

Guns and mo guns!

Double whammy today everyone. Why? Cause I got to shoot lots of guns today!

The counter narcotic guys on base here wanted to say thanks for all the work we had done getting them their own latrine. These guys go out all the time and do poppy eradication, which includes pissing off certain people that make money from it (read: Taliban). So we did what we could to help those guys out, and they let us shoot off their old rounds.

List of weapons I shot today:
.50 Cal from a turret
MK19 Grenade Launcher, from a turret
AK-47
M249 and M240 - I got to shoot the M249 standing up and holding it like a rifle
M203 - M16 mounted grenade launcher
and my personal favorite, the .50 cal sniper rifle!

Hooyah! The MK19 was crazy. It has automatic fire which I used to light up a tank target about 400m away. Thrilling. Only word I can think of to describe that feeling of firing off 5 rounds and then watching your target light up about 6 seconds later with several loud thuds that you feel in your ribcage. I was pretty accurate considering, scored a bunch of direct hits.

The .50 cal sniper rifle, you don't hear it so much as feel it. It just reverberates through your body. If you're wondering what this rifle looks like, watch the redone S.W.A.T movie and it's the gun the bad guy shoots the chopper with. A .50 cal round DEVESTATES whatever it hits. Depleted uranium does the dirty work.

The M203 is a fun weapon, mostly cause you hold like Rambo. Also because I shot it at about a 45 degree angle and watched it fly about 150m into the air, then fall down and explode. Lightin up berms in Afghanistan.

The AK-47 kicks alot more than the M16, in my opinion. Took me a minute to figure it out, but I can see why it's so effective. The thing fires even with heavy abuse. Too bad it isn't terribly accurate past 200m or so. Well, too bad for them, good for us!

We also got to drive the MRAP today. Mine Resistant Ambush Protected. Basically an armored bobtail with an armored carriage on the back for troop transport. Has push button gear shifting, which, might I add, is amazing considering this thing is at least 10' tall and bulletproof.

Anyway, not much to add to that...it was awesome, got some videos, pics, memories, etc. I also got video of two local kids that came up to collect our brass, the spent shell casings. They kept asking me for a biscuit. It was weird, especially since I told them over and over I didn't have a freakin biscuit. When they asked for a dollar I just got annoyed. I understand it though, they're poor.

What struck me so much was how they were so young, but their faces looked like they were 40. I mean, they had childlike features, but those features appeared to have been eroded by sand and hunger for so long that nothing was left but age.

3 comments:

  1. WOW! That would be fun.. I need to come over and visit your place. Have a couple of beers, go hunting, shoot up the place, you know, like we used to do at home!! :~))

    Love Ya!!, keep finding fun (and safe) things to do!

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  2. I will definately send this last two to your brother. He loves these things and says all the guys love reading them. I guess he'll be the shi*t now having a big brother that can shoot so many weapons and not get arrested! Love you and look forward to seeing you on snype again :-)

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  3. I just reread this blog and I became so sad for all those children. It made me wish I was a billionaire so I could adopt them and give them a good life. Sometimes we take for granted how good we really have it here. We may not agree with the government but still we have a good life.
    Love you sweetheart!!!

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