Live Fire Test

by THX 0477

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On the fourth station, pattern and expectation went out the window. The metal plate target was half obscured by a female sergeant pacing back and forth. Didn’t that stupid cow know this was a live-fire exercise? Or was she part of it?

Competing aspects of his training and indoctrination pinged off the walls of his mind. Strict obedience vs strategic flexibility. Mission parameters vs real world exigencies. Safety vs the pragmatic and colloquial ‘git er done’.

As the options bounced, the woman paced. The seconds ticked by, and with each breath Tom knew he was creeping closer to a decision. A crunch of gravel broke the stalemate as a new player entered the scene. Some doe-eyed captain, BDU ’s crisp and pristine, was walking tentatively toward the target and the woman.

Thank goodness, an officer, Tom thought but immediately sneered at himself for having thought it. Officers. Always in charge, generally clueless. Thus, he wasn’t surprised that the captain wasn’t hauling the sergeant off the range.

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Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. Live Fire Test

    JMSquire's Buddy Icon JMSquire

    Posted 3 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great writing, as always, but for some reason when I read ‘Dead Bang’ I had pictured this Tom guy as being a stand out, calm headed, clear thinking and intelligent sniper scout. This turned him into a callous, impatient, and disrespectful grunt. Oh well. Favorite part was the second paragraph.

  2. Live Fire Test

    thebetweenspace's Buddy Icon thebetweenspace

    Posted 3 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I like the paradox created as certain potentially contradictory aspects of his training came to mind. I wonder if he’s gonna take an ‘acceptable’ risk or not.

  3. Live Fire Test

    John Perkins' Buddy Icon John Perkins

    Posted 3 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    This was really good. A nice continuation on the original. I did not have the same complaints as JMSquire did, as I got the impression from the first one that the guy was an egomaniac. Kind of like Tom Cruise’s character in “Top Gun.” So his impatience with this didn’t seem off to me.
    Does seem like an odd place for a secret sexual rendezvous though.

  4. Live Fire Test

    THX 0477's Buddy Icon THX 0477

    Posted 3 months ago

    Hmm, totally did not intend the meaning that JMSquire picked up, but I think it was a fair read. Though in his defense, there is generally a healthy disrespect from enlisted towards officers, especially in the Navy and I think in the Marines as well. Thanks for the thoughtful comments, guys!

  5. Live Fire Test

    John Perkins' Buddy Icon John Perkins

    Posted 3 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    @THX, In the Air Force as well, though not as much as the other services.

  6. Live Fire Test

    JMSquire's Buddy Icon JMSquire

    Posted 3 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I think maybe the reason why it seemed off to me is that the only contact I’ve had with military personal has been Canadian and British, but the snipers attitude does seem less obnoxious if I keep what you guys said in mind while reading it over again.

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