Wasteland Survivor – Building skills - ch28
#29 of Wasteland Survivor
Note, most of this is not interactions, it can be skimmed over if you want, just read the last bit. For those that are interested, this is (as far as I can research) accurate of the five weeks spent in sniper training, enjoy :)
That first morning we were taught all about looking, how to look at something and not just see it, but remember every detail, the Sergeant had us learn exercises in how to remember details. It seemed we would be doing it for the whole day but at eleven hundred were were told that we would have an hours run.
By run the Sergeant didn't mean a jog, he meant a run, all eight of us made tracks around the camp, circling it four times before the Sergeant called a stop and told us to get lunch. After lunch, we went back to the class room, this time learning intricate co-ordinate systems, far beyond what we had been using for patrols and such, only to finish the day with another hard run and 'as many push ups as you can do'. I was still burning along at eighty, Ryst and two others still keeping pace when the Sergeant rested his boot on my arse as I tried for eighty one, "Get your arses some dinner, theres a barracks set up for you just behind this building. Dismissed." and with that he walked out of the room.
We staggered to the mess, gulped down what we could and made our way back to the barracks that had been erected, there was a group shower, no partitions, Ryst was going to make something of it when I told him "Its not worth it Ryst, forget it." with that I stripped down and into the shower room. The four men still using it glanced at me once, I got two 'hey Bri's and little further attention.
Within half an hour, just after the sun had faded, I closed my eyes in the bunk that was supplied.
The light dawned again leaving us with a little relief of the previous days exertions, but our bodies still feeling 'well used'. Breakfast had been brought to us and we were told by Fox, in the Sergeants stead that we would have another run before lessons.
Our runs were not easy, we had a 'pack' to carry, consisting of a rifle, some water, ammunition and a few weights representing supplies, it left us worked up for the first lesson which was about bush-craft. Halfway to midday we went outside to put into practice some of what we had learnt, tracking, keeping an eye on the wind, so many factors it left my head little time to think on anything else. After a short meal for lunch we had more of the same, finishing up with another hard run followed by push-ups and sit-ups.
Wednesday onwards were spent shooting, something I found I was actually quite good at compared to my companions despite my using a bow. The others were using the SR-98, what was the standard sniper rifle for our army, some had been acquired by a scavenger team, and our unit was expected to train with them. We had also started that day, assembling our own camouflage suits, the Sergeant called them a ghillie suit, we used old trousers and shirts, strips of cloth and, well, anything around we could find to make them.
It was at twenty hundred hours on Wednesday that the Sergeant interrupted our nightly study, "Bri, come out here, we need to talk."
I followed him out and he led me to the range. "Sir?" I asked.
"There's a small problem, while we are making an exception for you in regards to your bow, I have decided you will still need to be proficient with an SR ninety eight, which is why you will be spending four hours each night out here at the range. Now, take your rifle and lets see how you shoot." He said.
There was no question for it, the Sergeant asked it, I would have to do it.
We had been introduced to our bible, the FM 23-10, it was the law so far as the Sergeant was concerned in regards to a snipers role, tasks and required knowledge. By the end of that week mine had fold marks all over it, as did everyone's, we absolutely had to know it by heart and constant referencing was expected until then.
The rest of the week passed in similar fashion, no respite was given, two of the soldiers had called it quits, another had been asked by the Sergeant to drop, due to his inability to maintain the physical pace we had been set.
Monday was the start of our long range shooting, after our run we were taken to the classroom and taught how different things affect shots, from range, wind, elevation and even temperature, the afternoon was spent shooting at long range, testing those theories. My arrows acted differently to how a bullet would, but thankfully instinct and a little thinking made me as accurate as the others in no time.
The following week was spent in on-the-field spotting, we were required to be able to look through a ranging scope and drawing an accurate map of what we could see, marking everything important.
We had also been introduced to the Kims game, what would happen is on our run each morning and each evening some items would be left carelessly around the camp, we wouldn't know in advance what to look for, but afterwards we would each be required to give a very in-depth description of what we had seen and exactly how it looked, sat, and everything around it.
We were taught how to move all over again, starting at a crawl, as low as we could, moving to higher crawls and eventually we were on to walking, it was almost as tough as running.
We had been told our suits were almost finished, we had to wash them in a river, the Sergeant said to get any smell out of the fabric and making it look more 'natural'.
From Wednesday onward we had 'tests' where we would need to move unnoticed across fields, it was maddening, we spent five hours moving just one hundred meters, but were told that it would save our lives, so put everything into it.
Week four of our 'training' moved us on to finding 'cross fire' solutions, giving multiple teams protection and still maintaining our shot on a target. We learnt firing angles that are good in urban areas, spent most of the week crawling around parts of the city.
Week five started, as usual, with our run. We were escorted from there to the firing range.
"Shit, where is the target?" Ryst asked.
I squinted, "Click and a half away" I said, eyeing the target off in the distance.
"Ok grunts, its time to learn how to shoot some heavy guns, today I present to you the A W F fifty F, this is what you will use when you need to demolish something, its not for killing men, but removing their ability to kill." He explained.
He lay down behind the big gun, loaded in a round from a case beside him with some strange markings. The big rifle boomed and as we all watched through our binoculars the round hit the target and exploded, leaving a huge hole in it.
"That is the Mark two eleven mod zero round, it is built for destroying anything you aim it at, it is effective in three ways, it is armour piercing, it is incendiary and it is explosive. If you need a truck stopped, an ammo dump detonated or if there is someone on the other side of a wall, you use these." He explained.
Thursday saw us hauled out of bed before our run to partake in a little contest between the five of us remaining, the Sergeant had prepared a pack for each of us and setup an obstical course, we had to run the course with our pack, loaded heavily with ammunition cases and one of the big fifty calibre rifles. To my delight Ryst won the contest, I came in a close third.
The afternoon was our exams, we were told to plan a mission, navigate it over the course of the test, told when we would have to make shots and the conditions, we had to enter in how we would calibrate our scopes.
That evening, rather than dead tired, we were all wired, tomorrow we would find out what the results were.
We woke on Friday morning, eager to attack the day ahead, we were told to clean up our barracks and report at eleven hundred to the classroom.
-
We were standing, filled with nerves, waiting for the results, Brianna was beside me, head held high and looking forward, despite the nerves we were all dead still.
"Soldiers" The Sergeant began, appearing from beside us, "I am satisfied to say that there have been some pleasant surprises out of this, more of you have graduated than I would have expected. That said not all of you did pass, but know that those that didn't are not bad soldiers, you just not suited for this job."
He was standing in front of us now, looking back and fourth down the line, five of us were all that was left of the eight, and he said at least one has failed...
"Ryst! Step forward soldier!" The Sergeants voice called.
I stepped forward, saluting sharply. At first I was told not to salute, that it was an insult to a soldier for a civilian to salute, but the Sergeant had demanded it, and demanded it done right.
I was even more nervous, he was looking at me hard eyed. Was I picked first because I failed?
"Son, I have been told by the General that any soldier who passes this training will instantly get a promotion to Sergeant. Welcome to the army, Sergeant Ryst." He said.
I nearly fell down, I know I must have jumped but I still managed to snap the end of the salute. "Sir! Thank you Sir!" I sounded off, full of pride.
"Step back into line soldier." He told me.
"Sir!" I replied falling back a step.
"Private Cots! Step forward!" He shouted again, and again awarded the soldier his Sergeantship and had him fall back into line.
"Private Ashfield! Step forward!" He began and again, awarded the soldier his promotion.
Private Reynolds was told that although he was an excellent shot, a great soldier, he was not sniper material.
"Brianna! Step forward!" He called.
My heart was beating a million miles an hour, had she failed too? What did it mean?
"Sergeant Brianna, it is with great pride I announce you not only passed the test, but you have been awarded 'Best Sniper' for showing absolute dedication to the training and consistent high scores in every test." He snapped a salute to her, allowing her to finish hers, "Snipers. Dismissed!"
We turned to each other, her eyes were even more amazing than usual, "C'mere lover" She said, and I took it as an order.