Who dare prevail!

30 Aug 08

Update on weapons training in the nuclear-power industry, from a friend in the System:

"We just completed a competitive shooting event for our Region. One of the host-plant's sister facilities experienced an ND the day before we arrived. Because of this, all ranges, at all facilities in the Region, were shut down, and, not surprisingly, there was talk of cancelling the entire event.

The ND in question resulted in no injury, nor significant property damage, but, in our industry, much as is the case in the active military, we have the ubiquitous, dreaded 'Range-Nazis,' otherwise known as the' Training-Prevention Department,' who tirelessly seek out pretexts,no matter how absurd, to shut down ranges and forestall training. Their unwearying motto: 'The less shooting, the better!'

Our event finally wobbled forward, but endless hours were squandered, more even than usual, in 'safety briefings' on top still more'safety briefings,' to the point where actual shooting time was inadequate to complete the event. We patiently sat through innumerable admonitions, by trepid snivelers who don't even carry guns, to 'go slow,' 'be safe,' 'loaded-guns-are-dangerous,' ad nauseam.

Our course, my guys and I are continuously armed (no matter where we are), results-oriented, and victory-focused, so we contemptuously disregarded all that timorous trumpery, went boldly forward as fast as we could hit, and aced the match. We dared, and we won!

Those running the event were, as always, incompetent. Most had never even seen a PACT Timer! But, we mostly ignored them and did what we needed to do.

Victory!"

Comment: Audacious enterprise is irrepressible, no matter how sincerely the fearful and cowardly try to suffocate it, bore it to death, and eventually stamp it out completely. Thank God for Cowboys!

/John