Re: Toys from Jane's...

In a message dated 4/10/01 11:38:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
books@jumpspace.net writes:

> If this were an isolated incident it wouldn't bother me, but over the
> past two weeks this is the third comment I've heard about soldiers not
> being smart enough to handle the extra weapons.  That doesn't require
> excessive intelligence, it just requires training.  If you have been
> in many training situations and you know by reflex the shotgun ammo
> is in the belt pouch and the rifle ammo is on your harness then you
> don't think about it, you just do it.  The rifle with the built in
> grenade launcher which can be set for distance is on the way, we'll
> see it in 10 years max.  This will require thought, range the target,
> dial in an extra meter, pull trigger two.  Maybe in a close encounter
> that won't be used, but I would be willing to bet that in an assault
> the shift from rifle to shotgun would be trivial

I haven't seen any comments about the stupidity of soldiers, either.
However 
I think most of us agree. The problem is not intelligence but training.
As an 
ex-squid myself, I can attest to the effectiveness of training. We
exercised 
constantly, drilling all the important evolutions over and over. I
remember 
when we had a fire on board and I went from sitting in CIC manning a
radar to 
manning the valves for hose #2 without remembering passing through any
of the 
passageways between. I aint that smart, guys. Its the training that does
it 
and I think that's what we're all saying, just in differing words. 

John Rebori ETN2 (Discharged)
USN 1976 - 1982
ex-USS Pegasus PHM-1