The second week of training is much like the first:  lots of weapons firing and walking in around with body armour in 90+ degree weather. But it’s also the week when you get to shoot the big guns and go full auto. > more <

When I initially learned I would be trained for Iraq duty by Army drill instructors at an Army base, I expected it to be like the Army’s Advanced Infantry Training given to graduates of boot camp. However, the training is less generalized and is geared towards the type of work Navy personnel may encounter in theater. > more <

I had seen this story last week but the Libertarian Blog article reminded me of it. In short, police departments across the country are running out of ammo for their weapons training because the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (not to mention all the other locations we have troops) are sucking up most of the small arms ammunition being manufactured. > more <

First, I am not a Constitutional lawyer. These are strictly my opinions and interpretations. Everyone has their opinions about gun control so I thought I’d weigh in on the matter and hopefully apply some “common sense” to the argument, if possible. Second, when I mention “Army” below, I mean all branches of the military. It’s just easier to use one term for them.

If you read the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, this is what it says:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. > more <

After making a comment on a fellow GIDBlog site, I realized that it would make a good topic of discussion. The original comment I made was that, by playing Gran Turismo, I’ve learned quite a bit about cars that I didn’t know before. Obviously, it’s a game so a lot of real life aspects can’t be duplicated exactly, but much of the premise of the simulation is still applicable.

For example, I never realized how much tires affect the car. It makes sense though. The tires are the only part of a vehicle that actually interact with the environment, in this case the ground. Having poor quality tires means your are more likely to lose that precious ground contact. Once you lose good contact, you no longer have control of the vehicle. This means not just when your tires actually leave the ground (like when you go over a cliff) but when you lose any type of traction. If you brake too hard without anti-lock brakes, your wheels will lock up and you lose control. If you go over a “washboard” road or hit a speed bump too fast, your tires will momentarily lose contact with the ground and you just can’t drive on air very well. > more <