Story #2376

We were in rifle marksmanship and our DS was showing us how to do the dime drill. For those who are reading and don’t know, this is when you put a piece of your cleaning rod into the muzzle of your M16 or M4 and balance a dime on the end. Then, you squeeze the trigger and if the dime falls off, you put it on and try again. If it stays on, you charge your weapon and try to repeat it. The whole idea of the drill was to improve a soldier’s trigger squeeze. Well the DS H, who shot a 40/40, was showing us how to do this. He got into the prone unsupported position and had a private put the dime on the rod, then squeezed the trigger. The dime fell.

“Dammit. Put it back on.”

The private put the dime on again and DS H squeezed the trigger again. The dime fell.

“Fuck! Put it back on.”

The private placed the dime back on the rod and DS H squeezed the trigger a third time. From where I was, I couldn’t see very well, but I very clearly heard the dime hitting the concrete and DS H suddenly screaming,

“THIS DIME IS BROKEEEEEEEN!!!!”