By Michael D.
Former Clandestine Officer, CIA, DIA, NSA
When I was active-duty Airborne Recon in the USAF, we did a significant amount of training on our firearms.
Primarily the M-16 (and later M-4) combat rifles, and our sidearms, the .38 Special (snub nose in our survival vest), and our Beretta M9.
We needed to be able to shoot quickly, accurately, and reliably operate the weapon system under virtually any circumstances.
We trained to clear misfires and jams, like stove pipes, double feeds, hang fires.
And we needed to switch mags without dropping the target from sights, perform tactical reloads and swapping the mag in terrible weather and conditions.
When I got my notice to show up for weapons training after joining a special CIA division, I was feeling very positive.
I was very comfortable and expected to shoot “Expert” as I had done while on active duty.
But, at the range, they laid out a myriad of special combat firearms on the table behind the firing line.
They were not M-16s, M-4s, Berettas, or revolvers. I was about to train on Uzis, H&K MP5s, AK-47s, and a few other exotic firearms.
Learning to efficiently and effectively operate those weapon platforms was not difficult, in fact, it was loads of fun.
And yes, I qualified on the foreign firearms.
But the biggest lesson I learned from that training was that sometimes it’s not about the firearm you take into a battle.
It’s about the firearms left on the battlefield by your enemies that you may have to pick up and use.
Since most of us are not on traditional battlefields very often, or ever, in our lives, this lesson could seem insignificant.
But I have been able to apply what I learned in that training since then.
No matter what I start out to do, or plan on, I find that I have to adapt to what is around me without the advantage of my choice of options or tools.
Sometimes you have to work with whatever is available.
Being able to adapt, use on-hand resources, and press forward with the current mission, is a battle everyone will face.
