Mike Goes on a Field Trip

Many people assume that because I am in the Navy, I have had the opportunity to do some "real" military training.  This is mostly false.  This past Friday, however, I had the opportunity to go down to Quantico for some training simulations.  I'm hopeful that nothing I learned will ever be useful to me in a practical sense, but it was a humbling experience getting a slightly better idea of what some of my clients might actually have to go through.

First, we got to go to a weapons simulator where real weapons had been modified to fire electronic signals at screen projections.  As these were enormous machine guns and rocket launchers, I was okay with the modification.  They were terrifying enough as-is.

And really, if the lawyer needs to know how to operate a grenade launcher, things are not going well.

The RLSO representatives.  All rifles are plastic.  Heavy plastic, but plastic.  Behind us is a vehicle rollover simulator which we were very bad at escaping.  Protip: the quick release seatbelt buckle must be facing outward, away from your body, in order to function as a quick release seatbelt buckle.

Convoy simulator.  Probably one of the more advanced driving simulators that exists.

I got to be the turret gunner.

Today Kels and I continued our marathon training by running another 12 miles.  At some point I expect they will get easier, but I suppose not this week.

We started at the marina and then ran down Mount Vernon trail.

Made it!