Sunday, March 30, 2008

There are reasons they're sometimes called 'gun rags'

Usually it comes in reference to some review of a firearm that makes everything about it seem a bit of gunsmithing or design mastery, or something of the like. But this time I’m specifically referring to the editorial by Richard Venola in the April ’08 issue of Guns & Ammo which I saw a few days ago.

It is an introduction to their review of the Kimber SIS 1911 pistol, and it starts off with the author listing the military/special ops/mujaheddin units he’s served with/trained with, etc., and how he “…was never scared of the men I was with,” followed by “But the nice detectives of the LAPD’s SIS scared the hell out of me.” He’s paying big compliments to the unit, fine, no problem. It’s what’s at the start of the fourth paragraph that pissed me off:
In the U.S. military, entry into most elite units is simply based on the ability to run long distances. But the SIS is an elite force of judgement and maturity. Etc.
***
W.T.F.?
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I have to admit, I don’t really have the proper words to state just how badly that pisses me off, maybe one of you folks out there can do it. Apparently, qualifying for Rangers or Force Recon or Special Forces or SEALs or whoever just means you can run. Real well. For a long ways. Or maybe one or two of those actually requires ‘judgement and maturity’ and so forth, and the others only require running ability to get in. At least according to this wanker.

I have to stop writing now, you all can take it from here.

3 comments:

SordidPanda said...

The dude knows not of which he speaks.

If running well for a long time is all it takes, I never would have earned the Ranger tab, nor my buddy who squeaked by with a 39:59 5 mile run time.

Jim

MauserMedic said...

I've met and talked to a number of ex-members of those organizations. The impression I have is that you have to be highly physically fit- e.g. the ability to physically persevere under unusually adverse conditions for extended periods of time. Definitely not the marathon runner's build that resembles someone who hasn't eaten in a couple months. They've also seemed to be intelligent, practical, results oriented, courteous, and motivated.

Someone seems to have an axe to grind.

Anonymous said...

i know him, he is a moron and spouts off. He thinks he is the smartest guy on earth. He is clueless, trust.