Misunderestimates
23-11-2005, 17:12
In the New Zealand army the staff was having a discipline problem with four cadets posted at Waiouru Camp. The group had been confined to barracks for a day as punishment, while the rest of the unit participated in a training activity.
The four cadets decided to abscond, and set out on a jaunt into the training area, heedless of the consequences. How bad could another day of rest be? After walking some distance they found themselves on the range used as training grounds of the M203 grenade launcher. As they sauntered around the range, they came across several unexploded rounds.
From day one army recruits are told never to touch anything even remotely resembling unexploded ordinance. Indeed, there are signs surrounding every range the army uses, stating the rule again. It is incessantly drummed into every brain in the army. But not everyone learns.........
The ringleader of this group picked up two grenades and held them at arms length, while his mates egged him on. According to the survivors he utteres those famous last words "Hey guys, look at this!" Words to make seasoned men duck and cover.
The cadet cracked the two grenades together, causing one or both to explode in his hands. The M203 grenade has a lethal blast area of five metersand left little to the medics to recover. The other three miscreants were injured by shrapnel but survived to be disciplined ina far more lenient fashion then their fallen comrade.
Maybe it was just a random stupid thought, only happening once, and will never happen again. However, should there be a new ordinance that has the army collect their discharged rounds and recycle or dispose of them, possibly creating new jobs or even new problems, or is the system fine as it is?
The four cadets decided to abscond, and set out on a jaunt into the training area, heedless of the consequences. How bad could another day of rest be? After walking some distance they found themselves on the range used as training grounds of the M203 grenade launcher. As they sauntered around the range, they came across several unexploded rounds.
From day one army recruits are told never to touch anything even remotely resembling unexploded ordinance. Indeed, there are signs surrounding every range the army uses, stating the rule again. It is incessantly drummed into every brain in the army. But not everyone learns.........
The ringleader of this group picked up two grenades and held them at arms length, while his mates egged him on. According to the survivors he utteres those famous last words "Hey guys, look at this!" Words to make seasoned men duck and cover.
The cadet cracked the two grenades together, causing one or both to explode in his hands. The M203 grenade has a lethal blast area of five metersand left little to the medics to recover. The other three miscreants were injured by shrapnel but survived to be disciplined ina far more lenient fashion then their fallen comrade.
Maybe it was just a random stupid thought, only happening once, and will never happen again. However, should there be a new ordinance that has the army collect their discharged rounds and recycle or dispose of them, possibly creating new jobs or even new problems, or is the system fine as it is?