>>Some may think that falling on a grenade is heroic, but it just doesn’t impress me that much.<<
It use to be taught in the US ARMY that if there is time to throw yourself on a grenade, there is time to throw it away. I was also told this by people with combat experience.
That said, of course, the people who do save others this way are heroes. They were probably taught better, but are heroes even still.
Just so there’s no misunderstanding...that’s NOT my comment...it’s the comment of a vile @sswipe to whom I replying earlier in this thread.
I would suggest that they put this theory to the test with practice grenades and fuses that have the same time limitations as the real thing, the reason it is not taught in the US Army any more is that picking up a grenade to throw it away can increase the grenade's kill zone.
But, covering the grenade will almost certainly spare others in the unit, whereas attempting to throw it back lacks certainty and an air burst may actually inflict more injuries to the unit. In addition there is the issue of the decision maker possibly being able to estimate the total elapsed time that the grenade has been in view. No easy solutions.
If you notice the grenade and it's grab or fall on it, you're correct. The average grenade has a 3-5 second fuse. However, if there's confusion or you're in an enclosed space (as was the case with one of the Marines who died jumping on a grenade in Iraq) then jumping on it is a reasonable action.