I assessed those soldiers and Marine by their ages, rank, and pressed BDUs and relatively little worn boots... I could be wrong tho... I was thinkin' V Corps HQ...
Jest got off'n the phone with Tyler, the young Marine I was mentring before he went to boot camp... he's called me several times to ask advice since he got outta boot camp...
He's at Marine Security Guard Academy in Quantico right now... he's slated fer Presidential Security if'n he makes it...
seems he's qualifyin' on the pistol tomorrow, and he called seekin' last minute advice, as he's not shootin' too well... I told him he'd waited a little too long, but I gave him a little advice...
heh... his dad is an awesome shot with a rifle, but he cain't hit nuthin' with a pistol... I'd go so far as to say I'd hand him my P-12 with a full mag, walk 20 paces and let him try'n shoot me... I'm sure I'd walk away without a scratch...
anyway, he needs to qualify to stay in MSG, so needless to say he's stressed... told him it'd be okay... God is in control... don't sweat it... relax, and shoot straight... (gave him more than that, most of it technical, i.e. natural point of aim, trigger squeeze, focus, etc...but we ain't got all night...)
Which is why my motto is, "a handgun is what you use to fight your way back to the rifle you should have never left behind". Although, by some freak, I was on the battalion team that won the state Guard smallbore pistol championship one year. I guess I didn't drag down the average score too badly.
It still didn't prevent me from getting thrown out of the armory's indoor range for firing my S&W .22 Jet. Some major next door thought someone was firing an RPG. Couldn't hardly blame him, the thing was LOUD, even through ear muffs and ear plugs. The muzzle blast even knocked the dust down from the light fixtures.