Training: Week 1 (NSFW Content)

[Slytovhand]

Yes... good stories - thanks Kara.

Keep them coming.

but, most of all - STAY SAFE!!!

Slyt

[CiggyStoreClerk]

Friday we have "Chemical Agents," which means that I get to be exposed to pepper spray and tear gas.

I've been pepper sprayed before >_<
Be warned. It burns EVERYTHING.
Around and in your eyes, around and in your nose, around and in your mouth, your throat, your lungs, if you have asthma, it'll severely irritate it. Keep your eyes closed until they're rinsed, if you open them, they burn even more and then tear up. Then, wherever your tear falls, it will burn.
The only way to get rid of it is to dunk your head in a bucket of COLD (not hot, it makes it burn even more) water, with a hose running on your eyes at the same time.
Wash the clothes you're wearing at least five times before you wear them again. Although throwing them out is better. When you shower afterwards, make sure any water that's touched your hair doesn't touch your face, because then it'll start burning again.
It will not be a fun experience. All you can hope for is that you'll never get it again... and that the person spraying you is accidentally standing down wind

[Kara]

Sooo....what kind of weaponry DO you get anyway?

We have an armory that has just about everything you can think of. I myself won't be armed, since we don't want an inmate getting my weapon and making me a hostage.

If I get assigned to a guard tower, I will have a rifle with me in case someone tries to escape and I need to shoot them.

[Soria]

Sounds like GK wanted to hit you up for something.

[SportinGoods]

Are you allowed to kick an inmate in the nuts? Cause thats a no-fail option for me. Either that or the snatch and grab, you reach down and grab their balls and squeeze/pull at the same time.

[LifeCarnie]

That's about it for this week. Next week should be fun. Monday we have Self Defense training, so we get to kick the crap out of each other. Tuesday and Wednesday are Firearms training. More Firearms and Self Defense on Thursday. Friday we have "Chemical Agents," which means that I get to be exposed to pepper spray and tear gas.

speaking of body fluids.....

God I hated going to the gas chamber without a mask. It wears off fairly quickly, but still sucks.

I don't know about the shallow breathing tip. In my experience with CS (tear gas), we were made to be physically active, doing jumping jacks, etc., so that we would fully inhale the gas. Normally they don't make you open your eyes if you're in an enclosed chamber though, since it's bad enough to experience the effects on just your lungs.

I really hope you don't have a cold, because you won't be congested afterwards, but wish you were.

It's one thing to be afraid of it, it's completely another to experience it first hand.

[Tanasi]

We have an armory that has just about everything you can think of. I myself won't be armed, since we don't want an inmate getting my weapon and making me a hostage.

If I get assigned to a guard tower, I will have a rifle with me in case someone tries to escape and I need to shoot them.

I don't know your firearms background but I hope it's extensive because 2 days isn't nearly enough. Around here all corrections folks have to graduate from the LEO academy before they can work around inmates.
Good luck with the gas when I was in Army basic they gased us once in a tent for training and two or three times during a field exercise. It teaches you that your gas-mask is your friend.

[crazylegs]

Are you allowed to kick an inmate in the nuts? Cause thats a no-fail option for me. Either that or the snatch and grab, you reach down and grab their balls and squeeze/pull at the same time.

You forgot the twist, just for the added water in the eyes.

[Kara]

I don't know your firearms background but I hope it's extensive because 2 days isn't nearly enough.

Yeah, the instructors wanted to give us more but the state won't budget for any more than 8 hours every 12 months. They keep trying to fight it, but the powers that be up in the capitol say we don't discharge enough weapons to make them want to pay any more for firearms training. The best we can do is get our own guns and head out to local shooting ranges (we own the firing range, but the state also won't let us use it for personal practice since they don't want to pay Liability).

I was going to post a new thread, but since we're already on the topic....

I got to shoot today. I sucked at the .22. I need to do it again sometime to get a Pass. I needed to hit the target from the top of a tower 100 yards away 7 out of 10 times. The first time, I didn't even hit the target. By my 3rd try, I hit 6 out of 10.

The 12-gauge shotgun was fun. I expected a huge recoil to knock me on my ass, but it wasn't that bad. Cocking that thing and firing with a big BOOM makes you feel pretty powerful. I did okay with this. I passed, but I didn't hit the target with as much buckshot after 5 rounds as I had wanted to. I was dead-on with the slug though.

Then we moved on to the .38. Turns out I'm freaking deadly with this thing. It was big and clumsy when I fist handled it, and I didn't expect much out of it. But damn. We started at 1 yard away from the targets, moving back to 30 yards. I can really kick ass with this thing. I'm thinking of buying one so I can get even better with it. I needed to score 130 to qualify, and I scored 237.

[crazylegs]

Your rifle shooting, is it supported or unsupported, and what position are you shooting from, kneeling, standing or prone?

[Kara]

Um..... I dunno what that means (yeah, I'm such a badass ) The first 2 attempts, I was standing and leaning on the rail of the tower. The third time, I was kneeling. My main problem was that it was the sight on the rifle. It was this big freaking.... thing. I couldn't see well enough around it to see where the hell I was shooting. It blocked out my target completely. It was also hard to keep it steady and it kicked too much. I thought I'd have the same problem with the shotgun, but I did a lot better with it.

[crazylegs]

so you supported (ie the rifle is allowed to rest on something else other than your hands).

If the tuition stage has finished (and you'll get no more) and want some tips send me a PM as I may be able to help (I've shot to standard of RAF marksman on a number of occasions and have spent a fair amount of time on 100m ranges)

[Shangri-laschild]

Do you get to take your gun home? If you do, one thing that helps you practice is dry firing. No bullets, but still aiming and shooting.

[Geek King]

They also make small lasers that fit in the gun barrel for basic shooting form practice. It helps to get your muscles used to moving in the right way for drawing and firing quickly, without shelling out the cash for live ammo. You still want live fire practice, of course, but it could help.

On the rifle issue, it sounds like the sight was mis-set. You might want to get some lessons at a private range so you know how the sight should look. Find out what kind of sights they use so you can get the right training. I always preferred round sights for non-scope shooting, but you'll be stuck with whatever you're provided with on the job.

Good job with the shotgun and .38, though. That's good shooting for your first time!