{"sf1_id":126666,"sf2_id":"4nA5qjAn","title":"The Academy - Fire When Ready","author":"SrA havenofimage","words":1407,"posted_at":"2010-02-18T02:25:00.000Z","tags":["Gun","Military","No-Yiff","Snow Leopard","Training","Various Species","sniper"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/126666-the-academy-fire-when-ready","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/4nA5qjAn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/6e/19/6e19f3fe-34a0-4225-89f8-3d874af670b0","description":"#5 of The Academy","content":"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;The next two weeks seemed to fly by in comparison to the first part.\u0026nbsp; Sure, we were still being yelled at, but the days at Camp Manadoch were filled with events that challenged our mental limits and problem solving.\u0026nbsp; We did ropes courses and had to put our lives in the hands of our classmates while suspended high above the ground.\u0026nbsp; We learned small unit tactics and maneuvers with paintball guns, fighting against the upperclassmen.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; If I had thought the squad had come together on campus, it was nothing compared to what we were now.\u0026nbsp; Each day forced me to learn more about my squad members and put my trust into them.\u0026nbsp; Unlike many of the other squads, we spent all of our time together.\u0026nbsp; During the day, we had to stay together, but at night, we spent our free time in the platoon pavilion, sitting and talking.\u0026nbsp; I soon felt as if I had grown up with these four individuals.\u0026nbsp; Chris even got a new nickname, Tank.\u0026nbsp; A senior cadet had made the comment when Chris picked up a heavy canvas that usually required three cadets to lift.\u0026nbsp; We joked about it afterwards, but the name stuck.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Early in the second week, we traveled to the range to begin weapon training and qualification.\u0026nbsp; I had been looking forward to this most.\u0026nbsp; I finally got to fire a real gun, made for killing, not just for sport like all the ones I had shot in the past.\u0026nbsp; There was a gunnery sergeant in charge of the range.\u0026nbsp; He was a cheetah and it looked as if he had seen his share of combat.\u0026nbsp; I let my mind wander as he explained range safety.\u0026nbsp; If you've heard one safety speech, you've heard them all.\u0026nbsp; I listened intently though when he started talking about the operation of the weapons we would be using.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Soon I was on the firing line.\u0026nbsp; I had earplugs in, and goggles on.\u0026nbsp; I was holding an assault rifle, safety switched on.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Range is hot, fire when ready.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I looked down the barrel.\u0026nbsp; The gun had a simple post sight, but it was good enough for this.\u0026nbsp; I flicked the fire selector from safe to three round burst and sighted in on my target.\u0026nbsp; I squeezed the trigger and felt the triple recoil as the rifle discharged.\u0026nbsp; I looked through the spotting scope next to my position.\u0026nbsp; The center of my target was gone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I had found my calling.\u0026nbsp; Soon I had mastered not only the first assault rifle, but a second, shorter barreled one, the under mounted grenade launcher, and the standard .45 caliber sidearm.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Looks like we've got a natural here,\" the sergeant laughed as he looked over my targets.\u0026nbsp; \"Superb shooting.\u0026nbsp; It must be a cat thing.\u0026nbsp; How would you like to try something a little, bigger?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Bigger?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Ya, let's try you out with a sniper rifle.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I followed him to a new shooting lane.\u0026nbsp; This one was much longer and wider.\u0026nbsp; I could barely make out a target a ways in the distance.\u0026nbsp; I stood there waiting.\u0026nbsp; The sergeant walked back with a large case in his hands.\u0026nbsp; He popped open the latches and opened it reveling the rifle inside.\u0026nbsp; I stared at it in awe.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"This is the diplomat.\u0026nbsp; It's the standard weapon for most of our scout snipers.\u0026nbsp; Not our highest caliber rifle, but it's light, accurate, and gets the job done.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I lifted it out of the case and looked over it.\u0026nbsp; Bolt action with an eight round detatchable box magazine.\u0026nbsp; It had a 12x scope attached, but that could be swapped out for different sights.\u0026nbsp; There was a collapsible bipod on the front and everything looked adjustable.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;The sergeant left to go get some rounds for it.\u0026nbsp; I walked the rifle to the firing line, flipped down the bipod and set it on the ground.\u0026nbsp; I dropped down next to it and began adjusting the gun to fit my body and position.\u0026nbsp; I raised the butt plate to rest against my shoulder properly.\u0026nbsp; The spot weld was too far away, so I moved it in.\u0026nbsp; Much better.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You look like you know what you're doing.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The cheetah had returned and he handed me a loaded magazine.\u0026nbsp; I slid it into the rifle and heard a satisfying click as it locked into place.\u0026nbsp; I worked the bolt with my index finger.\u0026nbsp; I felt no resistance from the smooth action as a round slid into place.\u0026nbsp; I ran my hand over the stock as I adjusted my position.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Are you going to shoot it or make love to it?\" one of the cadets assisting with the range joked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Silence, let's see what he can do.\u0026nbsp; Ears and eyes on.\u0026nbsp; Range clear, fire when ready.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I put my hearing and eye protection on, flipped the safety to the off position, and looked through the scope.\u0026nbsp; I sighted in on the target. \u0026nbsp;It couldn't be larger than a grapefruit.\u0026nbsp; I breathed slowly.\u0026nbsp; The sights rose, and fell in time with my breath.\u0026nbsp; A slight breeze ran through my fir and across the tips of my ears.\u0026nbsp; I slid my finger off the stock and onto the trigger.\u0026nbsp; I increased pressure until I felt the subtle resistance of the firing mechanism.\u0026nbsp; The tip of my tail twitched.\u0026nbsp; I inhale and watched as the sights rise about an inch past center.\u0026nbsp; As I exhaled, I paused, squeezed the trigger imperceptibly and heard the report as the rifle discharged.\u0026nbsp; I finished letting out my breath and inhaled again before reloading.\u0026nbsp; I heard the metallic clink as the casing hit the ground.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; This process was repeated twice more.\u0026nbsp; I left the bolt open, pushed on the safety, and set the butt the rifle on the ground and checked my shots through the sighting scope next to me.\u0026nbsp; There was a group of holes in the target to the right of center and a little high.\u0026nbsp; I turned the knobs on the scope, counting clicks, estimating the required adjustment.\u0026nbsp; I picked up the rifle and sighted again.\u0026nbsp; I loaded a round into the chamber and fired.\u0026nbsp; I checked my shot.\u0026nbsp; Bull's eye.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Cease Fire!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I was startled.\u0026nbsp; I had almost forgotten that other people were here.\u0026nbsp; I pulled out my ear plugs and raised the shooting glasses to the top of my head.\u0026nbsp; When I turned around, I saw my entire squad was standing behind the firing line with the sergeant.\u0026nbsp; He had a look of astonishment on his face.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Have you ever done this before?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"The most I've shot is a 22 target rifle in my biathlon competitions.\u0026nbsp; Never anything like this.\u0026nbsp; It's fun though.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Son, do you know how far away that target is?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I don't know, couple hundred yards?\"\u0026nbsp; What was everyone going on about?\u0026nbsp; Shooting a gun wasn't exactly rocket science.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Son, that's close to three quarters of a mile.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; That night I sat with my squad at a table playing P's and A's.\u0026nbsp; I was still a little shocked about that shot.\u0026nbsp; I had no idea that it was that long.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Pair of twos.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Where did you learn to shoot like that?\" Tank asked me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Two fours.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I don't know.\u0026nbsp; Shooting has always come naturally to me.\u0026nbsp; I figured it did for everyone.\u0026nbsp; I mean in competition skiing has never been up to par with the top competitors, but I never take penalties which is what saved me at state.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Two sevens.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Shit!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You can't beat two sevens?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"We call Thomas Tank because he's so strong, what are we going to call you now?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You can call me President,\" I said as I played the last two cards in my hand.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Damn, you're too good at this game.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; We finished off camp with another cadet challenge.\u0026nbsp; This one, unfortunately for us, was a series of individual competitions.\u0026nbsp; Though Curry put down the best time through the obstacle coarse, and I dominated at the range, It was only enough to put us in third. \u0026nbsp;We marched back to campus, the Squad Challenge ribbon missing from our guidon.\u0026nbsp; As we covered the short distance, I couldn't help but wonder what they had in store for us when we got back.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"The Academy","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/126441-the-academy-squad-chalenge.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/126805-the-academy-the-final-chalenge.json"}}