<p>So I was talking with potter last night. She is currently participating in an exercise for 3dig cadets called Global Engagement. This teaches the cadets the skills needed to protect and Air Base in a hostile environment, and the proper use of chemical warfare gear. </p>
<p>When I was in Civil Engineering we did this annually. When the base was under attack we would be wearing MILES gear (laser tag). If you got shot an ear peircing alarm would sound and you would become a casualty. No pain other then the intial shock to your ears.</p>
<p>Well USAFA in it’s infinite wisdom has chosen to use rubber bullets. Potter proudly announced she had been shot and it hurt. She has a large bruise on her left arm, and apperently it did break some skin. She was on the first assualt team and as they approached the building they would secure the enemy (security forces) opened up on them. She was actually struck several times but her helmet and airmans manual took a couple of the blows.</p>
<p>Those of you who know her know she isn’t the largest target. So Falcon, Petko, CDK, Redhead and the rest be carefull.</p>
<p>I guess now people will try extra hard not to get shot. Police use rubber bullets occasionally to take down fleeing suspects, so they must hurt.</p>
<p>if it's the same stuff we used last year (which i assume it is, correct me if i'm wrong) than it's not rubber bullets that USAFA is using, but simunitions or paintballs. It is a regular bullet loaded into a M-16 round but instead of a bullet, it is wax with a colored dye on the inside to mark when a target is shot. Cadets who go through this program are in full BDU, with gloves, and huge masks so the damage to the body is usually limited to bruises. Sometimes the simunition can break the skin but in most cases, it only happens if it comes in contact with unprotected skin. This would be a failure on the cadets part to not secure their uniforms. This is by far the best part of GE. and it teaches you a lot about what true security forces personnel go through in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is great training, and should not be discredited in any way. I doubt the academy is using rubber bullets</p>
<p>CDK also said they had changed and were using more of a rubber bullet and that it stung if hit. He was talking to us but I was in and out of the room. I really only remember him saying the sound was the as a real M-16, would not really hurt you, and was more than your basic paintball hit.
He also really liked this part of the training and thought it was great. That is a very quick overview of the short converstation.</p>
<p>Wasn't making an attempt to demean the training. In fact she was about s up beat as I have heard in days. Yes she was wearing some type of mask that inhibited her vision and contributed to the ease of being successfully targeted by the SF people. Biggest point was "It Hurt". Wasn't a paintball did cause a large bruise with some small amount of bleeding as I understood her. I actually do believe as long as it is non lethal it is great training, as I said I did this every year in CE in addition to all the Silver Flag exercises in Fla. When you go out and do it like this it really is fun.</p>
<p>In my opinion, MILES gear is loads of fun. I volunteer at a camp that is for kids with relatives in the Army or Air National Guard of Minnesota (I go because practically everyone on my dad's side of the family works at the 148th/179 FW in Duluth, MN) and the kids aged 13-15 get to go play with the MILES gear at the combat simulation area with rubber M-16s. Last year I went with them to one of the parks on base and ran around shooting up little kids! Not too sure i'd enjoy the rubber/paint rounds too much though.</p>
<p>It was actually as Grooog said, 5.56(m-16) cartriges with a paintball tip. The pain not that I can personally testify(but from NCO's and others) mainly depended on the range at which you got hit. That day with Security Forces was by far the most exciting for me, very intense but alot of fun. :) Something I could see myself doing if UPT(fighters..hopefully) dont work out, knock on wood..;).</p>
<p>Rubber bullets hurt. Real bullets hurt more. </p>
<p>Take this training seriously and squeeze every once of knowledge you can out of the folks running it. The chances you'll be "defending the wire in full chem gear" are remote, the chances you will survive it if this actually happens are even smaller if you're blow this training off.</p>
<p>ACC has implemented CST (Combat Survival Skills) training for ALL members who are about to deploy (in fact, I think it is becomig mandatory AF wide). A couple of days doing EXACTLY what you are doing now. A program stillin its infancy, but some valuable knowledge none-the-less (defensive positions, basic convoy ops, attack reactions, pat-down techniques, etc.) As the SRO when I went through, I had to lead 70 people through this training as the acting base commander--very INTERESTING stuff. And yes, very fun as well. ENJOY!</p>
<p>Yes CDK and Groog she just told me it was simunition and was an M-16 cartridge with a paint/rubber tip. They were ambushed at pretty close range and unsble to see becuase th masks decreased their vision. She has a nice welt today and a small scab. She really did enjoy it. Next up the snot/gas chamber.</p>
<p>That was pretty fun. And it's not a rubber bullet. It's Sim rounds, as was said earlier. They sting a little but won't hurt you unless you get hit in the eye or something (but you wear a mask to prevent this from happening.) </p>
<p>They jam your rifle pretty easily, though. Just remember, SPORTS...</p>
<p>They do hurt....a lot. I was shot last year about 6-7 times in my back, fortunately at a decent range. Some of my friends had broken skin from being shot at 5 feet which penetrated their BDUs, t-shirt, and hit skin. Those welts lasted awhile!</p>
<p>Simuntition pain/penetration is VERY dependent on the range. I was hit from 30+ feet, and that did not hurt (well, the wrist shot stung a bit). Another guy was shot at point blank, and the simunition lodged in his back, after going through his clothing.</p>