Covering the role of both shooter and spotter wasn’t a problem for Wade in this exercise. He would teach Yari what he could, hoping the assigned pairing was not a preview of how things would go during the rest of the training. Wade wondered, What score is Yari going to shoot? Will his score be combined with mine for a team score? A combined score might ruin Wade’s rating on this exercise.
They were first assigned to the short range: targets ranging between 150–250 yards down range with a 5-mph wind blowing from left to right. The short range target appeared the size of a frozen ant that could only be seen with strong binoculars or the 5x power high resolution rifle scope.
Wade started explaining the differences in ballistics between the short and long ranges, but got only a blank stare from Yari. After a brief discussion of shooting principles, it became clear Yari was in complete overload. It was so bad that Wade wasn’t convinced Yari knew which end of the gun to hold.
At that moment, Wade was determined to help Yari get out of the class. He did his best to get him through the short range targets, though. Perhaps he would be paired with someone else for the long range.
“I’m going to walk you through each step of the shooting procedure. Listen to what I’m saying and watch everything I do. I’ll do my own spotting and shoot first; then I’ll turn the weapon over to you, and I’ll do your spotting for you. Now, after you get into your shooting stance, the first thing you do is dope your scope.”
As Wade explained, Yari listened, seemingly understanding general concepts and the math about ballistics from what Wade explained. He didn’t seem eager to learn, but at least he was more than happy to comply by following Wade’s instructions.
Handing the binoculars to Yari, Wade explained what he was supposed to be observing. Using the scope, Wade made his own calculations for target distance, windage, and drop. He then adjusted the scope, explaining as he went through each step.
Wade fired his first round. He was high and to the right by an inch of the center of the target. He took some time to explain to Yari where the round had landed and why his initial calculations were slightly off.
Yari again seemed to comprehend the math, but was clueless how to make the scope adjustments. Wade made two adjustments, and his next round hit the target dead center. He continued making his spotting calculations out loud and shooting while trying to explain to Yari what he was doing and why.
Yari continued to grasp the math and was starting to do some of the calculations in his head as Wade spoke. Wade soon learned he was doing the math without understanding how a round performed when it left the barrel. Except for the first shot, all of Wade’s seven rounds were within a half inch of each other.
The instructor called out for teams to switch positions. Wade got the rifle in Yari’s hands and positioned properly. Yari reluctantly followed Wade’s instructions. Even with Wade’s instruction, Yari’s groupings weren’t very good. Wade tried to coach Yari as he looked down-range through the binoculars.
“You’ve got a 9-inch spread, with one round missing the target completely. You flinch anticipating the kick of the rifle, causing movement just before you fire.”
“I don’t like how hard this thing kicks.”
“You have to ignore the kick. By the time you feel the kick, the bullet has already left the barrel. It’s your flinching before you pull the trigger that’s causing the problem, not the kick itself.”
After several rounds Yari was still anticipating the kick. It seemed like a lost cause. Still, Wade didn’t want to see Yari fail his target test, because they might record the session as a combined team score. He placed a few of his own rounds dead center on Yari’s target. Wade managed to score high on his target test. And thanks to Wade’s helping rounds, Yari got a minimal passing score, but Wade wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to be able to help his friend.
Chapter 7
For the session at the long range, the instructor switched team members, and Yari was sent to someone outside of Wade’s line of sight. He wished Yari well and reminded him of the steps to follow as he turned to leave.
Wade’s new team member was an experienced spotter by the name of Max Yeoman. Max had just returned from his first tour of duty in Vietnam and had applied for Special Forces training. The two men bonded, and by the end of the long-range exercise they had scores high enough to have gone into battle as a sniper team. The tight groupings on the long range target by both men showed what a coordinated effort between experienced spotter and shooter could produce.
During the long range exercise, Wade looked around periodically for Yari, but his vision was blocked by the number of bodies and curvature of the range. After the long-range session ended, the class went over to a group of buildings for a small arms close combat exercise. Team members were switched again, and Yari was assigned to yet another team. Wade worried about Yari in unknown hands, but there was no way to protect him.
On the next team, Wade was blessed again with another good spotter and teammate by the name of Charlie Moorefield. This exercise finished with Wade scoring a tight grouping of nine shots in the rapid fire exercise. Again Wade looked for Yari, but only saw him once entering one of the simulation buildings with an automatic pistol in hand.
The sight of Yari entering the combat training building caused Wade to remember he hadn’t given him much in the way of safety instruction. He hoped Yari knew to keep the pistol pointed away from himself or anyone else. Wade wondered if the instructors would pick up on Yari’s inexperience. They might do him a favor and kick him out of the class, or worse, there would be a weapons accident. Wade feared for instructors and other innocent people who might be in the exercise with him.
It wasn’t until late that afternoon when the men returned to the barracks that Wade had a chance to speak to Yari again. Asking Yari how things had gone didn’t get much response. Yari thanked Wade for helping him, but he clearly didn’t want to talk. At the mess hall that evening, Wade finally got Yari talking a little about his day. None of what he said seemed encouraging.
“My assigned team members after you just laughed at me, calling me an asshole.”
That wasn’t the whole story. Yari wanted to let the conversation drop, and Wade didn’t push, but waited until Yari was able to continue.
“The NSA never explained to me what I was getting into here. I would never consider shooting anyone or even at anyone. I don’t even like guns.”
In Yari’s world, the outer limits of aggressive combat was decoding encrypted messages or hacking into someone else’s computer. Coming to terms with his predicament was good, but Wade wasn’t sure what alternatives were still open to him. He was registered in the system for the class. To have a drop-out on his record now might negatively impact his career. It was time to have a serious discussion with Yari about leaving the class before they started the live exercise.
“The next several days will be spent in the woods and swamp, having to navigate unfamiliar terrain and carry out surveillance against other designated enemy teams. In the next round, we’ll have to evade teams seeking us out as targets.”