FIRE FOR EFFECT By Jason Kuchel, 2 RAR
I was instructing on a sniper course around up at 250-man camp, High Range training area back in about 2001. The course was going well about 3/4 of the way along. Being a keen hunter, I’d brought my compound bow along just in case I crossed paths with a pig or two while out setting up lessons in the early morning and late afternoon.
One evening, while the night navigation was being conducted, someone asked, “How high does that thing fire arrows?” So outside the comms hut I taped a cyalume stick to the arrow and fired straight up. No problem; we watched the arrow go up and come down – all good. This went on for 20 mins or so with four or five guys taking turns. Then the cyalume stick came away from the arrow in mid-flight while being fired up.
“Oh fuck!” reigned out as this arrow was returning to ground but with no fix on it. It could have landed anywhere. Diggers were diving under Land Rovers and running inside the comms hut. It was complete chaos. After 20 seconds or so we crawled out from the safety of the shelters to which we’d scrambled to go and find this arrow. One guy grabbed a torch, walked around the back of the hut and saw one of the instructors laying flat on his back with an arrow sticking out of him! There were more sounds of “Holy Fuck”. We are all screwed, reigned out as the rest of us ran out back to see the mess. We all honestly thought he was dead, and with our full attention, we quickly set about first aid, not noticing that the arrow was actually tucked under his arm. Our casualty sat up and proudly said, “I had you fucks going, didn’t I!”
His name was Tony Allen – great bloke and funny little fuck.
Quote!
Make it too tough for the enemy to get in, and you won’t be able to get
out.
Quote!
The Q-Store has only two sizes – too large and too small.
