Trent Powell had spent four years serving the Army and just returned from his first deployment when he was given extended leave. He spent the first three days with close family and, most importantly, his new daughter, who was born during his deployment. On his fourth day home, Trent’s friend, Joe, asked him to join him for target practice. Joe was relatively new to the sports of hunting and shooting and hoped Trent would share some of his experience and skills with him. Trent gladly agreed and the two met on Joe’s land, where he had a large hay field.
Joe and Trent set up targets at various distances and competed to see who could make the best shot. After a couple of hours, Joe had grown tired of being beaten by Trent. When Joe noticed a squirrel about 80 yards down range, he decided to make a bet. “Whoever hits the squirrel gets free beer,” he challenged Trent. Joe took the first shot " a miss. Trent then took his shot, stopping the squirrel in its tracks. Not convinced Trent had struck the squirrel, Joe suggested they go confirm the hit. Trent agreed and the two walked downrange to view the squirrel.
Upon reaching the animal, they noticed it had been wounded by Trent’s shot but was still alive. Without warning, Joe pointed his rifle at the squirrel and pulled the trigger. Trent’s next memory is lying on the ground facing the sky with Joe’s shirt being held to his forehead. Unknown to the two men, a rock was just under the surface of the ground beneath the squirrel. When the bullet from Joe’s rifle struck the rock, a piece of shrapnel ricocheted into Trent’s forehead.
Trent was lucky. The doctors decided the bullet fragment wasn’t a danger to Trent, and the piece remains embedded in his forehead today. But not all Soldiers are as fortunate. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in off-duty incidents " many which result in fatalities. While privately owned vehicle and motorcycle accidents still account for the greatest number of casualties, off-duty firearms fatalities also continue to be a problem for our Army.
Trent may have followed many of the proper procedures he had learned, but he let his situational awareness slip once he returned home. Trent never should have allowed Joe to leave his rifle loaded when they went downrange to inspect the squirrel. He could have also insisted the weapons be left in the truck before heading downrange. It is important to remember that even though you may not be on duty or in theater, danger is always present. It only takes one mistake to cause a catastrophe.
THINK Weapons Safety
Soldiers must remember to THINK any time they’re handling a privately owned weapon:
Treat every weapon as if it’s loaded.
Handle every weapon with care.
Identify the target before you fire.
Never point the muzzle at anything you don’t intend to shoot.
Keep the weapon on safe and your finger off the trigger until you intend to fire.
For more information on safe weapons handling, visit the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center’s Range and Weapons Safety Toolbox website at https://safety.army.mil.
Did You Know?
In an effort to reduce off-duty accidental firearms incidents, the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center has developed an interactive online tool called Firearms Safety Techniques. The site is available for Soldiers, Families and Civilians at https://safety.army.mil. Give it a shot today!
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