"Mali army trains without ammunition" Topic

Is this really effective? I'd be embarrassed if I had to do this in training. (Though the way budgets are, maybe all of our local militaries will be doing this soon?)

YouTube link

In the 1930s the British Army issued rattles to simulate LMG fire…. And it minimises the risk of casualties in training.

Back in the day when I did my military service, some training exercises now and then sort of involved making BANG-BANG! sounds to simulate firing. There were also other sounds to simulate incoming artillery barrage (suggesting that it was time to dive for cover).

On training, proper ammunition was only issued on various shooting ranges, where it could be safely employed.

There were also two kinds of ammunition employed for training purposes. First was made without propellant, and used for practicing proper handling of ammo in early training (especially for loading magazines). Second one had a reduced amount of propellant and a wooden bullet, and was intended to be used with an accessory mounted at the muzzle that would stop and destroy the bullet (without the accessory the gas-recoil mechanism would not work properly, so in case it would come off you could no longer fire semi or fully automatic). That round would still give a noise and recoil resembling a real round.

Through the centuries of gunpowder history, live firing was extremely limited most of the time, as I have read about it. Save rounds, save money.

They also go into combat w/ limited ammo,which causes manyloses and desertions.On a patrol last week ,the MG gunner had only 60 rounds…lots of corruption selling ammo from bases on black market ,sometimes even to the enemy.

I don't think the Mali Army is the standard …

Fond memories.

Bang, bang, bang, click, bang

The click was to get you to go through the immediate action drills.

Had a good friend in infantry who talked about the MILES gear back in the 80s. His squad found that, if you tapped on the miles gear with a spoon or similar item, you could set it off. The squad then proceeded to terrorize their hated LT by setting off his gear every time they stopped and he'd have to get reset only to have someone else tap him. But he couldn't prove who did it since the weapons didn't fire. Still just one step up from bang bang.

Yes, we used MILES often. But as an Infantry LT I didn't have the "problem" of the LT in your post. I never knew you could use a spoon or similar to active the MILES ?

And as far as BANG, BANG, repeat. The Army ROTC unit at my alma mater are not allowed to have actual weapons on campus today. They have to do Bang, etc. if training on Campus. With dummy weapons I guess ?

Back in '75-'79 when I was a Cadet there, we had an entire arms room with 03s, M14s, M60s, .45s, etc. Later we had the M14 replaced by the M16. And did a lot of training at Boy Scout Camps, etc., also …

But simple basic assembly/disassembly, zeroing, etc., soldier tasks we did on Campus at the ROTC building. Today I guess they have their weapons stored at a nearby NG/USAR Armory? And do the simple basic weapons tasks of soldiering are done there or other local NG/USAR Camps? But not on campus …

Interestingly back in the '50s, we were told, my ROTC unit even had a few 37mm AA guns(?) stored at the ROTC complex on Campus. The Cadets would do gun drills, etc. As it was known, our town, Youngstown, OH, because of being a big steel producing area. We were on the USSR's target list. Or so they/we were told …

Times change …

The British were training, and equipped with broomsticks and pitchforks back before the Battle of Britain kicked off in earnest, and before or just after Dunkirk, so…..

Sometimes the situation leaves you no other choice than being forced to e.g. "use broomsticks", etc. …

Not where you want to be … but then again nor was Dunkirk or more recently the Kabul Airport.