Imagine if you were a race car driver and for two years you prepared for the Daytona 500 by driving endless practice laps with the same car. During that time, you would learn every component of that car, its speed, its strengths and weaknesses, and you would eventually become one with the car. But then, on the day of the race, when your blood is pumping and adrenaline is flowing, race officials stepped down and ordered that you would not be able to use the car you practiced with, instead using a different car that they deemed appropriate.
This is what some special operators of our U.S. military go through everyday and they are finally voicing their humble opinion.
According to Fox News:
After SEALs return from a deployment, their rifles are given to other commandos who are shipping out, said Hunter, a former Marine who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. This weapons carousel undercuts the "train like you fight" ethos of the U.S. special operations forces, they said.
Sharing rifles may seem inconsequential. It's not. The weapons, which are outfitted with telescopic targeting sights and laser pointers, are fine-tuned to individual specifications and become intensely personal pieces of gear.
"They want their rifles," Hunter said. "It's their lifeline. So let them keep their guns until they're assigned desk jobs at the Pentagon."
These minor details can cause catastrophic damages on the battlefield. If you lack faith in your weapon system, it can lead to a lack of faith in yourself. Every time you pull the trigger, you want 100 percent surety that the weapon will function. Without this confidence, split-second mistakes can ultimately lead to death.
