[kraigwy]

I was stupid in my younger years, but not all my shooting without ear protections was avoidable.

Of course in SE Asia, we didn't use ear protection. The worse incident was when we were building Firebase Bastonge. We built positions and would switch out with other units in the field.

We were building our bunker and figured we had it heavy enough to withstand any mortar or B40 rockets.

We didn't count on the Leg Arty putting an 8 incher behind our bunker. When they started sighting it in, the first round cause it to shake, we de de'd the bunker as the muzzle blast from the second round caused it to cave in.

Screw it, we didn't need a bunker anyway, we just dug a hole. But the muzzle blast did a number on my ears. That wasn't the only one but it was my worse.

Fast forward a few years. I was the weapons Sgt in a NG SF unit. We were going to St Lawrence Island to teach the Native Guard Members about some older US and Forgien weapons.

We couldn't get any military '06 ammo so I rounded up every piece of brass I could find to load '06 for some BARs and 'A6 MGs. Since the brass was hard to come by (in those numbers) I wanted to save it. We were shooting on the ice of the Bering Sea.

So there I set, next to an 'A6 machine gun catching brass as it came out without any ear protection what so ever. But I saved most of the brass which would have sunk in the snow and ice.

Of course my years in EOD with the police department or nearly 40 years shooting competition didn't help my hearing very much either.

Even with electronic hearing protection I have to get a tap when shooting because I can't hear the shot timer.

Don't count on hearing aids, they are "aids" not fixes for lost hearing.

Nothing will bring my wrath like seeing my kids or grandkids shooting without eye and ear protection.

Even with double ear protection, I recommend no one get near anyone shooting a brake on their rifle.

I'm a firm believer in legalizing suppressors for rifles. I think they should be mandatory on organized rifle matches. They would go a long ways keeping people ears from being like mine.