“We get to throw real-live hand grenades?!,” I excitedly asked my mobility school training instructor as my class and I stood out in the blistering nearly-summer Florida sun, in the middle of an open field, somewhere on Duke Field in the Panhandle of Florida.
Up until this point, our days had been spent digging holes, a/k/a “Fox Holes” or “Defensive Fighting Positions” and filling sandbags.
Did I mention the heat? The idea of doing something that did not involve manual labor felt like a cool breeze to me. I was all in!
“Yes, kinda.”
The Air Force Master Sergeant went on and explained what we were throwing was not really a hand grenade in the Hollywood movie sense, but rather a GBE (Ground Burst Simulator). Its purpose was more to expose us as trainees to the experience and resulting sound of a grenade – but in a “safe” training environment where the resulting ‘shrapnel’ came in the form of an epoxy plug that was ejected at the moment of detonation.
Safe grenades, I thought. Hmm, what could possibly go wrong?
I stepped up to the line to take my turn tossing my “faux-grenade” when my mind blanked on all the instructions I had just been given on how to complete the task at hand.
I fumbled with the cord and eventually mustered up enough strength to give it a good yank.
Then I froze.
My instructor gave the command to throw it but instead of springing into action like a superhero ninja like I envisioned in my mind, I watched in slow-motion as I gently rolled the GBE like a bowling ball. It came to rest way too close for comfort.
Before I could formulate a thought, I was jerked out of my reverie by my instructor who grabbed me by the back of my pants and HURLED all 110 pounds of me out of harm’s way.
The GBE exploded and the dangerous epoxy cap ‘shrapnel’ landed safely only a few feet away from me.
Notwithstanding a bit of humiliation, I was grinning from ear-to-ear. That was AWESOME!!!
We all had a good laugh and I still chuckle today when I think back to my first experience with hand grenades. While I was convinced at the beginning that nothing could go wrong, I quickly learned otherwise and have been much safer in my handling of such devices since.
Similarly, many things can go wrong when firearms, hand grenades, and other devices are not transferred properly during times of incapacity or death. This is where a Firearms Trust, or “Gun Trust,” can help you avoid a lot of unfortunate results, including unintentional felonies.
A Gun Trust is similar to a traditional Revocable Living Trust but differs in that it is specifically designed for firearms and other items controlled by the National Firearms Act.
If you have questions about how Gun Trusts can help you avoid making costly mistakes in your Estate Plan, I can help! You can email me or text me: 813-538-2258
Angela “GI Jane, But Not Really” Tormey