Many moons ago when I was young and very excitable, (Still excitable, just not so young

) on my potential NCO's course I was acting as NCO i/c of the recce section to take a look at a farm which we knew was ocupied by the enemy
Anyway, its 2am and no moon. I brief the squad, and start to move them down the ditch which borders the back of the farm. Everything is going well and the DS is behind me with beady eyes boring into my back.
I can't remember how many of us there were on the squad, around seven I think, but the squad halts and I move to the front, have a chat with point man and make my way back to converse with my 2i/c. The DS is crouched down to listen to my brief
As I started to crouch down I caught my foot in a rut, fell forward and grabed what I thought was a branch. No, its the cocking handle on my SMG! I fall down, the butt of the gun hits the ground and night becomes day!!! I had a runaway, with the DS and his face not 3 feet from the barrel. Thank god for blanks! Luckily the blank protector managed to disperse the flame and the DS had his face coated in camo paint and lost only his eye brows
Exercise abandoned! I am given a suitable dressing down and alls well in the end. I got my stripes and the DS and I actually ended up as friends. However, he suggested that I might be safer terrorising the skies than running around with a loaded gun in the middle of the night. That is another story
However the moral is if you carry a weapon you are responsible for it! Even a gun with a blank can and has killed or caused serious injury.
If you are in charge of others with weapons you are even more responsible!
Live and blank, simply should never be mixed. Thank god there was no one killed, but the trauma for those who have been injured and the soldiers involved will be dreadful. I feel sorry for them all.
I wish them all a safe recovery.