Commentary
The following article describes K.C. Aud’s first day in the shoot house at ME A-School at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) written after passing his team’s lethal use of force drills. [Editor’s note: ME A-School, or Maritime Enforcement Specialist “A” School, trains Coast Guard personnel to provide security and law enforcement support for U.S. Coast Guard missions.]
Feb. 23, 2021: FLETC, Charleston, South Carolina
The wall I’m propped against is a repurposed shipping container, one of a dozen in this tiny yard. Stacked three high and arranged to simulate the superstructure of a commercial vessel, their outsides are covered in conduit, wall-mounted air conditioners, and ladders and railings. At first glance, the whole arrangement looks like the Department of Defense version of a fast-food restaurant playground. I hear muffled shouting and the hollow pop and bang of low velocity “simunition” bullets hitting the walls. It’s a strange contrast to the birds and everyday sounds of a government facility. Someone inside the containers starts screaming unintelligible commands followed by more gunfire….