The Austrian Armed Forces are currently involved in many different missions. Training for these missions also includes weapons training. Pistol training was on the agenda for the basic conscripts of Jäger Battalion 23 these days.
Soldiers are armed with different weapons depending on their role. For most soldiers, this is the 77 assault rifle, and all soldiers are always trained with this weapon first. This takes place in the first part of the three-part basic training during the six months of basic military service. Training on other weapons takes place in the following two parts. The soldiers in Vorarlberg are equipped with a pistol instead of or in addition to the assault rifle for tasks as part of the security police assistance mission during the Covid-19 pandemic and also for other missions. Before the soldiers go to the shooting range, they first have hours of “dry training” on the program. An essential part of this is the topic of “safety”, which is the top priority at every stage of handling the pistol. When shooting with a pistol, well-practiced movement sequences are essential. From drawing the pistol from the safety holster, aiming with one or two hands, aiming with the rear sight and front sight, firing without “tearing”, observing the surroundings, checking the function of the weapon, to returning it to the safety holster, all of these must be practiced and automated. Removing jams and reloading must also be mastered. Once these procedures have been practiced in “dry training”, it’s time to go to the shooting range. Vorarlberg does not have a shooting range. For many years, soldiers had to travel to Tyrol to complete their practical shooting training. For some years now, they have been practising in an indoor shooting range in the Walgau barracks.
The range is of a high technical standard. Assault rifles and pistols can be fired at a distance of ten meters. Distances are simulated by the size of the target. The smaller the target, the further away it appears. Sensors on the wall detect the hits. The evaluation takes place via a digital display. Three shooters can fire at the same time. A modern ventilation system extracts the harmful gases produced when firing and appropriate insulation reduces the volume of the sound. The spatial separation of those soldiers who are shooting and those who are preparing to shoot guarantees a safe and trouble-free process. Modern hearing protection prevents damage to hearing.
