Doh!

[TexRod]

Glad It’s a Rental #297

Seems a pair of soldiers were driving a rented SUV at a test and training range out west one night. Seems an F-16 pilot was getting some target practice at the time. Seems the SUV was in the target area. Seems the pilot was a good shot.

A local spokesman said the soldiers were not hit but suffered minor injuries "while exiting the vehicle in rough terrain." Personally, any minor injuries I suffered while bailing out of a vehicle and running away while being shot at with REALLY big bullets would be a welcome alternative.

The soldiers had been training to identify enemy targets and direct aircraft to fire on them. And to this, all we can say is, “Now you know what it feels like.”

Have you ever seen those little stick-on “bullet hole” decals you can get for your car? This is what the jumbo version would look like. I just wish we had a photo of the expression on the face of the car-rental employee when this one was towed back in.

Update: According to an Air Force news release, investigators determined that this mishap was due to pilot error. "The cause of the accident was the failure of the pilot to positively identify the intended target during the nighttime, close air support training sortie," the news release said. The F-16 pilot had been wearing night-vision goggles while firing the jet's 20 millimeter canon. He briefly lost sight of the target area as rolled and began the strafing run, then misidentified the SUV as the target, which was actually 1.5 miles away. The two soldiers in the SUV were part of a different training project on the range.

[TexRod]

The 'light paint and body damage' is the result of a one-quarter- second
burst by the fighter's 20 mm gun, which fires about 3000 rounds per
minute. An estimated 70 rounds left the gun; the results are as you see
here.

What's even more astonishing is the SUV was being driven at the time.
The driver and the guy in the right-hand passenger seat escaped with
some light glass injury to the driver, and a dislocated shoulder to the
passenger. The shots hit the gas tank, but didn't explode; the gas just
leaked out.

The passenger who normally sits in the back seat had just moved to
another vehicle.

[TheBoss34]

Seems to me as if someone is in big poopoo!

[Motive]

speakin of....bet those seats have skidmarks.

[glenalt]

When I was in training we saw a demonstration of Puff the magic dragon. It kills anything within the area of a football field larger than a mouse in less than 5 seconds. WOW, I will never forget it.

[toorglide]

i have to ask............why were they training in a civilian vehicle?, i suppose since hummer was sold to the chinese they are buying suburbans now

[MrMarty51]

The bullets hitting before the sound of the shots got there,wonder what was going through their short........ooops er I mean mind before they realized what was happening??

[scol]

Glade to know the two soldiers are OK.
Look it's a government motors vehicle. Now that's profound