Quinton is Home

My grandson, Quinton returned last night from Fort Lee, VA.  He got here about 10:00 pm last night and we chatted a bit before I retired to bed.  Quinton is 18 years old, and chose to become a Small Arms repairer, MOS 91F.  He is currently enlisted in the Louisiana Army National Guard.

After he dropped his bags, we talked for a bit abut what he had worked on and learned.  I asked him which is favorite gun was, and he gave me a two part answer.  He said that his absolute favorite gun, from a maintenance standpoint, is the old M2 machine gun.  I concur.  It's been a favorite or everyone who ever fired it or worked on it.  It's a fairly simple design, robust and easy to understand.  It's been a favorite of GIs since 1933.

He told me that the most interesting gun he worked on was the M777 howitzer.

And, when asked the opposite, which he liked the least, he told me without hesitation, he detested the M9 pistol.  He claims that it's a complicated bit of kit, with lots of springs and maintenance problems.  He did tell me that he's a fan o the M17/M18 pistol recently adopted.  From a maintainers perspective it's simple and intuitive.  He says that he likes that pistol a lot and is thankful that the M9 is on it's way out.

I didn't think to ask him if he was trained on the 1911.  He's out a Camp Beauregard right now, turning in paperwork and meeting his new bosses.  He will hang his hat here until college starts later in August, or whenever they decide to open the dorms.