You've got that right. Taught only enough to get the job done, why do more if all that's needed is "shoot at them over there". It's not that they aren't taught their job, and taught well, but the job skills are different to what is needed for a hunter or a "sharpshooter".

Itdoes seem to vary by service though. My army friends know that much and that's it, my Marine friends know more than that. My father was military but he was on the shooting team so my brother and I got a bit of an education growing up.My brother served but Ididn't. When he went in, the comment he got off of one of the assistant DIs was basically "you must be a hunter or a farm boy" because he knew something about shooting, etc. And he never got into it much until recently, I was the one going to Matches with our father and later shooting Service Rifle with him.

I've actually had one guy I know ask tell me his .223 was a way better round than the 7x57 I shoot for fun. After all, "it may be a old military rifle, but it's old! Itwas like made a hundred years ago". Well, the rifle isn't THAT old, (1936 Spanish Mauser). OK,yes he is close withthe round, but he had no clue as to what his performance and terminal balistic were compared. He just knew enough to "point and shoot". (andhappens toalso be know for being one of those "4-5 shots at anything to hit it" guys)