As I’m sure you’re already aware the M17 replaces the M9 pistol over the next decade or so. The 101:st Airborne just laid hands on their new pistols and the Screaming Eagles are the first to shoot them.

But this article isn’t going to focus on the pistol itself, but on the most important part: The Training.

Look at the pictures above and below. Is this really how the soldiers in the Army are being taught how to shoot?

“The 101st Airborne Division recently started fielding the Army’s new M17 Modular Handgun System.”

All Photos: 101st Airborne Division.

I haven’t taken part of this training so I cannot tell for sure, but since everyone in these pictures is holding the pistol in a similar way and there seems to be an instructor side-by-side all the time, I have to assume that this is how they are being taught and told how to shoot a pistol.

For me this is really painful to watch.

Even if these people are just going to push paper in their daily work they shouldn’t have to train how to hold a pistol the wrong way.

Just imagine if the Medics train in the same way with their equipment!

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/101stabdivaa/sets/72157688967067001/with/37800564485/

Source: https://www.sigsauer.com/press-releases/u-s-army-fields-sig-sauer-m17m18-pistols/

Video: U.S. Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division receiving and unpacking the M17 (full size) and M18 (compact) new Modular Handgun System (MHS) at Fort Campbell.

There’s a video of the shooting here: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/568740/101st-abn-div-aaslt-mhs-fielding-part-2

Ability is the material combined with training. At the moment it looks like one ingredient is missing.