I‘ve never been in combat. Lord help me, I never will!
But yes, I totally see Ghost‘s side on this one.
What calibre the Dragonuv fires, or what an SA-7 is (and it‘s maximum ceiling and type of tracking system, and speed) are totally irrelevant if you are at the bottom end of the military ladder. I imagine you don‘t want either pointed in your direction or fired in anger. And if they are, I would imagine your main concern is getting the f*ck out of that situation.
For me, it‘s nice to know that a C-7 holds 30 rds, and is gas-operated, and how it comes apart, and the fact that it shoots 5.56mm. But all of this is so I can use this tool properly. If the day ever comes when I need it to, I just want it to throw bullets in the general direction of the enemy as fast and best as possible. It‘s irrelevant at that point to know that the rifle weighs 3.3kg unloaded, and all that other sh*t.
While on the topic, several people in my basic course are all hyped up about wanting to fire pistols and wanting to get a bayonet.
If you‘re bringing a pistol to a rifle fight, you‘ve already lost. If you need a bayonet, and you are in a formation armed with rifles and machine guns, then, again, you are in the sh*t. Yes, things you may need to know later, but not on a basic course.
I watch movies because they‘re entertaining and dramatic, and if they happen to appear realistic, it adds to the drama. Do I really think an RPG could explode through a wall next to me and I‘d be totally uninjured, as happens in several scenes in Black Hawk Down? No. Do I want to find out how close I can get to an RPG going off before I actually get injured? F*ck no.
End of rant...