Independent Component 1

My hours log:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ai_B68EKJ7CHdEluYkQxS3k3T2NyYkhwSDlwZHJ6S1E
I went almost every Thursday (11 in total) right after my service learning. I would stay there roughly for about 3 hours at a time which frankly for being at a gun range is fairly long.

Literal:
I, Kennedy Holmes, affirm that I completed my Independent Component which represents 30 hours of work.

I went to Bass Pro Shop in Victoria Gardens. They have a gun range on the top floor. The range has 4 lanes, unlike most ranges though you do have to provide your own guns. Because of being 16, I had to have an adult at all times. The person that I went with is a Sheriff in Orange County and has been for about 8 years. I used her work issued guns every time that I went to shoot.                  











I used 3 guns, my favorite was the XD9 simply because of how smooth the recoil was. The Glock is the most commonly used gun on the force. The recoil at first was harsh, but I soon got used to it. After learning how to position my hands to where I would have the most control, the Glock became easy to use. The Ruger on the other hand was always difficult to use. Unlike the other two guns, the trigger was very long and did not have a "memory". Meaning it did not lock half way after the first shot to make things easier and faster. I had plenty of aim problems with the Ruger because of how long it took to shot because of the long trigger. I would anticipate the recoil causing my hand to turn downward and shoot the floor. I tried to fix this by holding my hands higher than my desired target, which actually worked but still caused me to be off.

XD9

Glock 22 ( 40 caliber)

Ruger LCP 380

Evidence:
I created a slideshow of some of the pictures I took while being there, and of a couple of my targets.

https://picasaweb.google.com/105850293579552336120/GunRange
Interpretive:
The main purpose of doing this was to learn a skill set that agents need. One of the qualifications to even apply for the FBI is to have at least 2 years of experience in certain fields, one being to work at a police station. During your training, and during the duration of the time you work at a station you have to have an excellent shot. The sheriff that I went with said that she still has to go do tests where she shoots and has to hit certain targets. Once you leave the force, this skill does not leave. As an agent this rule also applies during training and the duration that you are working as an agent. I reached the 30 hours ( had closer to 33) by going to the range consistently.

Applied:
My first EQ was : What is the most important skill to have to become a successful criminal investigator? When I set this component up I did have that in mind. Having and practising my aim was a physical skill that investigators use.
My new EQ: What is most important for a criminal investigator in collecting evidence leading to a conviction?
My Independent Component can somehow also relate to this. A common piece of evidence in a violent crime are bullets. While I used these different guns, I became familiar with what size each bullet looked like and what their shells looked like. This can become useful when trying to figure out which type of gun was used in a case. If we determine the type of gun that can be very important evidence that can take part in leading to a conviction.