My overall assesment of weapons training in Navy basic was this: They wanted to assure that each recruit could pick up the weapon, load it, and safely discharge it in the general direction of the man size sillhouette down range without shooting themselves or someone behind or next to them in the foot. Although that isn't they told us.
Instruction was very stiff and systematic and anyone who even looked like they were about to point in the wrong direction got chewed severely, and any one that was stupid enough to sweep someone (and there are always a couple), fast as lightning, got choke slammed by the MA followed by a boondocker crushing the wrist of the gun hand.
In general, the city slickers did seem to have a more difficult time of it unless they, like myself were in Boy Scouts (where I learned rifle fundamentals), and like myself were fortunate enough to have a best friend whose dad was an LASD narcotics pilot and SWAT detective that was nice enough to pass his knowledge of combat pistol craft and shotgun to me while we were growing up in the heat of the "War on Drugs" back in the mid 80's. That was a crazy time to be a teenager in Los Angeles. Coming up from a humble background, I consider myself very blessed.
I later went to another community in the Navy where the firearms training was so comprehensive and thorough, and the instructors so professional, that even the guys who had never picked up a firearm before basic (and you'll find a few no matter what community it is) became expert shooters in a very short time. Sometimes the right instructor and the circumstances make all the difference
Not to toot my horn but throughout my time in the service, I was always, to the surprise of many, the one LA city slicker that could hold my own and often outshoot many of my more savy country shipmates.
Since then, I moved my family to rural southern Oregon and I've always tried to be the straight shooting exception, in many aspects beside shooting, to the often negative and generalized perceptions that the rest of America has about the "City Slicker" in general.
I was fortunate enough to be one of the few of my generation (so it seems these days) that had instilled in me the old values of hard work, humility, strong morals and empathy (not to mention manners and respect), and the ability to think for myself. There are often exceptions to every generalization.
Basic can be quite a culture shock to many, although in my opinion, Navy boot camp is bordering on being a joke. Hooyah to all of you who went in nervous and knowing very little yet kept your commitments.
