Having served 11 years in the guard, it’s just as likely they installed it backwards on accident because they didn’t know how to install it properly or, some SGM decided it looked better or “more professional” and everyone else had to install theirs the same way in the name of “conformity” (aka, not making the SGM/1SG look like a complete idiot)
My 92 year old, diabetic grand father survived it.
Several of my old terminally ill hospice patients have survived it, about half and half survive versus dying.
Worst I’ve seen (other than those who died) was a guy in his early 60s who was paralyzed from the waist down due to complications from it.
I think very few will have live ammo unless they are actually actively guarding something.
The Army generally doesn’t trust soldiers with live ammo unless they are deployed. Stateside ammo is tracked very carefully. Even spent brass is collected and tracked via weight to ensure the brass is accounted for.
Live ammunition has to go through several layers of custody, each requiring its own paperwork, before it is issued.
Also, as a general rule of thumb (especially in non-combat MOS’s), the officers are much less competent with their weapons. They tend to get the lightest weapon issued to them in training environments rather than the weapon they will actually use in a deployment. Enlisted people generally babysit them through required annual range testing.
They are usually shipped in racks, and in those racks the sites have to be on top.
I guarantee (as a 15 year veteran and former weapon issuing armorer) that she was handed a rifle and her optic (looks like a modern variant of the Aimpoint M68 I used in 03), and she put it there so she wouldn’t lose it.
She likely hasn’t ever used one, or if she has, it was 3 years ago in basic training.
Nice. Do you use .140s?