For infantry, being a proficient shooter is just the baseline. Effective infantrymen cross-train and develop a range of supplementary skills that make them more versatile assets. They may pick up specialties like communications, combat medicine, demolitions or any number of other disciplines to complement their primary infantry role. This well-rounded approach increases their utility on the battlefield beyond just their marksmanship abilities.
It's a good mindset for those of us responsible civilians who concealed carry for self/community defense too. Having the fundamentals of defensive shooting down is critical, no doubt. But we should also be asking ourselves - what other value-added capabilities can I develop? Stuff like emergency medical training, communication skills for de-escalation, or even just being physically fit enough to take action if needed or a hands on skills. The more well-rounded our personal "tool box" is, the better equipped we are to potentially save lives when seconds count.
A single-minded "gun guy" perspective doesn't fully prepare you. But a multifaceted approach where you have multiple force multipliers to draw upon? That's the ideal. Just some food for thought as we work on being as readied as possible out there. Having just the gun knowledge is fine, but there's more we can do to set ourselves apart.
Don't just be a guy with a gun. Bring more to the table.
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