Yemeni AK-47 tutorial exposes Spain's military training gap

Yemeni AK-47 tutorial portrays a Spain that can't shoot

In Yemen, a rifle is almost just another household appliance. A tutorial circulating these days teaches how to calibrate the weapon's weight and avoid wasting ammunition: check the Kalashnikov's balance and test it on your shoulder before the first bullet. The lesson, elementary for anyone who grew up amid decades of conflict, exposes an uncomfortable contrast: here nobody taught us to shoot and, worse, almost nobody seems to have noticed.

The military service that didn't teach shooting

Spain's compulsory military service lasted for generations and served, above all, to cover guards, reserves and unpaid overnight duties. Shooting instruction was limited to a handful of sessions —few and far between— and the standard-issue rifle, the CETME nicknamed el Chopo, was better known for its weight than for its actual use. The conclusion circulating in the harshest analyses: not even 99% of those who did their military service would know how to fire a pistol or revolver today.

The AK-47 as an everyday tool

In Yemen the Kalashnikov performs functions that here any utensil would cover. It is used to start cars, to light a cigarette or, as reported, to defuse mines by hand. It is the portrait of an economy where the weapon is not an object of leisure or collecting, but one more part of daily life. The technical detail of the tutorial —the exact sequence of handling, safety, magazine and chamber— is precisely what has been forgotten here.

What lies ahead

The underlying unease is not martial but economic: the feeling that a country that dismantled its civil defence and outsourced security has no plan B. The comparison with teenagers trained from childhood and the contrast with digital leisure fuel an unanswered question: if the professionals fail, what remains?

The tutorial ends with a successful first shot. Here things remain exactly where they started, with no agreement on whether the lack of basic skills is an anecdote or an outstanding bill.