 Close your eyes. OC, OC, OC. Direct shots of pepper spray to the face, followed by running between stations and basic martial arts techniques. Romanian soldiers and U.S. Marines volunteered to do all this during a non-lethal weapons training exercise in Bulgaria this week. The feeling of OC spray can be accurately described as somebody kicking sand in your eyes and the inability to counteract that pain immediately. They learned how the chemical can control rioters without causing permanent damage. Seeing the value of the lesson, I decided to give it a go. I found the temporary blindness made it difficult to run, or to perform simple takedowns. I started to ask myself, why on earth do we do this? To be on receiving the non-lethal weapons allows them to work through the pain, therefore if a real-life situation arose where they are accidentally exposed, they'll know what's going on and for the most part be able to fight through any type of effects. How come I can't breathe? That's not a problem. For Marine Forces Europe and Africa, I'm Sergeant Russell Midori.