I spent many years, probably too many, as a soldier. In that time I saw many changes but one image stayed constant. The Figure 11 target, or "Target, Figure 11/59 (Black/Sand), NSN 6920-99-439- 0237", is the standard target used by the British Armed Forces for practicing their personal firearms' skills. The target is a powerful, life-sized image, intended to represent a hostile and threatening enemy. He is not supposed to have any racial or national characteristics, but for a long time he represented the threat from Eastern Europe.

The irony is, he is always the victim. He's the one who is shot at every time he sticks his head above the parapet or turns to present his full view. He starts life as a fresh piece of paper pasted on to a plywood board supported by a plank of wood. Subsequent holes in his body will be patched by little pieces of paper and he will be put back on show to be shot at again. Eventually, when he is too damaged, another, fresh, target will be pasted over him. This process will continue until the plywood backing is so splintered and smashed that it can't support another target and it will be discarded. And, he's expected to make instant decisions under extreme duress. If he gets it wrong, the supporting planks will disappear.