Notes from another life:

The shot required in this instance, while at a very close range, is not the piece of cake being described. It is a shot that operators train long and hard for. It is used when one is taking out armed guards on an infiltration mission, or as in this case, in hostage situations where a bad guy has a finger on a trigger. In both cases what one is seeking to do is sever the spinal cord so that the brain doesn't fire off random electrical pulses that would cause the trigger finger to twitch and pull the trigger. Usually the best place to accomplish this is behind the ear, where you take out, or break the connection, between the brain and the rest of the body. A simple headshot is not the preferred shot in these circumstances because the brain, even when badly damaged, will send out random pulses. It takes a very skillful shooter to accomplish this. Combine this with the fact that this team fired three shots simultaneously, and did it on a rolling deck with increasingly bad weather, and you get an idea of the skill involved, even at a mere 30 yards. The Captain owes his life to the best training anywhere, and some very skilled shooters. If one of the three misses, he likely would not be here.

Mick