[Targan]

I was a little bit too close to a few explosions back when I was a shotfirer (aka powder monkey). I know exactly what Grimace says about the "funny feeling" you get in your chest. I suspect he's talking about an explosion that occurred near him in actual combat, and I'll wager that he was somewhat closer to his explosions than I was to mine.

During my explosives training we let off a couple of fairly big ANFO explosions that were detonated virtually on the surface on flat, dirt ground. Mainly to show us what a bigger explosion looks and feels like. Upwards of 50 or 60 kilos, with a half a dozen sticks of Powergel to ensure a good initial detonation (I've seen much more ANFO go up but only with delayed detonations, the individual charges were smaller). We were crouched behind a low berm probably half a football field distant and you could clearly see the shock wave spread out from the epicentre. You feel the "crumph" right through your body. The first couple of times it creeps you out.