Target Practice: This Is What Soldiers Train On Around The World

When a soldier in training looks down the barrel of his rifle, what does he see? Well, that depends.

In her book Targets, lauded German photographer Herlinde Koelbl answers that question with images of soldiers' practice targets from more than two dozen countries. Through the 240-page collection, you can see the variation of choices—some prefer the impersonal approach of a simple bull's eye, and some make no bones about why they're training and favor a detailed human figure. Below, some of the best.

Kurdistan

Germany

Mali

Germany

South Africa

United Arab Emirates

Afghanistan

Brazil

United States

Ethan Wolff-Mann is an editor at Supercompressor. His favorite target is the Chinese wooden man—a kung fu target for feet and fists.