‘Demon’ Soldiers fire crew-served weapons at two-day training event
A Soldier with the 1st ARB, 1st Avn. Regt. qualifies on the SAW July 24 at Range 7. In addition to the SAW, Soldiers qualified on two other crew-served weapons: the M2 .50 caliber and the M240B. Photo by: Sgt. Keven Parry, CAB.
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Story by: Sgt. Keven Parry
CAB PUBLIC AFFAIRS
TOPEKA – Dozens of Soldiers with the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division fired the M2 .50 cal, M-240B and the Squad Automatic Weapon machine gun during a crew-served weapons range July 23 and 24. For many of the "Demon" Brigade troops, the two-day training event marked the first time they had ever received in-depth training on the weapons.
"We're ensuring that they have familiarization with the weapon, (and) then they go and shoot a qualification table to ensure they can hit what they're aiming at," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Wallace, noncommissioned officer in charge of the range, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, CAB.
Pfc. Daniel Lewis, Troop E, 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, CAB, said the only experience he had with a crew served weapon prior to the late July training event was in basic training when he shot the M2 .50 cal.
The "Fighting Sixth" Soldier said the training he received prior to the range better prepared him to be successful during qualification.
"My (preliminary marksmanship instruction) was probably the most in-depth I'd been (trained)," Lewis said.
For first-time SAW qualifier Spc. Nancy Cruz, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, CAB, the training and the qualifying was a great experience, she said.
"This was my first time qualifying (on the SAW) and first time shooting the .50 Cal," Cruz said.
With a large percentage of Soldiers present at the range qualifying for the first time, the experience and expertise of the NCOs at the range proved to be a significant factor in the training event's success, according to 2nd Lt. Sarah Agnola, OIC of the range, Company E, 1st ARB, 1st Avn. Regt., CAB.
The ultimate success was measured in how many Demon Soldiers were able to confidently qualify on their assigned crew served weapon.
"Taking what I've learned and adjusting out here on the field, and knowing the fact that I can operate the weapon to do what I want it to and just accomplish the mission by qualifying – It was pretty awesome," Lewis said.