Photo By Sgt. Wesley Landrum | Soldiers with the 370th Engineer Company fire at targets during a close quarter...... read more read more
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KUWAIT -- Twenty Soldiers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, sunlight reflecting off their eye protection. The instructor, facing them, screamed the commands out to them.
"Walk. Stop. Turn. Shoot," he yelled, his voice rising over the sounds of machine gun fire.
"Walk. Stop. Turn. Shoot," the group shouted in unison.
"Move," the instructor yelled.
Slowly, the Soldiers walked toward the instructor, weapons at the ready for anything that may come their way.
Members of the 370th Engineer Company conducted close quarter marksmanship training at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, recently. Sgt. Bryan Mathis, a combat engineer with the 370th, said the training is vital for those Soldiers who may be first responders to possible improvised explosive device sightings.
"We, as route clearers, may sometime have to get on the ground to conduct crowd control when interrogating IEDs," the Albany, Ga., native said. "For us, close quarter marksmanship comes in very handy. Knowing how to properly gain a fighting stance and shoot on the move are skills that will help you in a tight situation."
Close quarter marksmanship training consists of firing on a simulated target from 25 meters. Soldiers fire their weapons from several standing positions. After standing and firing, Mathis said groups of Soldiers move in unison and fire at the targets.
"(CQM) gives you confidence in your weapon and your ability to fire at a stationary target or a moving target while standing still or moving on your own," he said.
1st Sgt. Thomas Biggerstaff, 370th Eng. Co., said the company, based in Bamburg, Germany, conducted a lot of close quarter marksmanship at home before deploying. However, the native of Battle Lake, Minn., said, it's good to conduct the training here because it gives the Soldiers on the ground an idea of what it takes to keep their weapon operating at peak efficiency.
"I'm confident of our Soldiers' abilities but there's some issues with the desert environment that you have to be considerate of," Biggerstaff said. "You have to make sure your weapon is free of sand and well oiled."
Training ranges in the U.S. Army Central area of operations in Kuwait allow leaders, like Biggerstaff, the opportunity to conduct a final systems check on his Soldiers and their equipment before moving into Iraq. CQM, unlike some rifle ranges where individuals are alone when they fire, gives Soldiers a chance to fire their weapon as their squad mates are also firing their weapons.
"It gets you gauged with live ammo and gets you to know the personalities and the skills of the Soldiers you're working with," Biggerstaff said.
The Soldiers continue walking in unison until they reach the required destination. They stop and spin around and fire at the rubber silhouettes 25 meters away.
"I have to make sure my weapon is good to go," Mathis said. "It's my baby."
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2008 03:54 |
| Story ID: | 20860 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 906 |
| Downloads: | 843 |
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