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FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHANK, Afghanistan – U.S. artillerymen from 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, observed as Afghan National Army artillerymen conducted training on the 122 mm D-30 howitzer, March 25, at Forward Operating Base Shank in Logar province, Afghanistan.
ANA artillerymen from Field Artillery Coy, 4th Kandak, 4th Brigade, 203rd Corps, have trained on the Soviet howitzer before the Vanguard Brigade arrived in theater about a month ago.
“Right now they can shoot from a fixed site with no problem, said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Juan Lozano Jr., a San Antonio native, and the battalion master gunner for 1-76 FA.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Kuhnert, a fire directions sergeant, with 1-76 FA, said the ANA is in charge of planning and conducting their own training, and the ANA artillerymen know what to do, but are working on their speed.
Kuhnert, a Pinckneyville, Ill., native, said the ANA have the technical skill, but spending time to double check and do everything perfectly was costing them valuable time.
During the training, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Barkey, a Yukon, Okla., native and a cannon crew member with 1-76 FA, watched an ANA fire chief go over load and fire procedures repeatedly with his team. Barkey said the fire chief was very good, after observing the fire chief stop the training to demonstrate to his team how to load the chamber faster.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Keldrick Keys, a native of Meadville, Miss., and the battalion fire control sergeant for 1-76 FA, advises the fire direction center. He said their goal is for the ANA FDC and the artillery planning cell to split into two groups. This would allow two FDCs per battery and enhance their capabilities.
“We are strictly advising,” added Kuhnert. “If they have any questions, yes, we are here to help.”
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2013 07:05 |
| Story ID: | 104102 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHANK, AF |
| Hometown: | PINCKNEYVILLE, IL, US |
| Hometown: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | YUKON, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 584 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘Vanguard’ artillerymen advise, assist as ANA accelerate capabilities, by SFC Elvis Umanzor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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