Ironhorse: Ready, aim, fire safety

Photo By Staff Sgt. Fred Brown | Pfc. Tyler Bush, Woodbridge, Va., native assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd "Lancer" Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, fires his AK-47 Assault Rifle at a silhouette target during a rifle competition during the Ironhorse Privately Owned Firearms Safety Range at the Hicksville Gun Range, Aug. 29 in Gatesville, Texas. Bush hit his target 38 times out of 40 rounds. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Fred Brown, 1BCT Public Affairs, 1st Cav. Div.)  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

09.06.2013

Story by Sgt. Bailey Kramer 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

GATESVILLE, Texas – In order to forward afford privately owned firearm owners the same safety opportunities as motorcycle riders, the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division hosted POF Safety Training at the Hicksville Gun Range, here, Aug. 29.

"From time to time, everyone needs safety reinforcement," stated said Staff Sgt. Alfred Dickens, the Ironhorse Master Gunner. "I have seen competitive shooters make mistakes. Professionals, who do this for a living, make mistakes too. No one is above it."

After spreading the word about the upcoming training for POF owners, about 70 Ironhorse soldiers and spouses attended the Privately Owned Firearms Safety Range at the Hicksville Gun Range, here, Aug. 29.

"I enjoy shooting, and have been since I was a kid," explained said Staff Sgt. Rockney Rhodes, an infantryman hailing from Morganville, N.J., and assigned to Company A, 2nd "Lancer" Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment of the Ironhorse Brigade. "It is just fun to come out here and shoot, to relieve some stress, shoot some rounds down range and just have fun."

Adding to the safety instruction, the brigade also invited local experts.

Instructors from the Concealed Handgun License course for the state of Texas were invited to speak to the participants about POF storage, what Texas considers safely stored, how to properly transport weapons, and the weapon registration process.
Before participants were allowed to fire their weapons, they were required, at a minimum, to wear eye protection and ear protection. If a shooters were used to gloves, they were encouraged to wear those as well.

Participants used their personal weapons to better build familiarity with them.

"I brought my 1892 Lever-action Rifle, .45 Long Colt and my Single Action Army .45 Long Colt," said Pfc. Roman Valdez, a Los Ojos, N.M., native assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the Lancer Battalion. "They are the classics."

Getting soldiers familiarized with their weapons is important to their safety, said David Sullivan, the Ironhorse safety officer from Nolanville, Texas.

"We sometimes don't have a lot of time on our off time to get out here, sharpen our skills, and to keep proper weapons handling in the forefront of their minds," Sullivan added.

Sullivan said the most common safety mistake firearm owners make is complacency.

"You can never assume a weapon is clear," Sullivan added. "You have to clear it yourself. We have had a few incidences where we have had soldiers injured, because they failed to clear their weapon correctly … if they get complacent, they start to take shortcuts and then get injured."

Dickens said this training was specifically aimed toward younger Soldiers who have never handled firearms outside the Army but then purchase one they aren't familiar with.

"This will hopefully introduce them to people who ... can teach them, coach them, and mentor them," Dickens added. "But, the takeaway is, first and foremost, safety."

Although many of the participants are seasoned firearm owners, Rhodes said there is always something to learn or reinforce about weapons safety.

"When you go out to a range like this where there [are] a bunch of people, and it's very relaxed out here, you still have to remember all the weapons safety," Rhodes said. "You see a lot of personnel walking around like their weapon is not loaded or anything, and you just don't know."

Dickens said the brigade hopes to incorporate this training semi-annually, in conjunction with the Excellence in Marksmanship competitions.

"Don't become complacent and don't take for granted that the weapon is clear," Sullivan said. "Make sure that weapon is clear before you handle it."

• Date Taken: 09.06.2013
• Date Posted: 09.09.2013 16:31
• Story ID: 113350
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US
• Hometown: LOS OJOS, NM, US
• Hometown: MORGANVILLE, NJ, US
• Hometown: NOLANVILLE, TX, US