Cottonbalers focus on live-fire training

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, provide fire support during Baler Focus, 3-7 Infantry's battalion level certification exercise, Dec. 10, 2014, on Fort Stewart, Ga. (U.S. Army Photo by 1st Lt. Dennis Willis, 3-7 Inf., 4th IBCT, 3rd ID, UPAR)  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

12.10.2014

Story by Sgt. Bob Yarbrough 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FORT STEWART, Ga. – Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, conducted a series of platoon and company level live-fire exercises on Fort Stewart, Ga. Dec 7-14.

The live-fire exercises were part of Baler Focus, a battalion level training exercise, to certify each platoon in the Cottonbaler Battalion is combat ready.

Following a common “crawl, walk, run” structure used in Army training, the exercises were planned, rehearsed, and then conducted using blank ammunition, followed by live ammunition providing soldiers the opportunity to hone their skills.

“[Training] is what we need to do,” said Pfc. Tate Dunn, an infantryman with Company B, 3-7 Inf. “It betters our ability to shoot; it betters our ability to move tactically, it betters us in general, added the Cheyenne, Wyoming, native. “We signed up to do this, [that’s] exactly what we’re doing now.”

The morning of Dec. 10 started with rehearsals as soldiers of Company B integrated riflemen, snipers, and mortarmen into their operations, as well as combat engineers from 4-3 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th IBCT, who assisted the “Berserkers,” of Company B, in breaching a wire obstacle.

The soldiers arrived to their starting point in UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and moved on foot to meet the snipers, and received further information about the objective. Lt. Col. Scott Shaw and Command Sgt. Maj. Todd Galindo, command team for the Cottonbaler Battalion, followed the platoon along in order to assess them directly, making on the spot corrections when necessary.

Next, the engineers breached a wire obstacle, and the platoon assaulted an open area containing two buildings, where they also had to assess and treat simulated casualties. After successfully completing these tasks, the unit advanced to engage vehicle and troop targets, completing their certification.

“A lot of these guys are new to the Army, so they’ve never done a live fire with a platoon.” said 1st Lt. Kyle Griffin, an infantry platoon leader with Co. B, and a native of Greenville, South Carolina. “For others, it’s been a long time since we’ve done it, so we’re dusting off the rust, and getting ready for bigger and better things.”
Griffin added the training was meant to prepare him and his soldiers for upcoming operations with Vanguard Focus, a brigade level training event, and a rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Baler Focus ended with every platoon in the Cottonbaler Battalion certified and better prepared for Vanguard Focus.

• Date Taken: 12.10.2014
• Date Posted: 12.16.2014 10:57
• Story ID: 150435
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US