Soldiers qualify on marksmanship skills

Courtesy Photo | Spc. Monique Tilley, a battle specialist with the operations section of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 189th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command and native of Greensboro, N.C., has her weapon inspected by a range safety officer while on the firing range on Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. (Photo by: Spc. Justin Williams)  

AL ASAD, IRAQ

05.24.2011

Courtesy Story

4th Sustainment Brigade

By: 1st Lt. Kristen Adams

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – Soldiers from the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 189th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, executed basic rifle marksmanship qualification on Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Gwedolyn Goodwin, a retention non-commissioned officer with HHC and native of Canovanas, Puerto Rico, was one of 16 soldiers who qualified with their assigned weapon.

“It isn’t that different qualifying here than it is qualifying at Fort Bragg,” said Goodwin. “It is sandy and hot in both places.”

Goodwin said she prefers qualifying with her weapon on paper-target ranges rather than traditional pop-up targets found at many state-side bases.

“I know exactly where the targets are so I can focus on the four fundamentals instead of worrying about where the next target is going to pop up. It is a better test of my basic marksmanship skills.”

Most of the soldiers agreed that pop-up qualification ranges, like those used on Fort Bragg, are more realistic and provide better training, but when it comes to testing their basic skills the paper targets are preferred.

“Once you are comfortable with your weapon, it doesn’t matter what the target is,” said Staff Sgt. James Catalano, the operations NCO for HHC. “The paper target is only used when normal pop-up ranges are unavailable and is effective at reinforcing those basic marksmanship fundamentals.”

All soldiers who attended the range qualified.

“It is important to conduct ranges in theater, because it reaffirms the soldiers’ confidence, both in their weapon and in their ability to use that weapon effectively,” said HHC 1st Sgt. Michael Pierce, a native of Fayetteville, N.C.

• Date Taken: 05.24.2011
• Date Posted: 05.29.2011 05:13
• Story ID: 71274
• Location: AL ASAD, IQ