Kuwait and Minnesota National Guard soldiers train together

Photo By Sgt. Lindsay Mackie | Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 34th Infantry Red Bull Division, an Army National Guard unit based in Bloomington, Minn., along with soldiers from the Kuwait National Guard, participate in a Kuwaiti National Guard leadership course on marksmanship fundamentals at the Kasma Range in Kuwait.  

KASMA RANGE, KUWAIT

11.29.2011

Story by Sgt. Lindsay Mackie 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division

KASMA RANGE, Kuwait - Two soldiers from the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, a Minnesota National Guard unit based in Bloomington, Minn., participated in a corporal’s course of marksmanship fundamentals with the Kuwait National Guard.

Sgt. Kassandra Rutherford, an army analyst from Dundas, Minn., and Sgt. Andrea Wittlief, billeting non-commissioned officer from Hugo, Minn., enjoyed their three-day training experience alongside the Kuwait National Guard. Rutherford and Wittlief fired their M4 rifles, and the Kuwait National Guard soldiers used the M16A2. The in-depth course reinforced marksmanship fundamentals and basic ballistics.

The Kuwait National Guard Corporal’s course is a leadership course similar to the leadership courses that U.S. Army sergeants attend to develop professionally. The marksmanship portion of the course was instructed by David Cowie from MPRI, a company that provides instruction to law enforcement and military personnel around the world.

The first day of the course included some classroom instruction on weapons familiarization and grouping and zeroing their rifles. Initially, the soldiers fired their weapons without the extra protection of their body armor and kevlar helmets. This allowed the instructors to witness the practice of fundamentals, including breathing and trigger squeeze, and make on-the-spot corrections.

The soldiers themselves were also able to practice the basics of shooting without the added discomfort of their gear.

“The experience provided me with the opportunity to participate in a non-rushed course to refine my fundamentals and improve my shot group,” said Rutherford.

The cold and windy second day of training focused on making adjustments to the weapon settings to compensate for wind and long range targets. The Kuwaiti and American soldiers donned their protective gear for the shooting exercise and found that since they had already perfected their technique, the weight and bulk of the protective vest and helmet were not as much of an interference as they had previously seemed. Soldiers fired from several positions including lying in the prone supported position, kneeling and from a foxhole.

On the third day, all of the soldiers completed the Kuwaiti military weapons qualification course. The practice from the previous two days prepared the Kuwaiti and American soldiers to excel at the qualification course. The course required firing from the prone supported and foxhole and shooting at targets between 100 and 200 meters. This differs from a U.S. Army qualification, in which the shooter fires from the prone supported, prone unsupported and kneeling firing positions. The American course also includes targets ranging anywhere between 50 and 300 meters.

Not only was the three day training event beneficial to the weapons proficiency of all of the soldiers involved, the training also allowed two cultures to learn more about each other. The cultural differences were obvious the first day and things were a little tense between the soldiers from two very different countries. The male Kuwaiti soldiers would intervene when the two female U.S. soldiers would attempt to help set up the range. By the end of the second day and the third day, the females were part of the group and approached more like “one of the guys.” The Kuwaiti and U.S. soldiers exchanged stories about life in their own countries and militaries, and compared their scores on the range.

“I enjoyed observing how another military works and operates with regards to training,” said Rutherford. “The experience [was] invaluable, and I would do it all over again.”

• Date Taken: 11.29.2011
• Date Posted: 12.30.2011 01:13
• Story ID: 81890
• Location: KASMA RANGE, KW