Photo By Sgt. Breanne Pye | A line of M1A2 System Enhancement Package Abrams Tanks assigned to 1st Battalion, 66th...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. – Soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fired up the engines of newly acquired M1A2 System Enhancement Package Abrams tanks to conduct a live-fire exercise, Feb. 28-29.
First Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, “Iron Knights,” conducted exercises on Fort Carson gunnery ranges, testing the capabilities of their M1A2 SEP Abrams tanks, before a brigade-level training event in May.
“The new M1A2 SEP tank differs from previous models as it includes thermal imaging and a set of electronic controls that work the gun on top of the tank,” said Staff Sgt. John M. Kraft, tank commander assigned to Company D. “All that extra equipment basically equates to a safer way to have more eyes downrange; now, the crew can see more land and share what they are seeing with each other.”
Kraft explained that new equipment arrives with a lot of innovative training, as the tank crew has to complete several exercises before they can conduct a live-fire exercise.
“As a safety measure, we always remote-fire the weapons on a new tank,” he said. “That way, we can make sure the weapons systems are functioning correctly and safely before we even enter the tank.”
Each tank crew consists of the tank commander, driver, gunner and loader.
“The tank commander is usually the senior non-commissioned officer on the crew,” said Kraft, a native of Dunedin, Fla. “He’s the guy who has the most experience, and can troubleshoot any problems that may occur while the tank is being operated.”
Pfc. Jason Adams, armor crewman assigned to Company D, and the loader for his tank crew, graduated from advanced individual training six months ago.
“The loader is the soldier on the crew who loads communications into the tank’s radios,” said Adams, “but he’s also the guy who loads the ammunition rounds into the breach at the back end of the tank’s gun.”
Adams, a native of Orlando, Fla., said being a loader is a job that requires overcoming a lot of nerves to be successful.
“Initially, it’s incredibly nerve-wracking to load a round into the back of a weapon that you know is going to have a lot of recoil when it’s fired,” said Adams. “You load the round; the round is fired; then, it’s like the whole world stops for a moment, and you stop with it. But then you snap out of it, because you’ve got a job to do, and there’s always another round to be loaded.”
Adams said he really enjoyed the training process and getting to know his new crewmembers, because it gave him the opportunity to become an important member in a team of brothers.
“It’s an essential part of our training to go out and develop strong working relationships with our crewmembers,” said Kraft. “Some of the crew members are brand new, and some have been around for a long time.”
“The training process helps each of us identify each other’s strengths and help one another with the things we need to improve,” he said.
Adams said he spends more time with his fellow tank crewmembers than he does alone.
“We train together, work together and live together,” he said. “Becoming part of such a solid team is helping me build confidence in my ability to perform my job.”
Building team confidence is an essential part of mission readiness when it comes time to perform a mission, Kraft added.
“I’m proud of the way our guys came to this field exercise ready to buckle down and master these new tanks; and even more important, they have pushed through personal barriers to become a mission-ready team,” said Kraft. “With work ethics and attitudes like that, we cannot fail.”
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2012 19:17 |
| Story ID: | 85129 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 311 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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