C Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery conduct brigade level walk and shoot

Photo By Sgt. Corey Confer | Pfc. Kenneth Hubbard, a 60mm mortar man with C. Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment originally from Auburn, Ala., hangs a 60mm mortar during the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment Yukon Training Area, Alaska, Oct. 13, 2014. Battalions for the first time since returning from Afghanistan two years ago fired their cannons as a brigade and completed all fire missions digitally rather than with voice commands.  

FORT WAINWRIGHT, AK, UNITED STATES

10.13.2014

Story by Spc. Corey Confer 

1st Brigade, 11th Airborne Division

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - For the first time since 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division returned from Afghanistan, the battalions conducted a brigade walk and shoot. To top that off they conducted the cannon fire with digital commands without voice commands.

Capt. Andrew Headid, battalion fire direction officer for 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Division, said it was important for the battalions to go through the lane to validate their field observers to clearance of fires at brigade.

For Spc. Aaron Staker, a mortar man in C Company, 3-21 originally from Buffalo, N.Y., firing with his crew for the fourth time since they’ve gotten back was the most important thing to him.

“We’ve got a lot of new guys who haven’t done this type of thing, so it just gives you an eye opener,” said Staker. “We’re not only handheld. When we get the base plate out, people start to lose their mind a little bit because they haven’t really messed with it, so it was good training.”

Staker went on to mention the importance of firing with digital commands rather than voice commands.

“Voice commands take too much time and when we need rounds down range” he said. “You don’t have time to waste.”

Digital firing aside, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Division mortar man Pfc. Kenneth Hubbard, originally from Auburn, Ala., was just grateful to be firing his 60mm mortar.

“It felt pretty good,” Hubbard said. “It’s a pretty good opportunity. A couple field problems ago we couldn’t hang them because our system was down, so it feels pretty good to hang them and do our job.”

• Date Taken: 10.13.2014
• Date Posted: 10.14.2014 23:16
• Story ID: 145076
• Location: FORT WAINWRIGHT, AK, US
• Hometown: AUBURN, AL, US
• Hometown: BUFFALO, NY, US