Photo By Sgt. Michelle Reif | A gunner with Alpha Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, prepares the...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJUENE, N.C. - Marines of Alpha Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, participated in their semi-annual gunner qualification for the Light Armored Vehicle-25 on shooting range 7, Feb. 13, 2015.
In order to qualify on the range, the three-man crew must pass six different rounds of shooting, which include challenges such as night firing and moving targets, explained Gunnery Sgt. Rusty Covey, the platoon sergeant for Alpha Company and native of Ridgecrest, California.
The Marines qualified on the LAV-25, an amphibious reconnaissance vehicle that contains a M242 Bushmaster 25mm cannon, two machine guns and two 4-barrel grenade launchers.
The crew is made up of a vehicle commander, a gunner and a driver. Each Marine has their own responsibilities and duties to accomplish, but in order for the crew to be successful on the firing range, they must work together as a team.
“They will pass or fail as a team,” Covey said. “Teamwork and communication are key, and without it they are going to fail. They need to be able to listen and not just hear.”
Corporal Robert Leisher, a gunner with the unit and native of Beloit, Wisconsin, described how communication is always happening between the crew members and the Marines in the range control tower, and how difficult it can be to function if you don’t have a crew that works well together. Each crewmember relies on the others to perform their jobs.
“There is a lot of pressure, and shooting can be really nerve-racking sometimes,” Leisher said. “It can be a lot to listen to and you have to have good communication to pull it off.”
Leisher also explained that being on a range has really brought the crews together and made them a stronger unit.
“The best part of being out here is seeing how the crew cohesion really grows and the progress the Marines are making,” said Leisher.
By taking part in this qualification, Covey explained that the Marines are ensuring that they are ready to deploy on a moment’s notice and their skills will always stay sharp.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 02.17.2015 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 154638 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | BELOIT, WI, US |
| Hometown: | RIDGECREST, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 141 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Pass or Fail: LAR Marines complete gunner qualification as a team, by Sgt Michelle Reif, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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