Photo By Maj. Spencer Garrison | The crew of an M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank fires their main gun at a target during...... read more read more
CAMP KONOTOP, Poland – In the cramped confines of the U.S. Army's M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the crew must be able to communicate effectively and react quickly in order send their lethal rounds toward the enemy. This kind of precision only comes through many hours of training and hard work between the crew.
To accomplish this level of excellence, the Soldiers of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, participated in a gunnery qualification range at the Camp Konotop, Poland, Range Complex May 8, 2015, in preparation for Puma 15, an upcoming joint training exercise between the U.S. and their NATO allies.
Capt. Erik Hamilton, the commander of Company D, said the crews have been going through daytime and nighttime scenarios designed to test their ability to work as a team under less-than-perfect conditions to help identify the crew's strengths and weaknesses.
The tank crew, consisting of a tank commander, the tank driver, gunner and loader, must work in unison in order to qualify and prove their effectiveness.
“The crews are put through scenarios such as their hydraulic power to the tank being unresponsive and their electronic sighting mechanism not working in order to ensure they're still able to engage the enemy,” said Hamilton. “In a peacetime environment, if we have a tank malfunction, we can stop what we're doing and fix it, but during a wartime situation, that luxury isn't always available.”
Sgt. 1st Class William Wise, the master gunner for Company D, said the semi-annual training presents the Soldiers with a chance to improve their communications skills as well as their ability to work as a team.
“We're going through a series of drills to prove we have our proper fire commands and crew duties to ensure that we can fire effectively and in a timely manner,” said Wise.
Memphis, Tennessee, native Spc. Cortney Banks said he likes having the opportunity to do these gunneries, as it gives him a chance to show how well he performs his assigned position and for the excitement it provides.
“I love this kind of training,” said Banks. “I love loading rounds and being able to make the gun go off.”
Banks said with other countries using the auto-loading system in their tanks, he's still confident he can load faster and with greater proficiency.
“I've had a lot of practice loading over the past couple of years, and the more I do it the more I feel confident in my abilities,” said Banks.
Echoing Bank's belief that practice makes perfect, Hamilton said he believes the training his crews are receiving will go a long way in helping them perform their best when they are working with the other allied nations participating in Puma 15.
“Over the next week or so we'll be working to prepare ourselves for the combined arms live-fire excises taking place during Puma 15,” said Hamilton. “We'll be working with a French tank company as well as a Polish mechanized infantry battalion with armored attachments.”
Company D will remain in the field for a few more days in order to go through some more advanced training where they'll perform a tank platoon live fire, with multiple tanks working in unison to accomplish their mission.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2015 13:07 |
| Story ID: | 162810 |
| Location: | CAMP KONOTOP, PL |
| Hometown: | FORT STEWART, GA, US |
| Hometown: | MEMPHIS, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 272 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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