Cacti Soldiers learn leadership basics

Photo By Staff Sgt. Armando Limon | Spc. Andrew Mattison, with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, prepares to fire his M-4 rifle during marksmanship training at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, on Sept. 28, 2015. The 2nd Bn., 35th Inf. Regt., held a ten-day team leaders course for their Soldiers, which consisted of in class training to proper firing on the range. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Armando R. Limon, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division)  

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI, UNITED STATES

10.02.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Armando Limon 

3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, conducted a team leaders course, here, Sept. 21-Oct. 2.

The 10-day course for 70 Soldiers with the Cacti Bn. consisted of various team leader training from physical readiness and noncommissioned officer evaluation reports (NCOERs) to firing procedures on the range.

“The team leaders course for the Cacti Bn. is for the team leaders all to be on the same page,” said 1st Sgt. William Brooks, Company A, 2-35th Inf. Regt. “So all are trained to the same standard.”

Sgt. Noah Sweeney, team leader, Co. C, 2-35th Inf. Regt., found his instruction illuminating during the course.

“The first couple days was mainly classroom going over NCOERs, counselings and covering everything you need to know for being a team leader,” Sweeney said. “The thing I learned the most about was NCOERs and how they’re done by regulation.”

Another team leader from Co. C, Sgt. Ricardo Martinez, learned much during the classroom portion of the training.
“I’ve learned several things, mainly to do with paperwork and how to fill out forms properly,” Martinez said. “Also, some of the standards set both by the Army and the 25th Infantry Division.”

However, it wasn’t just the classroom where Cacti Soldiers spent their time during the course. They also spent the other half of the course on the range to sharpen their firing techniques on the range.

“The thing I liked the most was definitely the shooting,” Martinez said at the CR-1 range, on Sept. 28. “We did some reflexive fire with some of the retired Special Forces to teach us some quick target acquisition with M-4s and basic rifle marksmanship.”

The Soldiers received rifle instruction from Project Manager Soldier Sensors and Lasers (PM SSL), which is located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, during the second week of their training.

“We’re running, basically, a week’s worth of training incorporating the thermal weapons sight and the enhanced night vision googles in the training on the five days that we have to train them,” said Joe Priest, a PM SSL member.

The four PM SSL instructors gave a class on proper handling of the M-4 rifle, along with training on the AN/PAS-13, which is a thermal weapons sight, and EVNGs, prior to the live fire on the range, Priest said.

At the end of the training, Sweeney found the instruction at the range very helpful as a team leader.

“The thing I liked the most was the range and definitely the shooting,” he said. “It’s definitely an improvement over the other team leader courses that I’ve attended since I’ve been here.”

• Date Taken: 10.02.2015
• Date Posted: 10.02.2015 16:16
• Story ID: 177941
• Location: SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI, US