1st ABCT test their systems during ‘Operation May Day’ exercise

Photo By Bernhard Lashleyleidner | Sgt. 1st Class Marc Turner, (center), master gunner, with 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Infantry Division, gives Soldiers a range safety brief, and instructs Soldiers on how the range would operate May 28 during the May Day exercise at Fort Riley, Kan. Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Henke, training noncommissioned officer in charge with 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, said the objective was to move all our stabilized platforms to urban training area 4, fire them and then move them back to the motor pool.  

FORT RILEY, KS, UNITED STATES

05.29.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Bernhard Lashleyleidner 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

FORT RILEY, Kan. – Soldiers of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division participated in Operation May Day event May 26-29 at urban training area 4.

The purpose of the training was to test the ‘Devil’ brigade’s systems and identify deficiencies.

“It’s better to identify our shortfalls while we have to time to fix them, vice finding them while supporting real world missions,” Capt. Justin High, assistant brigade training officer, 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., said.

High, a native of Manchester, Iowa, said the brigade commander is very focused on conducting operations that allow units to “see themselves.”

The week began in the early morning hours with an emergency deployment readiness exercise. Soldiers mustered in the unit’s motor pools then departed on a 41-kilometer tactical road march to urban training area 4.

“The object was to move all our stabilized platforms, to urban training area 4, fire and then move then back to the motor pool,” Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Henke, training noncommissioned officer in charge with 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., said.

Henke, a native of Miami, Florida, said with the time they had to prepare for this exercise, they were able to bring their equipment, which was at 50 percent mission capable readiness rate up to 75 percent mission capable in less than two weeks.

“This was a great learning event for the Soldiers,” Henke said. “It forced us out of our redeployment mindset and back to thinking about these tanks.”

Maj. Andrew Kulas, brigade operations officer, 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., said the May Day exercise forced Soldiers to look at their gunnery skills training and assess their load plans.

“The exercise super charged the Soldiers on the fundamentals of mechanized operations and allowed us to assess ourselves prior to the start of gunnery later this summer,” Kulas said.

Kulas a native of Titusville, Florida, said he was proud of how the Soldiers performed, especially the way they adjusted to the adverse weather conditions.

“The objective of this training was to test our movement, weapon systems and communication systems,” Kulas said. “We knew we may have some challenges, with the weather, but we overcame them and achieved mission success.”

• Date Taken: 05.29.2015
• Date Posted: 10.29.2015 16:04
• Story ID: 180354
• Location: FORT RILEY, KS, US
• Hometown: MANCHESTER, IA, US
• Hometown: TITUSVILLE, FL, US