Photo By Staff Sgt. James Bunn | An M1A2 Abrams from Company D, 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, engages a target...... read more read more
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CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Tank crews from 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment conducted a live-fire exercise in their M1A2 Abrams tanks at the Udari Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Dec. 2.
The exercise tested the individual tank crew’s ability to react and respond to scenarios that mimic real world situations.
“This training helps us be a ready and responsive force. It allows us to test our abilities in combat scenarios,” said 2nd Lt. Robert Fee, a tank commander with Company D, 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment and Hutchinson, Kansas native. “When shooting live rounds, they are going to be affected by all the elements in that area. It is different than the computer simulations.”
The crews prepared for the live-fire exercise long before it actually began and it involved the efforts of each member of the crew, said Sgt. Branden Kovacik, a tank gunner with 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, from Fairbanks, Alaska.
“Preparation for this training began in the motor-pool with maintenance and making sure our tanks were fully mission capable,” said Kovacik. “We also completed crew level training, which tested each crew member on their individual tasks. We also did simulated training, which is the exact same thing that we’re doing out here only in a massive computer program.”
Fee said that the training conducted prior to the live-fire range prepared the tank crews well for the exercise.
“Everyone is doing really well today,” said Fee. “They’re really excited and really motivated to be out here shooting. Everyone is doing their best and the gunners are hitting their marks.”
Not only did the vehicle crews get to practice with live rounds, they also had to deal with real world equipment challenges.
“In some situations you have to deal with the tank going down,” said Fee. “I had a part on my tank break today, we had to learn how to fight through it during a high intensity scenario.”
To be effective, each member of the crew needs to be trained and proficient in basic tasks, said Kovacik.
Fee said the exercise tested crews on their ability to operate in a realistic environment. As the tank moves through the range, the driver has to know where and when to move, the loader has to quickly load the gun, the tank commander has to be able to identify targets for the gunner and fire his own weapon accurately and the gunner has to scan his sector of fire for potential targets and fire when necessary.
“This exercise involved every member of the crew,” said Kovacik. “This training prepares us to be able to respond in a real world situation.”
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.09.2015 07:45 |
| Story ID: | 183913 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Hometown: | FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | HUTCHINSON, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 208 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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