173rd Airborne Brigade aims for accuracy during a live-fire range exercise

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class William Tanner | U.S. Army 1st Lt. Cory Pederson, officer-in-charge of range operations, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, watches and relays information as different fire teams conduct movements through a live-fire range exercise in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, Oct. 27, 2016. The “Sky Soldiers” are on a training rotation in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, where they have joined forces with the Polish 18th Airborne Battalion, 6th Airborne Brigade, to demonstrate deterrence capabilities through airborne assault and combined defensive operations (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. William A. Tanner).  

DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, POLAND

10.27.2016

Story by Sgt. William Tanner 

24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, Poland –The U.S. Army is no stranger to training in all types of weather conditions; Paratroopers assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, were a shining example of this as they loaded their weapons and designated their sectors of fire, in the rain, prior to stepping out and onto the weapons-firing range.

On October 27, Company D, otherwise known as “Destined Company”, conducted a fire team live-fire range exercise in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland. The purpose of the range was to help build unit cohesion while refining battle drills and strategies.

“We are practicing small unit tactics, ‘react to contact, breaking contact, and a basic team element,’” said Spc. James Goodman, an infantryman assigned to 2nd Bn., 503rd Inf. Regt. “A small-team element with four guys on the field and we take contact, we have to decide whether we can take them or not. We then advance forward, staying on line, take them down and when reinforcements come, we bug out of there.”

Paratroopers were given the opportunity to build upon the skills they have acquired while being scored and rated on their abilities to bound forward, stay in a line formation, fire accurately, and work together as a team.

“I’m learning a lot,” Goodman encouragingly said. “This is my first unit and I have been picking up a lot of skills that were kind of glossed over in basic (combat training).

“It’s not always fun but it is educational,” he said.

The hands-on education these Paratroopers receive while training in Poland is constantly improved upon by Army leaders who guide them and help correct any deficiencies they see.

From the noncommissioned officers who help lead them through the course to the officers who monitor their progress from the tower, it is a team effort to help improve the Soldiers’ overall effectiveness and tactics.

“From up here we get to see how each team is bounding as a unit instead of individuals,” 1st Lt. Cory Pederson, the officer-in-charge of range operations, said. “It’s a good perspective just to see how team leaders can control each individual on their team. Instead of being on the ground and seeing the little things, we can see everything.”

Having the ability to oversee the training of their Paratroopers allows the unit’s leadership to evaluate and improve on the Soldier’s skills thus helping them to support the overall purpose of this deployment: furthering the U.S. commitment to collective security while providing reassurance and support to our NATO Allies.

As the 173rd Airborne Brigade continues its training in Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, they consistently show that they are part of the Army Contingency Response Force and are capable of projecting forces to conduct a full range of military operations throughout the United States European, Central and Africa Command areas of responsibility within 18 hours of deployment.

• Date Taken: 10.27.2016
• Date Posted: 10.30.2016 06:07
• Story ID: 213267
• Location: DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, PL