Photo By Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Pena | Staff Sgt. James Heroux, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist...... read more read more
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Soldiers with 4th Combat Aviation Brigade anxiously wait for class to begin. It was day four, test day.
They were being offered a rare opportunity during their rotation in Illesheim Army Air Field, Germany for Operation Atlantic Resolve: a chance to attend the Master Marksmanship Course.
The presence of 4th CAB Soldiers in Europe for Operation Atlantic Resolve provides an opportunity to train with NATO allies and partners to demonstrate the nation’s commitment to collective peace and security.
With the U.S. Army rolling out new standards for marksmanship training, Soldiers in rotations such as these are left with limited time and resources to train on new standards.
That’s where Staff Sgt. James Heroux steps in.
Heroux, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist with Headquarters and Support Company, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, is one of the few people in Illesheim to give this rare opportunity to Soldiers serving in the rotation.
The Cumberland, Rhode Island native proved to be an important asset to his unit. Not only was Heroux the small arms marksmanship master gunner, he was also in charge of overseeing the operations of his unit.
Heroux was known for his knowledge of small arms and ability to effectively fire at targets in at his unit in Fort Carson, Colorado. The brigade wanted more emphasis on marksmanship for their Soldiers.
As a leader, he felt it was his duty to better his Soldiers as marksmen. It was then that Heroux began looking into becoming a small arms marksmanship master gunner.
“I showed interest in it to my brigade and tried to get myself into the course at Fort Benning,” he said.
His opportunity to attend the course in Fort Benning was ill timed, however. This year, the U.S. Army was only offering the course through the Mobile Training Team, a team of instructors who travel to any installation requesting training to be conducted in their area.
Heroux’s unfaltering desire to be a part of this training did not stop him. 4th CAB, noticing his passion in bettering his training and that of his unit, requested 4th Infantry Division to have the MTT come to Fort Carson for Soldiers to be trained as small arms marksmanship master gunners. Division approved the request.
“He set up the course for the entire division,” said Capt. Amy Lovas, the plans officer for 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade. “It was something that as a CBRN sergeant was not in his scope of assigned duties. It was something he wanted to do.”
4th ID spread the word to recruit Soldiers to attend the course, including Heroux. Once Heroux obtained the ranges and ammunition needed for training, he was enrolled into the rigorous course.
The course was made for leaders to teach their Soldiers how to shoot. That responsibility made for higher standards at shooting events where students were expected to pass with no less than a 70 percent score. Students were expected to score at least 80 percent in all written exams.
He graduated in May 2018, a great accomplishment for a course with an attrition rate of 50 percent.
Being the brigade small arms master gunner for 4th CAB, Heroux went straight to work to train the deployed Soldiers.
“I saw a huge lack in marksmanship overall, so I felt obligated to get everybody on the right level.”
Heroux began teaching the Master Marksmanship Course to Soldiers who were willing to put their abilities to the test. Classes were held in Illesheim Chapel annex while hands on training was conducted outside the building.
Soldiers were tested on their ability to change magazines on their M-4 carbine in an allotted time while in the prone, standing and kneeling positions, all while wearing their Kevlar helmets and body armor.
“He is very hands on and likes teaching Soldiers his skills,” Lovas said. “He gets very excited about the topic he’s teaching.”
While inside, Heroux incorporated mathematics into the equation of marksmanship. The formulas he taught would take into consideration the wind velocity and the trajectory of the round fired making for a more accurate shot.
“I never thought of using mathematics or formulas in a practical sense for marksmanship,” said Cpl. Andrew Bryant, a signal support system specialist with Company C, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade. “I thought it was interesting.”
Heroux hopes to continue the course throughout the nine-month rotation for a more ready and resilient force.
“We have a lot more to teach, we have a lot more to improve.”
| Date Taken: | 08.10.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2018 06:23 |
| Story ID: | 288661 |
| Location: | ILLESHEIM, BY, DE |
| Hometown: | CUMBERLAND, RI, US |
| Hometown: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 155 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, A shot to thrive: 4CAB small arms master marksman trains deployed Soldiers, by SSG Gabrielle Pena, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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