Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Anita Stratton | Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers with C Company, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry...... read more read more
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In preparation for mobilization, Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, conducted a multi-faceted training exercise at Yakima Training Center, March 12-17, 2019.
Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers, who will deploy later this year, were familiarized with firing .50-caliber machine guns using the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS), urban operations, and infantry maneuvers using live-fire and maintaining safety.
Soldiers with Delta Company conducted live firing with the CROWS. The system allows Soldiers to stay in vehicles when firing occurs.
"It allows the Soldier to operate weapons used in the turret without actually being in the turret," said Spc. Michael Jones, a gunner.
The CROWS is versatile and precise. It can implement a variety of weapons on a variety of vehicles.
"It is safe and extremely accurate," said Pfc. Jay Tetone, a gunner. "It is intended to keep the Soldier out of harm's way."
Accuracy is only as good as the operator. It takes in-depth training to be able to operate the total system. With basic knowledge, any Soldier can take the controls.
"The CROWS is user-friendly. The basic knowledge needed to fire is simple to do and easy to understand," Tetone said.
The station consists of a display unit, switch panel unit, control grip, joystick and screen as a secondary source of information.
"It's like a video game. The now-generation can easily adapt to that technology," said Spc. Christopher Burcell, a gunner.
Soldiers also conducted room entering and clearing training in the Shoot House.
Four-time veteran, Master Sgt. Patrick Lynch, a chief instructor with the 249th Regional Training Institute at Camp Umatilla, was one of the trainers at the Shoot House.
"We started training with a single team, entering a room and making sure it was clear, then we moved on to squads entering and clearing," Lynch said.
The process is taken in steps making sure the Soldiers know their job and trust others to know theirs. Confidence also comes from positive reinforcement given by Lynch.
"You know the squad leader is ready. You know the team leader is ready and he knows you are ready. Then go!" Lynch told one team.
Standard operating procedures are necessary for teams to act as a cohesive unit and to ensure safety and success.
"We are learning this is how it’s done. This is what we are doing and there is no deviation," said Spc. Ian McGowan, a saw-gunner with Charlie Company.
The Soldiers train at a crawl, walk, run pace.
"We begin with a dry run, then simulation, then with live-fire," Lynch said.
The live-fire rounds are marking cartridges, like a paintball, leaving chalk marks where they hit. The Soldiers are close together while simulating scenarios.
"There is going to be a lot of confidence building with live-fire ‘clacking’ off not even two feet away," said McGowan.
Infantry units are known as 'boots-on-the-ground.' The third part of training stressed infantry maneuvers on foot with live rounds and pop-up targets.
"They are doing in-place support, overwatch, including an assault element, and maneuvering toward the village,” said Spc. Dylan Dees, an operations assistant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), who was part of the range pop-up target team.
Each position had the pop-up targets to shoot. Safety is at the top concern for all training.
"The main thing is to maintain maximum safety. We are using live-fire," Dees said.
Soldiers said these tactics, techniques, and procedures are important training to help them prepare for a deployment.
"This is some of the better training I have experienced. Reaction targets are very beneficial to training,” said Sgt. Collin Kim, the assistant operations noncommissioned officer with HHC.
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2019 16:41 |
| Story ID: | 314481 |
| Location: | OR, US |
| Web Views: | 954 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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