Eagle Battalion Soldiers improve readiness through partnership

Photo By Sgt. Roger Houghton | 1st Sgt. Bryan Fisher, the first sergeant for Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, engages with an Observer Coach/Trainer from the 2nd Battalion, 351st Infantry Regiment, 177th Armored Brigade during annual training, March 29, 2019 at Camp Shelby, MS. OC/Ts from the 177th Armored Brigade have been partnered with the 156th Infantry Regiment for over two years. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Roger Houghton/177th Armored Brigade Public Affairs)  

MS, UNITED STATES

03.29.2019

Story by Sgt. Roger Houghton 

First Army

The Observer Coach/Trainers of the 2nd Battalion, 351st Infantry Regiment, 177th Armored Brigade, partnered with Battalions from the 156th Infantry Regiment, Louisiana National Guard, to oversee their annual gunnery exercise, March 2019 at Camp Shelby, MS.

The 2-351 “Eagle” Battalion is overseeing the training to prepare the 156th Infantry Regiment for their upcoming rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Ft. Polk, Louisiana.

Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Ross, the senior armor OC/T with the Eagle Battalion, knows the 156th Infantry Regiment’s strengths and shortcomings, and it’s his job to make sure they’re ready to face any task that may come their way.

“We’ve been partnering with the 156th every month,” said Ross. “We’ve been deep in the dirt with these guys. From the time we got them two years ago, they’ve come a long way.”

It is responsibility of the 177th Armored Brigade to help bring Army National Guard and Army Reserve units, who they maintain long-term partnerships with, to ‘Objective T,’ which is a rating level given to units that are proficient in aspects of soldier skills and deployment operations.

During this training week, the 156th Infantry Regiment not only had its logistical abilities tested, but also its combat capabilities. Soldiers donned their full equipment and crewed their vehicles with live ammunition as they rolled down-range to engage pop-up targets during their gunnery. They were assessed on soldiers skills such as their ability to call out targets, maneuver their vehicles, and shoot accurately.

“From our involvement every month, going through troop-leading procedures and simulation trainings with those soldiers, they’ve come a long way and they’re ready for deployment,” said Ross”

Cpt. Brandon Cambre, the heavy weapons company commander of Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, watches over training from the control tower of the range and listens in to communications between vehicle crews and range cadre.

“We do some preliminary training at home with regards to vehicle identification, weapons functioning and proficiency,” said Cambre.


As the company commander, Cambre makes contact with OC/Ts from the 177th Armored Brigade often during training. Their partnership includes open lines of communication, so that any shortfalls, either logistical or performance-based, can be identified and engaged. With the assistance of the OC/Ts, the gap between Army National Guard and Active Duty Army practices can be bridged to ensure a smooth execution of training events at all levels.

“We do dry runs to utilize our commands with fire controls,” Cambre added. “Then, we actually go down range to use live fire to evaluate the weapons proficiency, identifying targets, and the engagement of targets downrange within a timed standard.”

Challenging realism is a hallmark of Army training, and the gunnery training conducted by the 156th Infantry Regiment on Camp Shelby is concrete evidence.

In full gear, including protective equipment and water-sources, infantrymen loaded into their green, up-armored humvees to traverse the range under the beating Mississippi sun. When they get to each stopping point along the way, pop-up targets reveal themselves. Bullets rip from the mounted machine-gun as the vehicle’s gunner engages targets while taking guidance from his fellow crew-members. Upon their return, they clear their weapons and await a debrief from accompanying vehicle crew evaluators.

Spc. Chase Taylor, an infantryman assigned to D Co., 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment appreciates the boost in training value provided by 177th Armored Brigade OC/Ts.

“They do the grading and correct us on any mistakes,” said Taylor. “They give us pointers on how to execute better.” Taylor added that the help him and his fellow soldiers receive from the OC/Ts makes a big difference in their training.

• Date Taken: 03.29.2019
• Date Posted: 04.03.2019 14:14
• Story ID: 316588
• Location: MS, US