1st Battalion, 91st Cavalry Live Fire Exercise: Playing in the snow

Photo By Staff Sgt. John Todd | U.S. Army Pfc. Lennin Chavez, assigned to 1st Battalion, 91st Cavalry Regiment, fires at enemy targets during area reconnaissance training at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Dec. 2. The training allows team members to practice level one drills, interact as a team, and gain hands-on experience on various weapons systems. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John W. Todd)  

GRAFENWOEHR, BY, GERMANY

12.08.2020

Story by Sgt. John Todd 

7th Army Training Command

GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA, Germany – Crews from 1st Battalion, 91st Cavalry Regiment conducted live-fire exercises during dismounted and mounted weapon qualifications Dec. 1 to 5.

The training was geared to sharpen level-one drills, allow Soldiers to gain experience on weapons systems, and to learn a little about themselves as they work together as a team.

“We have 15 crews to qualify and validate,” said Capt. Robert Gillis, A troop commander for 1-91 CAV. “As in any event, you always have competition where the crews try to prove who is the best.”

Gillis said this is a progression of gunnery, where truck crews (consisting of a commander, driver and gunner) engage and destroy various targets.

The initial training focused on dismounted team live-fire exercises. The teams worked together to react to a variety of pop-up mounted and dismounted targets.

2nd Lieutenant Robert Brossart, platoon leader in charge of the ground iteration qualification, said this was his first assessment of his troops, and his first time as a platoon leader.

“I love this,” said Brossart. “I’d much rather be out here in the snow with my troops than stuck in an office on a computer doing lieutenant stuff.”

Broussard said the training was geared toward developing teams first, with the desired end state of teams working together as a platoon.

The truck crews first qualified on the MK19-3 40mm grenade machine gun, the M-240B machine gun, and the M-2 machine gun dismounted before moving into their trucks to re-qualify with the same weapons.
Sgt. Nicholas Colliscedeno, truck commander, said the goal of the training is for each crew to qualify, both dismounted and mounted, with the highest score possible.

“Each truck crew must score at least 700 points,” said Colliscedeno. “The scoring comes from shooting three targets during the day, and the rest from shooting targets in the night iteration.”

Each weapon system has a primary target focus. The M19 is used to strike hard-standing targets; the M-240B machine gun is used against dismounted troops, and the M-2 machine gun is used mostly for up-armored tanks.

Usage of each weapons systems can always change, depending on the conditions, said
Colliscedeno.

“To see the development of these Soldiers, it is awesome.” said Brossart.

• Date Taken: 12.08.2020
• Date Posted: 12.08.2020 15:59
• Story ID: 384478
• Location: GRAFENWOEHR, BY, DE