Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Larsen | Retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston, the 13th and longest...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – The 1st Armored Division hosted their second annual Master Gunners Conference where more than 100 master gunners gathered at the Mission Training Complex, Fort Bliss, Texas, from August 19-21, to enhance their collective knowledge on gunnery tactics, training, and procedures.
“The [1st Armored] Division is responsible for bringing all of these resources together to provide a first-class capstone event for the master gunner profession,” said Command Sgt. Maj. James Light, 1st Armored Division's senior enlisted leader. “This is a great opportunity for [1st Armored Division] to re-baseline the division in terms of what our standards are and how we train.”
The three-day conference provided a forum for U.S. and allied soldiers to share valuable insights and best practices while focusing on specific changes to U.S. Army Table VI armored vehicle qualification requirements.
“Bringing the cohort of master gunners together in this venue strengthens the network across formations in the division,” said Light. “You [have] to be patient, you cannot expect Soldiers to immediately know how to deploy a new technique or tactic or learn a new system immediately.”
As the U.S. Army mission shifts focus from smaller scale urban operations to large-scale combat operations, the Armor Corps has implemented significant updates to Training Circular 3-20.31. Some of the most substantial changes include qualification standards listed in Table VI.
The updated TC includes an increase in recommended distance for bore sighting the Abrams and Bradley platforms during the zeroing process. This allows the gunnery teams to execute their live fire accuracy screening test, which has increased the distance to ensure tactical relevancy.
Light continued to explain that it takes time to integrate and build changes into training progressions to ensure U.S. Army Soldiers receive the proper amounts of sets and repetitions overtime to build proficiency that will enable successful outcomes on the gunnery range.
“That is where our strength lies,” said Light. “In our culture and what we expect of ourselves … We expect that we will win, and everyone wants to be part of a winning team.”
This conference also gave NATO partners the chance to gain a greater understanding of the U.S. Army Master Gunner program, engage with the key leaders who influence training and provide insight on operating armored vehicles across the European Theater.
Polish Maj. Cezary Gromada, Polish Armed Forces General Command, one of several allied soldiers in attendance, expressed his appreciation for the invitation to attend the conference. Gromada also mentioned his country's commitment to armored security through Polish soldiers' attendance at the U.S. Army Master Gunners Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the establishment of the Abrams Academy in Biedrusko, Poland.
Along with the opportunity to network and gain a more comprehensive understanding of where the master gunner profession is heading, the event allowed senior leaders to gain feedback on updated manning for key developmental assignments and military educational milestones.
“The way commanders and master gunners are getting graded on their evaluations and unit gunneries is what will set the conditions for the master gunner,” said Master Sgt. Ian Workman, senior career management NCO for the Office of Chief of Armor. “[From that], we can capture the data through yearly evaluations to help [our office] determine how master gunners should be evaluated for career progression at the proponent level.”
The conference concluded after three days of detailed and systemic analysis of the Master Gunner Course and armor profession, highlighting changes to qualification standards, course requirements and key assignments that every master gunner should aspire to exceed.
| Date Taken: | 08.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.05.2025 11:12 |
| Story ID: | 546957 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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