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CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyo. — Inside the cab of a HIMARS launcher, there is no safety net.
The field training exercise took place at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, March 20, 2026.
During a recent field training exercise at the Wyoming National Guard Regional Training Institute, Soldiers in the 13M transition course operated as full crews for the first time without an instructor inside the vehicle.
“It’s just you,” said Sgt. Tye Jarrard, a 13M student, of Kaycee, Wyoming. “There’s no one there to jump in if you pause too long. You’ve got to rely on what you’ve learned and on your team.”
The exercise simulates real-world operations. Crews move between firing points and hide positions, receive simulated fire missions and execute under time pressure.
Each position inside the launcher carries its own responsibility.
The driver moves the vehicle across terrain, selects routes and positions the launcher for the mission.
“The driver gets you from point A to point B,” said Spc. Justin Gorecki, a 13M student, of Detroit, Michigan. “You’ve got to make sure you’re in the right place and set up correctly.”
The gunner prepares the system, arms the launcher and executes the fire mission.
“There’s more responsibility with the gunner,” Gorecki said. “You’re the one actually making it happen. If you mess up and nobody catches it, that’s on you.”
The crew chief oversees the entire process, directing the crew and ensuring every step is completed correctly. “The crew chief is making sure everything works together,” Jarrard said. “Everybody has a role, and if one piece doesn’t work, the whole system doesn’t work.”
Instructors observe from a distance, allowing Soldiers to make decisions and work through problems on their own.
“We show them how to do it, we do it together, and then they do it on their own,” said Staff Sgt. Austin Paulsen, a 13M instructor, of Thermopolis, Wyoming. “That’s how it sticks.”
The shift from guided training to independent execution is where confidence starts to take hold.
“It was a little nerve-wracking at first,” Jarrard said. “But once you start working through it, you realize you know more than you think.”
The exercise also reinforces a simple reality. Success depends on the crew, not the individual.
“You’ve got to know your job, but you also have to trust the people around you,” Gorecki said. “The better everyone understands each role, the better the crew performs.”
By the end of the training, Soldiers are no longer focused on individual tasks. They are operating as a team and will take those skills back to their units.
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2026 15:04 |
| Story ID: | 561136 |
| Location: | WYOMING, US |
| Hometown: | THERMOPOLIS, WYOMING, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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