Photo By Staff Sgt. Zelika Stewart | Troopers assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, determine the direction...... read more read more
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3rd Cavalry Regiment sharpens combat readiness through June live-fire training FORT HOOD, Texas — Troopers assigned to 3rd Cavalry Regiment conducted a series of live-fire training exercises throughout June to strengthen the regiment's ability to integrate fires and maneuver, reinforcing the combat capabilities required for future operations.
From June 1-8, Troopers assigned to Ironhawk Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, conducted a consolidated squad live-fire exercise at Brookhaven Multiuse Range at Fort Hood. The training validated rifle squads and prepared Troopers to operate in complex combat environments.
The exercise began with squads conducting equipment inspections and ensuring personnel and equipment met readiness standards before loading into Stryker vehicles and moving to the dismount site. Once on the ground, Troopers maneuvered on foot in tactical formations through the training lane. When enemy targets appeared, Troopers engaged them with M4 carbines and M249 squad automatic weapons before taking covered positions and continuing their advance using bounding techniques. Teams alternated between providing suppressive fire and maneuvering forward, reinforcing the fundamentals of small-unit tactics. The exercise concluded with squads establishing hasty defensive positions.
"Nobody arrives at a unit as a finished product," said 1st Sgt. Christopher Mills, senior enlisted advisor for Ironhawk Troop. "Practicing their jobs with rounds in a simulated operational environment and in austere conditions is what’s going to make them combat effective in the long run." The squad live-fire exercise provided Troopers with an opportunity to apply their training in a realistic environment while building the skills and confidence needed to operate effectively under demanding conditions.
"It's vital to maintain our readiness at all times because we do not plan out when wars and conflicts happen," said Capt. Andrew Moynihan, commander of Ironhawk Troop. "Our job in the U.S. Army is to be prepared at all times to operate in any environment. We improve lethality by empowering leaders to effectively train their men through repetition."
Training events such as squad live-fire exercises provide Troopers with an opportunity to rehearse the skills they may be required to perform in future operations. By operating under realistic, demanding conditions, units build confidence, strengthen decision-making and reinforce the coordination required to succeed in complex combat environments.
While Ironhawk Troop refined its maneuver capabilities, Troopers assigned to Bravo Battery, Field Artillery Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, conducted Artillery Training Tables V and VI from June 2-18 to certify crews and improve indirect-fire proficiency.
The training progressed through a series of increasingly demanding tables, culminating in live-fire missions during which crews employed M107 155 mm high-explosive artillery projectiles to validate their ability to deliver accurate and effective fires with the M777A1 howitzer.
"The way we qualify is doing dry iterations at Table V," said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Ricketson, a cannon crewmember and gunnery sergeant assigned to Bravo Battery. "We go through crew drills, fire missions, in-processings, before we move to Table VI, which is the live-fire missions. That is part of making sure that our M777A1 guns are shooting where we are aiming. It's a culminating event to make sure that everything from Table I meets at Table VI."
"The way we increase lethality is by going through our table progressions and getting repetition in training," said Ricketson. "Sending ammunition down range, making sure they accurately hit the target, as quickly as possible. The reason we maintain our readiness is to ensure that when we get a call sent up, we can send the rounds exactly where they need to go."
Ricketson said artillery remains a critical battlefield capability because it enables maneuver units to maintain momentum and accomplish their objectives. "Artillery is important on the battlefield because it allows maneuver elements to push forward, and we are able to help clear the way for them," he said. Further reinforcing the regiment's indirect-fire capabilities, Troopers assigned to 2nd Squadron “Sabre”, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, conducted a mortar training and evaluation exercise June 23-26 at Fort Hood. The exercise tested crews' technical proficiency and tactical execution while strengthening the regiment's ability to provide responsive indirect fire support.
Crews employed the M120 mortar system with M931 120mm caliber full-range training cartridges, the M252 mortar system with M879A1 81mm caliber training cartridges, and the M225A1 lightweight mortar system with M768 60mm caliber training cartridges to validate their ability to deliver accurate and timely fires in support of maneuver forces.
"Our jobs as indirect fire infantrymen are to neutralize and shape the battlefield alongside artillery," said Sgt. 1st Class Ruben Hinojosa, platoon sergeant and indirect fire infantryman assigned to Sabre Squadron. "We shape the battlefield with our fires in order to get our adversaries to maneuver where we want them. We have deception fires. We can make our adversaries believe we think they're in a specific location, but we know where they actually are. Our main goal as mortars is to provide immediate, accurate indirect fire to the maneuver commander at all times. As mortars, we move along with the maneuvering elements, a little bit behind. We provide suppression so they can progress."
The three exercises highlighted the close relationship between maneuver, mortars, and artillery on the battlefield. While rifle squads trained to close with and engage the enemy, mortar crews refined their ability to provide immediate, responsive indirect fire, and artillery crews strengthened their ability to deliver sustained, accurate fire that shapes the battlefield. Together, the training strengthened 3rd Cavalry Regiment's ability to integrate fires and maneuver—an essential capability in modern combat operations. By investing in realistic, integrated training, the regiment continues to build disciplined, lethal, and adaptable formations prepared to meet future operational demands.
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2026 11:06 |
| Story ID: | 568270 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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