Soldiers from multiple units in the Illinois Army National Guard conducted and received training for the latest Individual Weapons Qualification (IWQ) course at the Marseilles Training Center in Marseilles, March 23 to 25.
Soldiers gathered under the guidance of noncommissioned officers of the Illinois Army National Guard’s Small Arms Readiness and Training Section (SARTS), a part of the Joint Force Headquarters(JFHQ), to hone their skills to use weapons and to eventually train and evaluate other Soldiers on the use of weapons in a field training environment.
“The IWQ course gives Soldiers the tools, hands-on experience and confidence to go back to their units as subject matter experts able to train others, enforce standards, and ultimately make their formations more lethal.” said Staff Sergeant Jose Cortez, a SARTS instructor with the Illinois Army National Guard.
Soldiers participated in a variety of settings to train with M4 carbines. Training sessions were held in three different settings. The first was a training room with virtual targets and equipment designed to simulate the look, feel and movement of an M4 carbine. The second was a range used to fire live rounds and calibrate sights for the M4 carbine. The third and final setting was a qualification range with targets to assess proficiency with the M4 carbine.
“Getting back to basics is vital to unit readiness,” said Illinois Army National Guard Staff Sgt. David Heneisen, another SARTS instructor. “Our goal is to equip the students with efficient range operations while also sharing our experiences on what has worked and not worked in the past.”
As Soldiers participated in the training, they also built confidence in their own skills.
“After being in the Army National Guard for twelve years, this has been the most secure I have been in regard to zeroing my weapon and being comfortable with my weapon system,” said Illinois Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Zachary VanMeter of the 232nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 34th Division Sustainment Brigade.
On the final day of IWQ training, the SARTS instructors met with the class one last time to share results, give feedback and conclude the course. At least one of the instructors put philosophy into words.
“I hate the phrase ‘Slow is smooth, smooth is fast’,” said Sgt. Chris Greuel, another Illinois Army National Guard SARTS instructor. “In reality, slow is slow and fast is fast. We’re here to give the training and confidence to make up that gap.”