Army Reserve Soldiers fire up their combat effectiveness at Cold Steel
Spc. Daniel Cirino, Cargo Specialist assigned to the 489th Transportation Company, Jacksonville, Florida, reviews his target through his scope while using an M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun during a weapons qualification at the Operation Cold Steel exercise conducted at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, Mar. 19, 2017. Operation Cold Steel is the U.S. Army Reserve’s first large-scale live-fire training and crew-served weapons qualification and validation exercise. Cold Steel is an important step in ensuring that America’s Army Reserve units and Soldiers are trained and ready to deploy on short-notice and bring combat-ready and lethal firepower in support of the Total Army and Joint Force partners anywhere in the world. 475 crews with an estimated 1,600 Army Reserve Soldiers will certify in M2, M19 and M240 Bravo gunner platforms across 12-day rotations through the seven-week exercise. In support of the Total Army Force, First Army Master Gunners participated in Cold Steel to provide expertise in crew level gunnery qualifications, and to develop Vehicle Crew Evaluator training, preparing units here and when they return to their home stations to conduct crew served weapons training and vehicle crew gunnery at the unit-level. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Master Sgt. Anthony L. Taylor)