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NEWS | Feb. 16, 2016

The 481st TC goes to Wet Range

By Capt. Fernando Ochoa 311th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

OXNARD, Calif. – Soldiers of the 481st Transportation Company (Heavy Boat), Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, aboard the United States Army Vessel Malvern Hill, Landing Craft Utility 2025, conducted a live fire exercise, also known to Army mariners as a “Wet Range,” where Soldiers engaged targets on the water while their vessel was underway, using various mounted and hand carried weapons January 27.

The 481st TC is one of two Army Reserve Heavy Boat companies operating the LCU 2000 vessel. Each vessel, the USAV Monterrey LCU 2030 and the USAV Malvern Hill LCU 2025, are manned with 16 personnel each.

The USAV Malvern Hill LCU 2025 steamed three hours on the open water to reach the designated firing area 17 miles off the California coast.  

During this exercise, 34 Soldiers each fired the M-203 grenade launcher, M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon, MK-19 Automatic Grenade Launcher and the M-2 machine gun towards a floating target boat that varied in range from 100 to 300 meters away. 

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle Oga, officer in charge, spent two months planning this exercise by arranging for the ammunition used to be brought to Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme from the bunker at Point Mugu Naval Base and getting approval from the U.S. Coast Guard for a four square nautical mile range fan.

After sending a safety message to all other vessel in the area, warning traffic that of the exercise, a safety brief was conducted and the range began. 
 
“This gives the crew confidence in engaging targets from the vessel underway while firing at a moving target,” said Oga. “Different sea states can make aim more challenging and our vessel has to maneuver so the weapons can stay trained on the target.”

On this day, the calm seas aided the gunners in aiming, but the Soldiers still had to account for the relative movement of the target boat.

The Soldiers received PMI on four different weapon systems, training on fire commands, sectors of fire and had the opportunity to engage targets at different ranges. Many of the Soldiers aboard were in the process of getting licensed.
  
“For most of the crew this was their first chance to experience live fire. The skills they learn will prepare them for if or when they are deployed,” said Oga. “For instance, if they find themselves in hostel waters, firing warning shots is common in the Persian Gulf.”

The 481st TC mobilized and deployed three heavy boat detachments from 2003 to 2006. They also deployed in 2011, 2012, 2013. This unit has been awarded a meritorious unit citation.