Feb. 9, 2017 –
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – Rumbling through the desert an M1135 Stryker Vehicle stood ready to destroy its next target. The 50-caliber machine gun barrel lowered and the assistant gunner identified the next target. The subsequent command heard was, “Troops, 12 o’clock, 700 meters, on the way.”
Stryker teams from Recon Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas and the 355th Chemical Company, Las Vegas, Nev., conducted gunnery tables IV – VI, Feb. 9, 2017, at Udari Training Area, Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
“Our mission today was to conduct Stryker gunnery day and night iterations” said Sgt. Daniel Lamb, 2nd BEB., Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear specialist, native of Tyler, Texas. “The training improved on the lethality of the Recon Platoon.”
According to Training Circular 3-20.31, gunnery tables are designed to test the proficiency of individual, crew and section gunnery techniques at the basic, intermediate and advance levels. The preliminary gunnery consists of weapons and ammunition characteristics and capabilities -- target acquisition, range determination -- fire commands and crew duties; engagement techniques and range operations.
Table IV is basic qualification table, in which the gunner acquires and engages stationary and moving targets from a stationary platform for record fire. Table V trains the gunner to acquire and engage stationary and moving targets both day and night. It also transitions the gunner from tripod firing to vehicle fire. Table VI is the first table that requires the crew to fire full caliber ammunition from a stationary firing vehicle. These exercises are fired during day and at night.
“Over seven months of specialized training has lead us to where we are today,” said Spc. Joshua Frye, 2nd BEB, CBRN specialist from Ashville, N.C.
Hitting targets accurately and swiftly brought smiles to the command team faces; especially since a generator over heated, causing a delay to the afternoon schedule.
“The range has been awesome today” said Cpt. John Pflug, 2nd BEB, from Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. “Training has been very smooth minus some minor issues.”
Night fire on gunnery table VI followed the sunset. Majority of the teams qualified without any issues, based upon training given to each prior to coming here. Range cleanup was swift followed by an overall review of the days training.
“Some of the training included assemble and disassemble the 50-caliber machine gun; fire and rollover training,” Frye added.
While America’s enemies try to find new ways to recruit its people; combat ready Stryker units focus on rifle marksmanship, physical fitness and precision gunnery skills. By becoming a master of the gunnery tables, these soldiers ensure their leaders that they are ready to destroy their targets anytime, anywhere.