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Story courtesy of the 188th Infantry Brigade, First Army Division East Public Affairs Office, Fort Stewart, Georgia
[caption id="attachment_8042" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="A gun crew from the 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade prepares to engage a target during their qualification run on a 50-caliber range at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center June 14, while a vehicle crew evaluator from 1-306th Regiment observes to ensure the target is engaged effectively and that proper fire commands are used. (Photo by: Capt. Kurt Van Slooten)"]
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. -- The 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is currently conducting its gunnery validation requirement necessary for deployment with the assistance of 1-306th Regiment, and members of the 2-306th Regiment, both components of the 188th Infantry ‘Battle Ready’ Brigade.
“The gunnery is the decisive piece of the validation of the 149th MEB,” said Col. Timothy E. Newsome, 205th Infantry Brigade commander, lead training brigade for the mobilization of the 149th MEB. “The Soldiers providing the training are professionals who know what they are doing to get the 149th through the gunnery and facilitate the process.”
The 149th MEB, Kentucky Army National Guard, will complete its final training and validation requirements at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center prior to deploying to conduct security force, base defense operations and convoy security operations in Iraq as part of Operation New Dawn to support the withdrawal of troops and equipment from Iraq.
Lt. Col. Timothy J. Gauthier, 1-306th Regiment commander, said that his Soldiers’ task at the M240B and 50-caliber gunnery ranges was to take the 149th MEB Soldiers from whatever proficiency they were currently at and train them to Army standard.
“You get guys at all different levels of training,” said Gauthier. “Part of the challenge is to figure out where they are and adjust training to meet their needs. Every day is a new adventure for the guys out on the range, bringing order out of chaos.”
He explained that the gunnery consists of five portions of training. Those portions consist of gunnery skills training, gunnery tables one and two done without ammunition with both day and night requirements, and gunnery tables five and six, which are completed with live ammunition and also have day and night requirements.
By the end of training he expects to qualify 480 three-man gun crews.
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