FORT SILL, Okla. (Oct. 1, 2015) -- Soldiers training to become Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) crewmembers got a glimpse of their future jobs during a live-fire exercise Sept. 22 on Fort Sill's East Range.
Fifteen Advanced Individual Training Soldiers in Class No. 17-15 shadowed Soldiers from A Battery, 1st Battalion, 78th Field Artillery, as they fired the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at Firing Point 01NA. It is a light MLRS mounted on a truck.
"The cab shakes a lot, that was really cool," said student Pfc. Jacquelin Sneeden, 20, who was in a HIMARS vehicle as the crew fired.
The training benefited both the A/1-78th FA Soldiers who teach MLRS because they must stay certified on the weapons system every six months, and it also teaches the students, said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Porter, a military occupational specialty 13M instructor.
"It's a double-win for everybody," Porter said. The students weren't just observing, but performing active roles under the supervision of instructors,in the fires mission.
Twenty rounds were fired in different training missions, including fire-when-ready, at-my-command, and time-on-target, Porter said. They were non-explosive practice rounds.
During the six-week MLRS course students learn how to be gunners, drivers and chiefs. They learn about the vehicles involved in the firing, including the M142 HIMARS vehicle, M270 MLRS and resupply vehicles. They also learn the intricacies of the computerized weapons systems, and its complicated reloading procedure of rocket pods.
The ammunition procedure is the most challenging part of the course, said Steven Stinson, MLRS Course supervisor training specialist. "For the test, it's all hands-on and there are 80 steps."
The AIT Soldiers spent Sept. 21 helping the A/1-78th FA Soldiers set up for the next day's shoot, said 1st Lt. Kerry Metcalfe, A/1-78th FA executive officer. They would also help with the clean up after the shoot.
"We came out here yesterday and did rehearsals, so the students and some of the cadre members stay out here for two days," Metcalfe said. "The students learn field crafts, like how to take care of themselves, that's a really big thing as they move to their next unit."
Capt. Ryan Pretty, A/1-78th FA battery commander, said the live-fire is a boon to the students, and he wants it to become a part of the course curriculum.
"It's just awesome that the Soldiers get a little first-hand experience of what they should expect when they get to the force," Pretty said.
Student Pvt. Alex Claude, 19, of Nashua, N.H., said he first saw the HIMARS while watching the Discovery Channel as a child. He said the live-fire observation was beneficial to the class.
"It helps me see what I'm going to do," Claude said. "I could see myself doing this for a long time, a career."
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