CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - A person exceptionally skilled in an occupation, art or science by definition can be considered a master.
At the heart of the training and readiness preparations for 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, are Staff Sgt. Sean Phillips, a tank master gunner, and Staff Sgt. Matthew Knutt, a Bradley master gunner.
These master gunners are the subject matter experts in all aspects of the M1 Abrams tank and M3 Bradley fighting vehicle. They advise the commander on each weapon system's capabilities and limitations and help plan training events.
For Knutt, a native of Cando, North Dakota, being a master gunner is about loving what you do.
"I enjoy the job," said Knutt. "I've been mechanized infantry for 15 years now. Master gunners, when I first came in, were the guys who helped to run the battalion. He's the adviser to the commander on all things infantry, Bradley tactics and training. I enjoy responsibility and always wanted to have that harder job and try to set myself apart from my peers."
Master gunners manage and execute all certifications and qualification programs. They also help develop methods and techniques to improve individual and crew training for the unit.
Being a master gunner for the battalion is a chance to leave a lasting impression on the Soldiers, said Phillips, a native of Morrisville, North Carolina.
"It all boils down to training the force," said Phillips. "Getting back to the basics and the old school ways, that's what I try to instill in these Soldiers today. I want them to take pride in what they do. As a master gunner I get to teach and train Soldiers of all nations."
It takes hard work and dedication to become a master gunner. Each candidate must complete the 14-week master gunner school at Fort Benning, Georgia. The school was established in 1983 and looks for dedicated noncommissioned officers to be the chief adviser during the development of unit training programs.
"We are of a selected few, who have chosen to be that adviser. The unit is authorized nine master gunners but [we] have operated effectively with a total of four school-trained master gunners at the moment," said Knutt.
Both Phillips and Knutt worked on creating the battalion's first unstabilized gunnery, one of the battalion's first training events since arriving in the U.S. Army Central area of operations.
"Working with Phillips has been great," Said Knutt. "We have a great working relationship. We divide up most of our tasks. He deals mostly with the armor companies and I deal with the infantry. He is responsible for the land acquisitions, I am responsible for ammunition."
The creed of the noncommissioned officer is clearly visible in Soldiers who take on the challenge and responsibility of becoming a unit master gunner.
They are committed to taking care of Soldiers and training them to standard, said Knutt.
"I love it, I take pride in what I do," said Knutt. "I don't want a Soldier cursing my name out because they are short their ammo. If that Soldier gets out to conduct training and doesn't have the space or munitions to train, then I have failed them. I ensure that the Soldiers get the proper training and resources they need to conduct that training, in preparation for future missions."
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