Pvt. Alexander Kuhl, 1st Bn., 7th FA Regt., 2nd ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., helps Wesley Iwundu, a K-State basketball player, put on body armor Sept. 25 at the battalion's Fort Riley headquarters. Players from the men's basketball team visited Soldiers from...
Tre Harris, a player on the Kansas State University men's basketball team, climbs into the driver's hatch of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle Sept. 25 at a Fort Riley range. The team visited its partner unit, 1st Bn., 7th FA Regt., 2nd ABCT, 1st Inf. Div.,...
Javon Thomas talks with a Paladin crew from the 1st Bn., 7th FA Regt., 2nd ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., Sept. 25 at a Fort Riley range. Players from the men's basketball team visited Soldiers from the battalion, their partner unit, and helped them fire the P...
NCAA Division I basketball players teamed with 1st Infantry Division artillerymen Sept. 25 at Fort Riley to get insight into the big booms keeping Manhattan, Kansas, residents up lately.
Players and staff from the Kansas State University men's basketball team visited Soldiers from their partner unit, the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div., in the field during a Howitzer gunnery. After the players got their safety gear -- helmets, body armor and eye and ear protection -- from Soldiers at the battalion headquarters, they headed out to two ranges to see equipment and help Soldiers pull lanyards to fire the battalion's massive Paladins.
Paladins are vehicles that house Howitzers, the big guns that are part of the battalion's arsenal. The Soldiers have been going back and forth between the field during the week and home on weekends as they work their way up the gunnery tables. This regular training ensures the artillery crews are proficient at their jobs and ready when and if called upon for a mission.
After the field visit, the players went back to the unit's motor pool for some Army physical training. The team and battalion have one of the strongest partnerships between the university and "Big Red One." Players wear the battalion's crest on their uniforms and both organizations regularly visit each other on post and on campus.
Soldiers are honored the team displays the "First Lightning" battalion's crest, Lt. Col. Jim Collins, the battalion's commander, said.
"The crest states 'Never Broken by Hardship or Battle,'" Collins said. "Today, the Soldiers wanted to demonstrate what it means to be Never Broken by Hardship or Battle."
He went on to praise the "great" partnership.
"The success of both organizations relies on discipline and teamwork," he said. "Today, we are here to demonstrate the First Lightning battalion's teamwork.
"The two organizations are different, but in many regards very similar. When we discuss teamwork, discipline and leadership, the context may be different, but it applies equally to both organizations."
It was a message that Marcus Foster, a sophomore guard from Wichita Falls, Texas, picked up on immediately. Communication among the crew members inside the Paladin was key -- they had to make sure everything was going right, Foster said.
"I think all of us are definitely taking a little bit from what we learned today on teamwork and applying it to ourselves on the court," he said of his teammates.
Like many of his teammates, getting inside and standing up in the Paladins was a challenge for the 6-foot, 2-inch Foster. It's a problem with which Staff Sgt. Joshua Lockington, a section chief in the battalion, is all too familiar. Towering well above 6 feet, Lockington is one of the tallest field artillerymen in the battalion, and the required protective gear has made it possible for him to do his job without too many injuries.
Wearing the equipment was another first for the players. Foster said he wasn't too sure about the experience at first as he thought it was going to be too hot with the heavy equipment. However, after helping a Soldier fire the Howitzer, he changed his mind. The equipment was still heavy -- "I would hate to have to play like this or even run like this," he said patting his body armor -- but, he enjoyed the visit and he wanted to do it again.
"So it was a pretty cool thing to do," he said, unable to hide his smile.
While on first look it appeared the Soldiers and players were worlds apart, their similar ages were a common bond. Lockington's youngest Soldier is 18. Foster is 19. It was pretty cool to hang out with Soldier his age, Foster said. The young men understand what each other are going through and the Soldiers showed the players how they're overcoming, he added.
"Sometimes we think our lives are hard, but they're out here in the heat in this kind of stuff every day and we're just doing this for a couple of hours," Foster said, "so it really makes us appreciate guys like this out here who helped us today."
The visit was important because it showed the players that a Soldier's job is not easy, Lockington said.
"It's a 24-hour-a-day job and we're responsible for everything we do and we're responsible for the American people," he said.
The Soldiers look forward to future partnership events, Collins said, because every time they interact, it allows the unit to connect K-State and the community with their Army.
"It was great to allow the team to watch and participate in an artillery live fire," he said. "I hope when they are on the K-State campus and hear the booms, they proudly tell their classmates, 'those are my partners.'"
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