Sgt. Malcom Hilbert, a food service specialist from the 411th Transportation Detachment and a Tupelo, Miss. resident, raised the flag on the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) during a range exercise in the Arabian Gulf, October 3, 2016...

Soldiers from the 411th Transportation Detachment run to respond to a drill aboard the MG Charles P. Gross sailing in the Arabian Gulf, October 3, 2016. The Army mariners practice drills and weapons marksmanship routinely when it is not on a mission ...

Soldiers from the 411th Transportation Detachment, based at Fort Eustis, Va. and deployed to Kuwait Naval Base, run to react to a notional fire during a drill aboard the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) in the Arabian Gulf, October 3,...

A Soldier from the 411th Transportation Detachment stands next to a "Killer Tomato" inflatable target on the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) traveling into international waters in the Arabian Gulf, October 3, 2016. The unit, from For...

A Soldier from the 411th Transportation Detachment looks out from the bridge of the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) at a Kuwaiti fishing boat in the Arabian Gulf, October 3, 2016. The ship is responsible for moving cargo throughout t...

Bullets from the .50 caliber machine gun fired from the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) puncture a giant "Killer Tomato" target and exit into the Arabian Gulf, Oct. 3, 2016. The 411th Transportation Detachment, from Fort Eustis, Va. ...

Pfc. Bunnath Chhun, from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and a Sheridan, Ind. native, fires the .50 caliber machine gun from the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) into the Arabian Gulf during a weapons traini...

The 411th Transportation Detachment rescue crew from the the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) practices searching for a "man overboard" during its drills in the Arabian Gulf, Oct. 3, 2016. The Soldiers routinely prepare for all scenar...

Soldiers from the 411th Transportation Detachment, U.S. Army Central, fire the Mk19 grenade launcher at a "Killer Tomato" target in the Arabian Gulf, Oct. 3, 2016. The ship is part of the large logistics network U.S. Army Central uses to move vehicle...

Pfc. Bunnath Chhun, from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and a Sheridan, Ind. native, inspects a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon before it is used for range training on the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) in th...

Pfc. Bunnath Chhun, from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and a Sheridan, Ind. Native, fires a .50 caliber machine gun at a "Killer Tomato" target from the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) in the Arabian Gulf...

A Soldier from the Fort Eustis, Va.-based 411th Transportation Detachment shoots from the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) into the Arabian Gulf off the coast of Kuwait, Oct. 3, 2016. The ship's crew regularly practices firing at lar...

Soldiers from the 411th Transportation Detachment recover a training manikin tossed overboard during a drill in the Arabian Gulf, October 3, 2016. The U.S. Army Central unit practices emergency drills routinely during its long movement into internati...

The 411th Transportation Detachment Soldiers aboard the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) practice their abandon ship drills during a range exercise in the Arabian Gulf, October 3, 2016. The ship, a logistics asset for U.S. Army Centra...

Army mariners from the 411th Transportation Detachment prepare to be deployed on the Arabian Gulf during a man overboard drill on the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5), October 3, 2016. The U.S. Army Central-assigned unit practices dri...

Pfc. Bunnath Chhun, from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and a Sheridan, Ind. native, inspects a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon before it is used for range training on the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5) in th...

ARABIAN GULF - Most Soldiers practice marksmanship at a weapons range. For the U.S. Army's 411th Transportation Detachment from the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, the crew aboard the MG Charles P. Gross (Logistics Support Vessel-5), a range day means cruising out to international waters.

The ship left for the Arabian Gulf in the dark morning hours Oct. 3 from Kuwait Naval Base with its heavy crew-served weapons at the ready.

The Army mariners aboard the massive-decked ship are charged with using the largest transportation ship in the Army's fleet to transport dozens of trucks and up to 15 M1 Abrams tanks. The vessel can carry about 900 tons of cargo. So, the 30-plus Soldier crew must be ready to defend the ship and its valuable cargo with machine guns.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kevin Toomey, 411th TD third mate and a Port Tobacco, Maryland resident, said his Soldiers are comfortable shooting a variety of weapons from the hull and bridge of the ship.

"Just like doing a live fire off a truck in a truck company, this is where we live and this is how we have to go out to shoot," said Toomey, who is the officer in charge of range operations.

Mk-19 grenade launchers, .50-caliber machine guns, M249 squad automatic weapons and M4 carbine rifles are used to form fighting positions in a 360-degree perimeter around the vessel, similar to the turrets in a convoy.

"We are prepared for enemy forces," said Toomey, who has spent two years in the Fort Eustis, Virginia-based unit. "People are counting on us. Moving place to place in these waters is very important. If we can't move, it hinders everyone else's capabilities."

During the past year, the ship has transported equipment to Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as other destinations in the 20-nation area of operations for U.S. Army Central.

The Gross navigates busy shipping lanes throughout the Arabian Gulf through dense fishing areas filled with Kuwaiti Dhow fishing boats to the Strait of Hormuz.

That means the crew must be ready to defend against any threat, whether it takes the form of military-grade Iranian speedboats or a small suicide boat attack like the one used in the al Qaeda bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 that killed 17 U.S. service members.

EVERY SOLDIER

A voice comes over the radio, echoing over the open waters: battle stations. The crew races to get in place. Body armor and helmets are strapped on. Teams move to their fighting positions.

"From the time we make contact, we try to get everybody in place as quickly and as safely as possible to execute," Toomey said. "According to the station bill, we are all one team and everybody plays a key role in vessel defense - even if you are a cook or a medic or whatever. We involve everybody."

Pfc. Robin Davis, a 411th TD culinary specialist from Waldorf, Maryland, fired the Mk19 grenade launcher for the first time with mixed reviews.

"It wasn't the sweet music of my .50 cal," she joked.

The Soldiers fire at giant "killer tomato" targets that are similar to a bright orange bounce house at a county fair. Except, the Soldiers get to gun down the inflatable behemoth until it disappears into the waves.

EVERY SCENARIO

A range day at sea also means the Soldiers get to test the skills necessary to keep the crew and ship safe.

The Army mariners run through a fire drill, where each Soldier dons fire equipment to battle a mock blaze, an abandon ship drill and a "man overboard" drill and a drill to abandon the ship.

The varying scenarios mean each Solder has to be a fireman, lifeguard and ready to lead during a bad situation.

"Firing these weapons today means the young Soldiers get to experience weapons and drills they might not see on a regular line unit," said Staff

Sgt. Tony Burnette, the ship boatswain for the 411th TD.

Burnette, of Cuthbert, Georgia, said holding each Soldier responsible for the safety of the vessel and fellow Soldiers brings them closer -- like a family.

"Everybody is a sister, a brother, a father, a mother. We look out for one another," he said.

"We are a tight-knit group, which you might not get in some other units because we are so small."

His unique position places him in charge of all the equipment and Soldiers above the waterline of the vessel. He has been in the job for the past 13 years, starting as a private on the deck.

Being a Soldier at sea, Burnette says, is one of "the best jobs" in the Army.

"I love it," Burnette said. "Once you get on the water, it is just you and the Gulf. You see the sunrise and the sunset."