FORT STEWART, Ga. - On June 8, 14 new Bradley M2A3s rolled into the motor pool of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment "Battle Boars" as Bravo Company became the first unit on Fort Stewart to draw these lethal fighting vehicles. It was an exciting event for the Soldiers of Bravo Company as many proudly took pictures and videos of their brand new vehicles. For some Soldiers, this was their first experience with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, while other, more experienced members of Bravo, jumped right into the training helping out their battle buddies.

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle began its Army service in 1981 and is no stranger to Fort Stewart. It has been proven in battle multiple times, most recently in Operation Iraqi Freedom as it raced into Baghdad. The Bradley is an infantry transport vehicle with heavy armor protection. It is armed with a M242 25 mm chain gun, seven TOW missiles, and a M240C machine gun. The Bradley has had some major improvements over its 30-year history bringing it to its current M2A3 version.

The newest improvements include two second-generation forward looking infrared sensors, the Improved Bradley Acquisition System, and the Commander's Independent Viewer.

The Soldiers, NCOs, and Officers of Bravo Company will be taught how to maintain, train on, and most importantly how to effectively employ their Bradleys in combat. Instructors have come from Fort Hood, to spend the summer with Bravo, sharing their years of experience with the company. The training will be demanding and will test the skills of each crew member as they progress through the course. Bravo Company, however, is up for the challenge of being the first in the division to execute the operational new equipment training.

Each Bradley has a crew consisting of a driver, gunner and commander. These crews will go through the training together and ultimately qualify as a single unit. The talk has already started as many Soldiers claimed “they are the crew to beat." Each crew has the desire to be number one in the company and this will surely make it a competitive summer. Bravo Company has a reputation of excellence and will no doubt compete to be the best in the 3rd Infantry Division.