FORT SILL, Okla. -- An Avenger air defense artillery weapons system with its contemporary crew sits next to a World War II M16 half-track close air defense weapon and its living history crew Sept. 10 at the C Battery, 2nd Battalion, 6th ADA Stinger/A...

FORT SILL, Okla. -- Cris Elliott living historian, explains the gun system on a World War II M16 half-track to Avenger crewmember students Sept. 10 outside Patterson Hall here. The gunner operated an M45 Quadmount electric gun-turret which could rota...

FORT SILL, Okla. -- Some of the Army's youngest air warriors received a history lesson Sept. 10 at Fort Sill about an air defense weapons system used by their grandfathers.

About a dozen Avenger crewmember Advanced Individual Training students heard from living historians about the M16 half-track the standard close air defense weapon used by the Army during World War II, outside their classrooms at Patterson Hall. Avenger instructors were also on hand as the students got to compare the two air defense systems, literally side by side.

"The students are gaining an appreciation for their history and heritage, and learning about the 70 years of time between two (air defense artillery) systems," said Jonathan Bernstein, ADA artifact storage facility director. "We're trying to give the new AIT students an idea where air defense came from."

Always a part of the Avenger Crewmember Course 14-S military occupational specialty curriculum, facility tours have been expanded to include living history pieces like the M16 half-track, he said.

The M16 was based on the M3 personnel carrier half-track. It had a crew of five: commander, driver, gunner and two loaders. The gunner operated an M45 Quadmount electric gun-turret which could rotate 360 degrees. The M45 was equipped with four M2 .50 caliber heavy machine guns, each with 200-round "tombstone" magazines.

All the tracking and shooting at targets were done visually, which limited the M16's effectiveness at night and in bad weather, Bernstein said.

About 2,700 M16s were produced from September 1943 through March 1944, Bernstein said.

Because it was so successful, about 700 M3s were converted to M16As. The weapon remained in the Army inventory until 1958.

The M-45 gun turrets from the M16s were used until the 1970s by the U.S. Army, and it is still used today by some foreign militaries, said Bernstein, who was dressed as an M16 crewmember.

Fort Sill purchased the M16 from a private collector and received it about three weeks ago.

Bernstein said he was happy to have it and plans to use it extensively in historical showings.

Pfc. Tod Ebetino, 21, was one of the students from C Battery, 2nd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery, in Class No. 11-12, who attended the presentation.

"Looking over the old vehicles, it gives you a sense of pride in knowing how far this MOS has come over the years," Ebetino said. "It would definitely be cool to shoot four .50 cals at once."

Student Pvt. Jacob Johnson, 18, of Teaneck, N.J., said, "I would rather use this vehicle (M16) than the Avenger, because I believe this would cause more damage."

Awaiting the start of the next Avenger course, Ohio National Guard Soldier Pvt. Paige Gusler said it would be rough to use the M16 half-track compared to the high-tech Avenger.

Staff Sgt. Larry Goodman, Avenger instructor, said by seeing the M16 and talking with the living historians his students can learn the history of their jobs and where the military has come from.

"I hope they take pride in what they do," Goodman said, "and gained some more respect for the guys who came before them."