FORT STEWART, Ga. - Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, demonstrated their capabilities to family and friends during the battalion's family organizational day, Oct. 2, on Fort Stewart, Georgia.
The event featured several static displays including vehicles, cannon rounds, weaponry and other field artillery equipment, which was followed by a live-fire exercise.
Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Hoffman, a fire support specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-76 FA, brought his girlfriend, Joy O'Quinn, and his daughter to the event. "I wanted them to experience that for themselves," he said.
"Until you come out and experience it, they really don't have a true understanding of what it is that you do," added Hoffman, a native of Carver, Minnesota.
O'Quinn, a Savannah, Georgia, native, said military jobs are difficult to understand in comparison with civilian jobs and added, "I wanted to see what it was like first hand."
Soldiers explained how the equipment worked as well as demonstrated their use at the various static displays.
"They told me exactly what they did, how it was worked and I liked that," said Robert Harvey, a 73-year-old retired Vietnam War veteran who was invited by his neighbor to the event. "They took me [in] like I'm one of the guys - one of the guys today."
The main event of the evening was the live demonstration of a two-gun air assault raid, where UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters towed M119A2 howitzers to a position, and quickly followed with a three-gun raid, where the howitzers where brought in by trucks.
There were hundreds of soldiers, families and friends at the event and every attendee was given a pair of yellow ear plugs as they arrived. When the main event started there was a sea of faces with the yellow buds jutting out of the sides of their heads.
A soldier narrated the event as the crowd was silent with their eyes on the two helicopters towing the howitzers. The guns were soon on the ground and a team quickly set, aimed and fired each one.
The children squealed, giggled and became ecstatic as the rounds were fired and plumes of black smoke erupted from the muzzles of the guns.
"I thought it was awesome," said O'Quinn. "Even with ear plugs you could still feel it."
"I like to hear the guns," said Harvey, a Baltimore native, who added he would like to attend future events.
Related Links:
The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division DVIDS page.
The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart Facebook page.
The official 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Facebook page.
The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart website.
Social Sharing