DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, Poland -- Paratroopers assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, conducted a Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided missile live-fire exercise at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, Oct. 22, 2016.
The live-fire exercise provided the "Sky Soldiers" of D Co., 2nd Bn., 503rd Inf. Regt., a valuable training opportunity and demonstrated their diverse capabilities to allied training partners within the 18th Polish Airborne Battalion, 6th Airborne Brigade.
The 'Sky Soldiers' work closely with the 18th Polish Airborne Battalion in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a U.S. led effort in Eastern Europe that demonstrates U.S. commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region.
"Today, we are primarily focused on TOW engagements with a secondary focus on engaging targets at different distances with the M240B machine gun," said 1st Lt. Alexander Canacci, platoon leader, D Co., 2nd Bn., 503rd Inf. Regt.
During the exercise, the crews identified and reacted to enemy dismounts with the M240B machine gun. Next, the crews engaged larger tank targets with the TOW system, first individually and then simultaneously through volley fire.
"This was the first time they had the ability to fire on top of the turret with 240 and TOW," said Sgt. 1st Class Trent Barnes, platoon sergeant, D Co., 2nd Bn., 503rd Inf. Regt. "There's limited room between the 240 and where the TOW is at so they have to be able to squeeze in to fire the 240 and then transition over to the TOW system."
An essential part of any mission is being able to identify and react to a variety of targets as appear, so the paratroopers have to be ready to actively engage with their weapon systems, Canacci explained.
Limited visibility added an extra level of difficulty for the Paratroopers acquiring targets downrange.
Although the training plan had to be adjusted to accommodate dense fog, the Paratroopers were able to tackle the mission and destroy their targets, Barnes said.
Being resilient and learning to make these small adjustments prepares the Paratroopers for the obstacles they might face in a combat situation.
"From when we started the gunner skills test to where we are now, they have significantly increased their probability of engaging targets and closing with them in a timely manner," Barnes said.
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The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, is the Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, and is capable of projecting forces to conduct a full range of military operations across the United States European, Central and Africa Command areas of responsibility within 18 hours.
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U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51 country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance global security.
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