FORT STEWART, Ga. After completing basic training, Soldiers train in their military occupational specialty, completing hands-on courses to become technically proficient at their job. Soldiers learn, in depth, the responsibilities and expectations that come along with their job and also spend a lot of time reviewing scenarios that show how their MOS is performed, both in the garrison environment and while deployed.
Upon completing Advanced Individual Training, Soldiers then report to their first duty station, ready to do their part to complete the Army's mission.
Some new 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Infantrymen, honed their MOS-specific skills March 10 at the Bradley Gunnery held at Multi-purpose Range Center-Red Cloud Hotel.
The 1/30th Inf. Soldiers drove, fired, and dismounted the Bradleys, training on 12 station levels to become certified on the Bradley fighting vehicle.
Sergeant First Class Steve Stutzman, Company A, 1/30th Inf., 2nd BCT, 3rd ID, said the training was definitely something his platoon needed.
"I have 35 Soldiers in my platoon; about eight of them are brand new Soldiers coming straight from basic training and AIT that have neither driven nor fired a Bradley," said Stutzman. "This training gave them a chance to do both."
Stutzman also said that firing the 25mm was very exciting as well as motivational to the Soldiers.
"Firing the big guns was definitely something that they enjoyed," he said. "I think training on the big guns kept the Soldiers motivated to stay focused and train hard."
Staff Sergeant Shawn Moehnk, a dismount infantryman with Co. A, 1/30th Inf. who attended the training, said that he was glad the Soldiers seemed very eager to learn and absorb the tactics taught at the training.
"I feel as if all these Soldiers should learn everything they can about the Bradley, because as I've told them, it's your best friend while you are on the ground," he said. Moehnk added that the training emphasized that as an infantryman, whether you are a dismount or a mount, you should be proficient at both.
Stutzman said the training on the Bradleys definitely increased their combat-readiness state as a platoon.
"These Soldiers now have some experience with firing and driving the Bradleys," he said. "We are closer to being a fully lethal platoon."
Social Sharing