Fort Stewart, Georgia, is the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River, encompassing almost 280,000 acres of land. Within that acreage, there are 803 miles of tank trails, 50 direct fire ranges, 51 indirect fire ranges and an additional 30 live fire training facilities.
Range Control, a branch within the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security (DPTMS), oversees the daily operation and maintenance of these facilities.
“Our mission at Range Control is to keep ranges and training facilities available, capable and accessible,” said Paul Green, supervisor of Range Operations for Fort Stewart. “We confirm that the range is available for certain times and dates, ensure the facilities are capable of meeting the commander’s training needs, and verify that roads are cleared and accessible for those units to reach the ranges or training facilities.”
Range Control consists of three subdivisions – Range Operations, Range Support and Range Maintenance. Those in Current Range Operations complete hourly radio checks, provide weather updates, and monitor the daily training schedule and air traffic control. Range Support technicians provide on-site instruction and safety briefs, as well as ensure that the range is properly cleared once a unit’s training is complete. Those in Range Maintenance keep the various training facilities operational by fixing and replacing targets.
They support both tenant and non-tenant units, including the National Guard, Reserve, Marines, Air Force and other government agencies who come from surrounding states such as Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina.
With the aid of Range Control, Fort Stewart is capable of executing multiple training exercises simultaneously. Fort Stewart’s training facilities are also capable of supporting any weapon system within the Army’s inventory, ranging from the M17 pistol to the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).
“We oversee the facilities used to perform different training exercises,” said Frederick Webb, a Range Support technician with Fort Stewart Range Control. “There could be a unit that sets up a mobile hospital training, while another performs shoot house training in another facility. At the same time, another unit could be completing a Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) site training. We pride ourselves on being flexible enough to support a wide range of training demands.”
Range Control, along with the 3rd Infantry Division, continues to look for ways to upgrade and modernize training facilities in order to enhance the training Soldiers receive.
“We're looking at getting a scout reconnaissance live-fire facility and some new multipurpose training ranges, so it's constant modernization to keep up with the training needs and demands,” said Green.
To schedule a range for Fort Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield, a unit’s scheduling officer can access the Range Facility Management Support System (RFMSS) and select a time and date the unit would like their unit to train.
Range Control also offers an online Range Officer-in-Change (OIC) or Range Safety Officer (RSO) certification program for Soldiers ranked corporal or above.
“Through our Range Officer-in-Charge (OIC) or Range Safety Officer (RSO) certification program, we can ensure that units can effectively and safely train on our facilities,” said Webb. “We also require that they go through an annual retraining in order to maintain their certification.”
Fort Stewart also offers civilians the opportunity to use live fire ranges. Civilians must sign up through the Army’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) website and pay a small fee.
Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield (HAAF) Range Control information is available online 24/7 at the Range Control webpage or RFMSS.
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