Dragon Mortar-men bombard desert

Photo By Staff Sgt. Brian Tierce | Mortar-men from Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Combined arms Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiments Mortar Platoon recently put their skills on display at the ranges of Camp Buehring, Kuwait during a mortar live fire exercise.  

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT

10.28.2008

Story by Staff Sgt. Brian Tierce 

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs

By Sgt Brian Tierce
2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Mortar-men from Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Combined arms Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiments Mortar Platoon recently put their skills on display at the ranges of Camp Buehring, Kuwait during a mortar live fire exercise.

The training which involved high explosive mortar rounds gave these Soldiers a feel for what their job could be like once they arrive in Baghdad.

"If a mortar platoon is out in sector and they happen to witness a target of opportunity or something like that., they can lay rounds directly on a target using their mortar tube and sights," said Staff Sgt. Jeffery Eaken, 1-63 Mortar Platoon, "It's one of the most basic skills a mortar-men can do added the Charleston, S.C. native. The training did not only allow the Soldiers to sharpen their skills in accuracy it also allowed the Soldiers the rare opportunity to fire a special type of round.

"The rounds we were firing were actually the high explosive mortar rounds," said 1st Lt. Cameron Mays, HHC 1-63 of Marion, Ky. "Getting to see the rounds go up in the air and impact the target is an awesome sight," added Mays. A number of different mortar crews were given the chance to put rounds on target during the training and as the shots became more accurate the morale of the Soldiers began to rise.

"It's good for the guys to get out here and see the effects of a mortar round," said Eaken, "I think they liked that and I think we had a good day out here today."

Once the last of the platoon's rounds had been fired down range and the Soldiers were preparing to depart the range the consensus among the Soldiers was that training such as this is hard to duplicate.

"The Soldiers get the self satisfaction of knowing they did their job well, and that's the most satisfying feeling for a mortar-man," added Eaken.

• Date Taken: 10.28.2008
• Date Posted: 10.28.2008 04:11
• Story ID: 25621
• Location: CAMP BUEHRING, KW