Photo By Scott Sturkol | Students in reclassification training for the Army’s 13M military occupational...... read more read more
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Thirty-six Soldiers with Alpha and Bravo Companies of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 121st Field Artillery (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) Battalion completed 15 days of reclassification training for the Army’s 13M military occupational specialty (MOS) at Fort McCoy from February to March.
According to the Army’s MOS description, the 13M career field is the multiple-launch rocket system crewmember. In this career field, the service member is responsible for operating and maintaining a multiple-launch rocket system. They also support infantry and tank units by supplementing cannon artillery during combat.
“All 36 students are deploying in the future,” said Sgt. 1st Class Neal Stratman with the 2nd Battalion, 196th (2nd, 196th) Modular Training Regiment (Regional Training Institute [RTI]) at Sioux Falls, S.D. “The students grasped the material well and enjoyed the hands-on training. In the eyes of the instructors, this class was a success due to the character and proficiency of the class.”
Stratman led a mobile training team to teach the course that included instructors from the 2nd, 196th as well as from Wyoming and Kentucky. The training also was coordinated with the 121st, the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and Wisconsin Military Academy at Fort McCoy.
Duties for a 13M-trained Soldier includes driving and maintaining rocket-launcher vehicles, reloading ammunition and resupply vehicles, testing and maintaining fire control systems, and maintaining all electronic and mechanical systems in all vehicles.
The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, the Soldiers trained with is part of the Army’s M142 HIMARS vehicle. According to manufacturer Lockheed-Martin, HIMARS is “the most technically advanced, affordable and sustainable artillery solution” that provides “maximum commonality with M270A1 launch system.” It also “simplifies coalition operations, training, logistics and coordination.”
Essentially, the students had a lot to learn. Their training time included classroom sessions, demonstrations, and time at the motor pool as well as other Fort McCoy training areas.
“We also had some friendly competitions among the students as they completed their training,” Stratman said.
Stratman said the instructors and students worked well together, and the learning environment provided a diverse mixture of expertise and experience.
“The diversity relates to background, rank structure, experience, as well as technical and tactical expertise, administrative correctness, and logistical soundness,” Stratman said. “These elements created a great learning environment, the understanding of ‘why’ of each task covered and completed, and, most importantly, helped each student understand the 13M operating environment.”
Doing the training as part of a mobile training team (MTT) is cost effective, especially for the National Guard’s artillery career fields, Stratman said.
“In the National Guard RTI world on the 13M side, we work together a lot,” Stratman said. “We started MTTs in 2014, and they’ve been successful. … States are using MTTs more and more now as a cost-saving initiative for Guard training and it also really helps with readiness. For this training, we started planning it in November last year and started it in February. That shows how quickly we can put together a team to build an MTT and do the training.”
Stratman said Staff Sgt. Jacob Koutnik with the 121st was a critical go-to person to get the training schedule built and to get the logistics of everything worked out. “He is probably one of the most high-speed training (noncommissioned officers) I have ever worked with in an RTI,” he said.
In addition to Stratman, other instructors were Staff Sgt. Dan Noeldner and Sgts. 1st Class Jay Pipes and James Meyer with the 2nd, 196th; Sgt. 1st Class Ishmael Campbell and Staff Sgts. Kalob Huggins and Tim Rychecky of the 213th RTI of Wyoming; and Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Gentry and Staff Sgt. Paul England with the 238th RTI of Kentucky.
“These are all experienced and very professional instructors,” Stratman said. “The students’ expectations of the class were nowhere near the outcome in reference to what they learned. Students were under the impression that most of the course would be classroom training with minimal hands-on (training)”
He said students commented afterward that the MTT went above and beyond expectations and did a great job helping the students build their new 13M skills. Stratman added that he also knows this will help the 121st Soldiers on their future deployment.
“The 121st has been deployed before, and are one of those units that remain at the top of their game,” Stratman said. “(The unit) really, truly is a big deal. Their Soldiers are very good at what they do and to be able to train those guys was awesome.”
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.16.2018 14:45 |
| Story ID: | 269685 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 495 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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