German and American Soldiers build camaraderie at shooting range

Photo By 1st Lt. Cody Pennington | A range safety officer familiarizes a German Army Soldier with the MK-19 weapon system by conducting a functions check during a joint firing range at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, July 10, 2018. A functions check allows the Soldier to ensure the weapon is operational.  

VILSECK, GERMANY

07.14.2018

Story by 1st Lt. Cody Pennington 

2d Cavalry Regiment

Ghost Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2d Squadron Cavalry Regiment, conducted an MK-19 grenade launcher qualification range at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, July 10, 2018. During the training, German non-commissioned officers from the Panzergrenadierbataillon 122 paid an unexpected visit to the range.

Curious as to what type of training was taking place, the German Soldiers met with 2nd Lt. Bradley Dow, the range officer in charge, and had a conversation regarding the particular training. The interaction began with a discussion about the weapon system’s capabilities and ended with the German Soldiers shooting alongside American Soldiers.

Weapons training requires Soldiers to master crucial fundamentals to ensure they can effectively utilize their assigned weapon. Once Soldiers have mastered the weapon system, they learn to work together as a squad to support the platoon. This, in turn, effectively supports the unit.

In this case, Ghost Troop saw an opportunity to integrate its NATO allies in some simple, though important, training. This not only allowed for meaningful Soldier training, but fostered interoperability by incorporating their German counterparts into a standard training event.

“Just doing small scale things like driving out to each other’s ranges and viewing Soldiers in training is what connects us on a ground level,” said Dow.

Once Ghost Troop had qualified all of its own shooters, and realizing that they still had rounds to spare, Dow and the NCOs arranged for a familiarization fire lane for the German Soldiers. Ghost Troop implemented safety measures and provided guidance as needed. As for the German Soldiers, it was their first time firing the MK-19 30mm grenade launcher. The German Soldiers seemed to truly appreciate the experience and training hospitality.

“Having Soldiers come out for just a short time to interact and possibly train on one another’s weapons is such a great part of our friendship,” commented Staff Sgt. Joshua Bobineaux, platoon sergeant, 1st Platoon, Ghost Troop, 2/2CR. “It’s simple things like this that matter more than we might think.”

Weapons training is designed to facilitate advanced knowledge and experience for Soldiers. It equips them with the ability to remain lethal despite challenging field conditions in a tactical setting. However, being able to build relationships and gather positive interactions with our brother and sisters from other nations also strengthens the NATO force as a whole.

• Date Taken: 07.14.2018
• Date Posted: 08.02.2018 14:40
• Story ID: 286569
• Location: VILSECK, DE