Photo By Winifred Brown | Sgt. Jonathan Bautista, left, reviews a target with Pfc. Melissa Galvan, assigned to...... read more read more
By Wendy Brown
Fort Bliss Garrison Public Affairs
DOÑA ANA RANGE, N.M. – Spc. Cortland Weatherspoon spends most of his workdays taking care of the computers at the 131st Field Hospital at Fort Bliss, but Oct. 25 he spent the day demonstrating another of his favorite work skills.
Weatherspoon and more than 100 other Soldiers assigned to the 131st FH, the 528th Hospital Center and their associated medical units at Fort Bliss qualified on the M4 Carbine, the M16 rifle and the M9 pistol here.
Weatherspoon said it’s a semiannual requirement he enjoys. “I personally like to shoot guns, and I can show off my skill,” he said.
Capt. Shanese Gaither, officer in charge of the range and commander of the 131st Field Hospital Company, said the range is a basic Soldier requirement for the Army, and regardless of rank, everyone is required to qualify.
“Obviously, to be able to maintain readiness, we have to be able to shoot, move and communicate,” Gaither said. “So shooting is what we’re doing today.”
Sgt. 1st Class Jason Thieme, officer in charge of the M9 range, a platoon sergeant for the 131st FH and the noncommissioned officer in charge of the operating room and sterile processing department, said weapons qualification is a key component of readiness.
“Coming out here and making sure that everyone is able to qualify on the weapons is very important,” Thieme said.
Members of the unit also spend a lot of time training on their various military occupational specialties, Thieme said.
The 131st FH falls under the 528th HC and includes the 247th Medical Detachment, the 214th Surgical Augmentation Detachment, the 440th Blood Support Detachment, the 10th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team and the 745th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team. The 131st FH used to be the 31st Combat Support Hospital, but reflagged in April.
| Date Taken: | 10.25.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2018 13:00 |
| Story ID: | 298984 |
| Location: | NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 162 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A day at the range: 528th Hospital Center and 131st Field Hospital qualify on weapons, by Winifred Brown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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