Photo By Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan Matson | Sgt. 1st Class David Susney, a firearms instructor and combat engineer with the 990th...... read more read more
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FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. -- It was a hot May day in the California desert at Fort Hunter Liggett. There were only two people on the firing line of the range — an older non-commissioned officer, and a young female Soldier.
"Just concentrate on your breathing, taking the shot at the bottom of your breaths," the NCO said patiently, as he knelt beside the young Soldier.
The Soldier fired a shot.
"Good job," the NCO said. "Now let's see how they turned out."
The two walked downrange.
"See how this group is much closer together — you're getting it," the NCO said as he circled the Soldier's shot grouping at the other end of the zero range.
The NCO is Sgt. 1st Class David Susney, 990th Engineer Company, and the range was to qualify Soldiers on their M-16 rifles during Operation Essayons, an engineering exercise in which units are working to construct a forward operating base similar to the ones that are set up when the Army deploys. Susney was the noncommissioned officer in charge of the range. He was selected to run the range because not only is he an experienced Soldier, but also because he is a certified firearms instructor in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
"I've known Sgt. 1st Class Susney for quite a while," Susney's First Sergeant with the 990th, 1st Sgt. John Walsh, said. "He has taken his knowledge from the federal correctional system, where he is a lieutenant and firearms instructor. He takes a lot of pride in working with Soldiers and trying to get them to learn the basics of marksmanship. Through the years he has run a lot of our ranges and it has always been a very safe, successful, fluid, flowing range, and we've always had a lot of comments on how well the ranges are run."
Susney said he first became interested in firearms back in 1988 as a young Soldier serving as his company's armorer. Susney, then with the 92nd Engineering Battalion at Fort Stewart, Ga., said he scored high on his weapons tests and ended up getting sent to the armory school.
Susney took his United States penitentiary instructor training in Lewisburg, Pa., He was taught by Federal Law Enforcement Training Center instructors and has qualified various Federal Bureau of Investigation and Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents among others. He has trained federal prisoner shooters on various weapons systems throughout the country, and has to consistently score a high score on his own qualifications course to maintain his position as an instructor.
He stated his experiences outside the Army can help military shooters.
"Everything in the military comes from a manual, which is good, but sometimes you can bring some things to the table that are not necessarily military doctrine that are easy for a Soldier to understand, and can really help them," he said.
Susney's experience and his passion for shooting, as well as his patience and calm demeanor translated into success on the Operation Essayons range. More than 150 reserve Soldiers zeroed and qualified on the M-16 range May 11 to 12, Walsh said. He said that this was largely due to Susney paying extra attention in making sure that the Soldiers were properly zeroed with their weapons before hitting the range.
"We've seen a 50-percent jump in Soldiers who go to the range actually qualifying," Walsh said.
Spc. Krystal Rochester, a logistics/supply specialist for the 306th Engineer Company, is one of the Soldiers Susney helped zero during the range
"His advice helped a lot," she said. "I did a lot better the second time. He told me to watch my breathing and trigger squeeze and my shot group got closer together."
"I think he makes me very calm and not scared or nervous. He's a very good instructor."
Susney said instructing people in shooting has become as much of a passion as his own shooting.
"When you get somebody who goes up there and is throwing rounds down range and hitting all over the place and you can pass something on to them and see the improvement — you really make their day, and seeing them get more confident really makes yours," Susney said. "They feel better about themselves and learned an important skill. You get a lot of satisfaction from helping other people. It makes me happy."
Walsh said helping others succeed is just part of his personality.
"It's great to work with him because his mentality is to do what's best for the unit and what's best for the Soldiers."
| Date Taken: | 06.02.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2009 13:42 |
| Story ID: | 34444 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, US |
| Web Views: | 626 |
| Downloads: | 406 |
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