Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Tawny Kruse | Spc. Chris Cortez, an infantryman and Des Moines, Iowa, native assigned to Company C,...... read more read more
CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyoming – Iowa National Guard infantry and aviation units traveled west by ground convoy and air to conduct annual training at the Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center this year. The training wrapped up the last week of May 2023, and the mountain elevation and expansive landscape of Wyoming offered a unique training environment for the Midwest Soldiers.
“We’re spoiled in Iowa,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ryan Hill, a training officer and UH-60 Black Hawk pilot with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 147th Assault Helicopter Battalion based out of Boone, Iowa. The state sits about 1,100 feet above sea level. “We have power for days. Whereas [in Wyoming], you’re starting at about 5,000 feet, which is going to change aircraft performance. That’ll be good training for aircrew members when they go to high altitude.”
Several aircraft crew chiefs had the opportunity to qualify on door gunnery skills, which consisted of shooting an M240 machine gun out of the window of a Black Hawk as it flew over targets.
“My favorite part was definitely going up high and then seeing the tracers hit the little buildings and all the humvees,” said Spc. Julia Adkins, a Black Hawk mechanic with the 2-147th AHB. “It was a great experience because I’m brand new to flying.”
Meanwhile, the 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment (“Lethal Battalion”), based out of Council Bluffs, Iowa, took advantage of the expansive weapon qualification ranges and rugged terrain to practice squad-level maneuvers. Soldiers spent several days staying in tents out in the field, building camaraderie through their shared experiences.
“It’s just a massive training area,” said Capt. Jeremy White, executive officer with the 1-168th Infantry. “You can drive it for hours one side to the other. If you think you can put all your gear on and run around conducting operations like normal, you’re wrong. You can’t dodge higher elevation and this is a completely different terrain.”
White described it as collective training, meant to test how well Soldiers move as a team toward objectives using communication and hand signals. Companies took turns rotating through physically taxing live-fire exercises, moving swiftly up and down steep slopes through tall grass and dodging environmental obstacles.
They were also expected to work through any possible weapon jams in real-time, demonstrating their capability to adapt to changing situations in dangerous environments.
“We grow as a team as we’re out there,” said Spc. Valery Gonzalez, an infantrywoman with the 1-168th Infantry. “We obviously have to trust each other so nobody gets hurt.”
In addition to completing their own unit-level tasks, the two infantry and aviation elements joined together to conduct realistic operational training. Ground force commanders with the 1-168th Infantry sent up orders to the 2-147th AHB, imitating what would happen if infantry Soldiers needed aircraft assistance in a real-world scenario – whether they need people, supplies or equipment transported.
“One of the big takeaways for us is that we’re a customer-based service,” said Hill. “We have a lot of young aviators who have been focused on getting good at flying the aircraft. Now, they’re going to be able to execute planning processes, and they’ll have passengers that need things with real-life factors playing into it.”
The training is valuable for Soldiers in the 1-168th Infantry as well. White commented that many Soldiers in the Iowa Guard train with real aircraft only a few times in their careers. The 2-147th AHB offered familiarization with aircraft safety procedures, air assault movements, supply drops and sling load operations.
Two weeks away from their homes and families in Iowa seemed to pass quickly for Soldiers. Even after a few rainy days that caused some delay in training, many were excited about the opportunity to apply their skills in a new place – and use some new weapons.
The 1-168th Infantry trained on their new M3A1 Carl Gustaf Multi-roll, Anti-Armor, Anti-Personnel Weapons System (MAAWS for short). The recoilless rifle packed quite a punch. The MAAWS is capable of firing numerous types of rounds suited for targets that range from humvees to armored tanks. It can also illuminate the battlefield and provide smokescreens.
Staff Sgt. Chris Nieman, an infantryman assigned to Company A, is a weapons squad leader. After attending an instructional course on the MAAWS, it was his job to help familiarize the rest of the unit on the weapon. Nieman pointed out that its improved optics system is a game changer for accuracy, and takes out much of the guesswork in aiming at targets.
“I really enjoy being in the field and training Soldiers,” said Nieman. “It’s loud, it blows up. Soldiers enjoy that. On a tactical level, it just increases our lethality. It’s a force multiplier on its own.”
But that’s not all – 1-168th Infantry also broke in some brand new M110 A1 squad designated marksman rifles, complete with scopes, ambidextrous controls and suppressors. Even with all the new features, it wasn’t much heavier than the traditional M4 carbine rifle most Soldiers across the Army use.
Staff Sgt. Gabriel Morey, an infantryman with Company C, reported that its precision was impressive.
“It’s a dream to shoot,” said Morey. “I’ve seen nothing but smiles coming off of our range here at Camp Guernsey, so we have pretty positive rave reviews so far.”
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2023 13:07 |
| Story ID: | 445655 |
| Location: | CAMP GUERNSEY, WYOMING, US |
| Hometown: | BOONE, IOWA, US |
| Hometown: | COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 179 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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