Advanced Firing Range

Photo By Sgt. Steven Livingston | Sgt. Bobby Boswell of 1-1 Special Troops Battalion, checks his target during a 300 meter zeroing of his sights at the Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq.  

KIRKUK, IRAQ

03.16.2010

Story by Sgt. Steven Livingston 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq — As the light of day gave way to impeding sunset, the evening sky filled with orange and purple hues of color. A group of non-commissioned officers sat around in a semi-circle trading jokes. One of the NCO's yelled out, "Let me get some smoke on that hill!" The whole group erupted in laughter and looked at their instructor 1st Sgt. John Lucas of the Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored division. Lucas played a role in the movie "Transformers 2," his one liner making him practically famous to the younger NCO's.

The Soldiers then headed to the firing range designed by 1st Sgt. Lucas to focus on combat style shooting, Feb 17.

Lucas, a native of Londonderry N.H., served as a Ranger with the 1st Ranger Battalion and has also competed in several competition shoots.

"I designed the range because I wanted Soldiers to identify alternate means of shooting", said Lucas. "Teaching Soldiers to think as well as to shoot."

The course teaches reflexive fire such as the hammer fire, Splash shots, cadence firing, eye-muzzle drills, X-drills and trigger reset drills. Additionally the course offers night fires and firing under stress, said Sgt. Dan Malloy, personal security detail, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, and a native of Westbrook, Maine.

"He is teaching us skills that translate into combat survivability", said Sgt. 1st Class Noel R. Harris of 1-1 Special Troops Battalion.

Sgt. 1st Class Harris, a native of Madeira Beach, Fla., stated "This is not a 25-meter zero and go course ... my weapon is set up to hit the enemy at 25, one hundred and 300 meters out."

"This course is important because it allows the Soldier a more comprehensive understanding of combat firing", Sgt. Malloy said.

"Every Soldier is a rifleman first" stated Spc. John R. Collins, a native of Houston, Texas, assigned to personal security detail, 1/1AD Ready First.

Lucas said to the class, "You as an American Soldier can engage and kill four separate targets in less than two seconds ... I think that's pretty awesome."

According to Sgt. Malloy, the course is a train-the-trainer course that is open to all NCO's. The range is five days long and focuses on various drills designed to get the shooter to think as well as creating muscle memory. We try to have a course once a month, said 1st Sgt. Lucas.

NCO's interested in taking the course should contact Lucas at DSN 444-3091.

• Date Taken: 03.16.2010
• Date Posted: 03.16.2010 01:38
• Story ID: 46713
• Location: KIRKUK, IQ