Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels | Sgt. Laharey Robinson, an infantryman assigned to Bravo Co., 1st Battalion, 120th...... read more read more
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Fort Liberty, N.C. – Soldiers assigned to the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team conducted the qualification table of the Integrated Training Weapons Strategy utilizing the newly fielded Next Generation Squad Weapon Rifle (NGSW-R), XM7, and the Next Generation Squad Weapon Automatic Rifle (NGSW-AR), XM250, on June 6, 2024.
The 30th ABCT is a Major Subordinate Command under the North Carolina National Guard and was selected to be the first National Guard unit to field test the XM7 and the XM250, which are replacing current weapons systems M4/M4A1 carbine and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
“This is great” said Staff Sgt. Steven Grayson, an infantryman assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 252nd Armored Regiment. “We are the second unit in the Army to be fielding these weapons systems.
In 2020, Army Senior Leaders approved the Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model (ReARRM), which is a force generation process used to enable integration and synchronization of force employment and modernization of the force without sacrificing readiness across the Total Army. Equipment fielding of this nature allows service members to train on new equipment and incorporate different levels of experience to enhance combat rigor and training understanding.
“It’s really squad integration at that point,” said Grayson. “If you are having someone at each rank that is training on it, then you have every aspect of a rifle company or a mechanized company and someone at each rank that knows what’s going on. I think for us that is working pretty well.”
The XM7 is a modular, piston driven, select fire, magazine fed, 6.8mm rifle. The XM250 is a lightweight, belt-fed, light machine gun with a collapsible buttstock. Both weapons come with a quick detach suppressor optimized for the system to deliver reduction in sound, visible flash signature and close combat force.
“At my level, it’s a great step having that ability to penetrate level four plates and defeat some of our adversaries’ armor when necessary,” said Grayson. “It’s definitely a necessity going forward.”
The 30th ABCT is headquartered in Clinton, N.C. and was the first National Guard brigade combat team to deploy to war supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 since the Korean War 50 years earlier. It is fitting that on the 20-year anniversary of the 30th’s deployment, they became the first National Guard unit to field test the XM7 and the XM250. Leaders and Soldiers are optimistic about testing the weapons systems and have a full understanding of the gravity of this endeavor.
“Weapon advancements such as the NGSW ensures that units under our command have the best weapons possible,” said Col Paul Hollenack, 30th ABCT Commander. “The fielding of the XM7 and XM250 is a step in making sure that we are doing just that.”
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2024 09:30 |
| Story ID: | 473607 |
| Location: | NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,082 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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