FORT SILL, OK – Two drill sergeants from the 95th Training Division recently achieved a significant milestone by graduating from the prestigious Army Reserve Senior Gunner Course.
Senior Drill Sergeant (SDS) Jesse Picard, 42, and Drill Sergeant (DS) Shay Eckelkamp-Wood, 39, both from Echo Company, 3 Battalion - 415th Regiment, 2d Brigade, 95th Training Division, out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, completed the 21-day course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, earning the distinct title of Senior Gunner.
The Army Reserve Senior Gunner Course is an academically rigorous program designed to produce highly skilled Senior Gunners who serve as subject matter experts in weapons systems and convoy protection operations. Graduates are trained to plan and execute complex Live Fire Exercises (LFX), crew gunnery, and Convoy Protection Platform (CPP) operations for units ranging from battalion to division levels.
SDS Picard, having deployed as both a Marine and U.S. Army Infantryman, continues to expand his knowledge to become a better trainer. “Due to my knowledge and experience in combat arms, I wanted to further my knowledge in weapons systems with the intent to be a better instructor. The Senior Gunners Course teaches Soldiers to be subject matter experts in machine gun systems, something I found is a very perishable skill.”
The course is challenging, with a pass rate around 60%, demanding a high level of technical and tactical proficiency from its graduates. DS Eckelkamp-Wood shared insights on overcoming these challenges: “Being a Drill Sergeant helped me a lot going into this course because going through the Drill Sergeant Academy helps you build strong studying skills and teaches you lots of techniques to retain lots of information quickly.”
SDS Picard shared this sentiment, “Before I attended the Senior Gunners Course, I read the fail rate of this course was 40%. We started the course with eleven and are graduating with six, meeting that average. Each written test is a minimum passing score of 90%, and the audio portion, testing us as Vehicle Crew Evaluators, is a 100% passing score. This course was by far the most mentally challenging course I’ve attended and stresses attention to detail.”
Graduates of the course emerge as highly skilled technical experts, prepared to develop their home units' readiness and effectiveness, both reflecting the program's high standards and aligning with the Army Reserve’s call to remain ‘Combat Ready.’
Eckelkamp-Wood remarked, “As a Drill Sergeant, we have a lot of basic skills to teach, such as riflemen-ship skills, combatives, drill and ceremony, and many more, but this new set of skills gives me a fresh arsenal to teach, not only to soldiers but to NCOs.”
SDS Picard shared his excitement for returning to his home unit: “I’m excited to return to my unit and expand our mission success. There are a lot of Army Reserve units that don’t have a Senior Gunner and need one to be able to remain combat ready.”
After emphasizing the importance of continuous learning, he shifted focus to leadership by example, stating, “Don’t be the old dog that can’t learn new tricks. I’ve found that leading from the front is the best thing you can do; Soldiers will follow."
DS Eckelkamp-Wood shared his advice for other Soldiers looking to attend the Army Reserve Senior Gunner Course, “I would say to anyone looking to go to this course would be prepared to have long days. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY! What you put into it is what you will get out of it. It’s not that it’s hard per se; it’s a lot to take in a short amount of time. We used the saying it’s like ‘drinking information from a fire hose.’ I think anyone can do this class if they put all the work into it.”
The hard work of SDS Jesse Picard and DS Shay Eckelkamp-Wood in the Army Reserve Senior Gunner Course shows just how dedicated and determined they are. As they return to their units with newfound skills and expertise, they stand ready to train their teams and contribute to the U.S. Army Reserve's mission of being "Combat Ready."
| Date Taken: | 09.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2024 13:52 |
| Story ID: | 482117 |
| Location: | OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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