Photo By Spc. Aiden OMarra | U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment,...... read more read more
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FORT LIBERTY, N.C. — U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, completed the monthly 1st Sgt. Funk Deployment Readiness Exercise here, Jan. 14, 2025.
The purpose of a deployment readiness exercise is to provide a routine evaluation for commanders, at all levels, to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each commander’s ability to rapidly deploy personnel anywhere in the world successfully without advance notice.
“It's important to ensure that each individual soldier is trained and proficient in shooting as well as doing all the maneuvers and taskings we are given,” said Spc. Kristopher Williams, an airborne infantryman attached to 1st Battalion, 508th PIR. “It helps maintain combat readiness because it gives us the opportunity to stay and be proficient at what we do and be able to be experts when we're deployed.”
The DRE began with an in-brief on the tasks required throughout a deployment process. The events included outload evaluation tasks, a rigging exercise, and vehicle recovery operations. After completing these tasks, Paratroopers from Alpha and Charlie company proceeded with M240B machine gun, M4A1 carbine, and M249 light machine gun day and night qualifications.
“Expectation of the program is to give company commanders a realistic snapshot in time of what their company looks like when it comes to lethality and readiness in the event to support the division’s mission set,” said Msg. Kurt Fairchild, 82nd Airborne Division’s master gunner.
The DRE’s name origins hails from retired Leonard Alfred Funk Jr., who earned the Distinguished Service Cross during Operation Market Garden and the Medal of Honor on D-Day with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, as well as the Medal of Honor during the Battle of the Bulge. Additionally, Funk earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts.
| Date Taken: | 01.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.23.2025 15:58 |
| Story ID: | 489520 |
| Location: | FORT LIBERTY, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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