Armored Cavalry Soldiers of the 278th Prevail Through Challenging Qualifications
Chilling air, blustering winds, gunfire, the sound of Bradleys firing in the night and, amidst it all, a palpable rhythm of teamwork – these are the elements that characterized the qualifications held at the Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center in January and February of 2018.
Located in Blackstone, Virginia, Fort Pickett is a 42,000-acre Army National Guard training facility operated by the Virginia Army National Guard. With state-of-the-art facilities, like a Forward Operating Base and Live Fire Range, the facility has the capability to serve Soldiers from all branches of the military.
Fort Pickett has a goal of providing a realistic and challenging environment to support Soldier readiness. For the 3rd and 4th squadrons of the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, that goal was realized during their two months of crew, section and platoon qualifications.
“The training conducted at Fort Pickett was above standard and it allowed for our Soldiers to properly prepare for future missions and operations,” said SGT Cory Fisher of the 3rd squadron. “There were multiple drills we had to go through – anything from a simple battle drill all the way up to different types of react-to-contact drills. We started at the low end with a buddy live fire, then went to team and then section. It’s like a snowball effect – it just gets bigger and bigger, and the tasks become more intricate.”
While leading his platoon through a Table 6 gunnery crew qualification, 1LT James Smith of the 4th squadron emphasized the importance of organization and harmony during the training.
“It’s a crew-level task, so we have crews of three,” said 1LT Smith. “We have a driver, a gunner and a Bradley commander. We go out on the range and it’s planned by our master gunner to essentially test a different task, whether that be how to utilize our auxiliary sighting systems, to practice [addressing] malfunctions inside of the turret, or to practice chemical gas engagements. [The qualification] takes a lot of multitasking, multilevel planning and coordination between different organizations.”
During the qualifications, the 3rd and 4th squadrons simultaneously conducted Inactive Duty Training in support of one another – meaning while one squadron trained, the other squadron graded the performance of the training squad. This presented a unique environment of collaboration for the Soldiers of the 278th in that the 3rd squadron is made up of Soldiers from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, while the 4th is made up of Soldiers form the Tennessee Army National Guard.
While the 3rd squadron remains under the administrative control of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, they are currently under operational control of Tennessee’s 278th. The relationship between the two States creates a complex, and at times challenging, dynamic with which Soldiers had to learn to grapple during the qualifications.
“The challenge is just the transitioning from one training base to the other training base, and the different companies,” said SPC Ryan Burch of the 3rd Squadron. “You have to get used to new people and how they work. The new company and the new leadership – they run things differently than what me and the other guys who came from [Pennsylvania] are used to. It’s important to be patient and learn to move forward. It all comes together in due time.”
“Serving two masters is a challenge,” said MAJ Justin Cassidy, operations officer for the 3rd Squadron. “Distance is a challenge. It’s hard at first, but now that we know each other and can put faces to names, it’s working itself out.”
Under the 278th, the 3rd squadron will accompany the 4th squadron for a rotation at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, California, this coming May. The qualifications at Fort Pickett helped to prepare both squadrons for their NTC rotation and for future deployments.
Although the Soldiers of the 3rd and the 4th managed to work together as a collaborative team during their time at Fort Pickett, Mother Nature was not as accommodating. The weather was an uncontrollable factor during the 278th’s time in Virginia. From high winds to full-blown snowstorms, weather created delays and challenges that Soldiers had to overcome.
“The first weekend we were here, we had 3 inches of snow,” said MAJ Cassidy. “Then the second weekend, we were delayed a day and a half because of another snowstorm. Then, the third weekend when we got here, it was 70 degrees. You can’t predict the weather so we have to try to fight through the delays and get done what we can. What we can’t get done, we make up.”
Knowing the potential for delays and less-than-ideal weather, the 3rd squadron completed all of their individual requirements at Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania – referred to as The Gap by many Soldiers. The squadron then performed their live fire qualification at the Multipurpose Range Complex (MPRC) at Fort Pickett.
“The individual weapons qualification – Table 1, Table 2 and Table 3 – we did at The Gap because those have to be done prior to you going to a live fire,” MAJ Cassidy explained. “The gates to live fire [must be completed prior] to participating in a live fire [at NTC]. We have to get these gates done and then they’ll be checked by master gunners when we get to NTC to make sure everybody did the right steps, in the right order.”
With efficient planning and scheduling executed by squad leaders, Soldiers were able to make up many of the qualifications that were deferred by weather conditions at Fort Pickett.
“We came down to Fort Pickett to shoot the live fire qualification,” said MAJ Cassidy. “Because of the delays [3rd squadron] experienced with the weather, we brought guys in a little earlier and spent a day on the range before 4th squadron [came on], so we made up those crews. We’ve been pretty successful getting our crews through.”
MAJ Cassidy emphasized the importance of the qualifications from a teamwork and confidence-building perspective.
“This training [time] worked to build confidence in their equipment and in their abilities – not only operating as individual Soldiers, but also operating as a team,” explained MAJ Cassidy. “We build on the fundamentals, which is starting with the individual. Then they go into a team and then they’ll go into a squad. Then they’ll go into a section and platoon. We are building on those fundamentals and building a cohesive team so that as we get to an NTC environment where we are training companies and platoons, it’s not new to them. They’ll have the confidence and ability to operate at those levels.”
While setbacks and challenges can create frustration, a dedication to positive collaboration helped the Soldiers from Pennsylvania and Tennessee succeed during their qualifications.
“The most important aspect that we learned from this experience is teamwork,” said SPC Alassane Coulibaly of the 3rd Squadron. “Teamwork can make everything better. And without teamwork, things can be much worse.”
“It can be challenging when all of the moving components of the section come together,” SGT Fisher said. “You have to have a good bearing and good understanding of the mission before and after. The training has given me a strong foundation and the ability to use proper tactics and maneuvers if we are in need of them during deployment.”
With the squadrons’ synergy and dedication acting as a remedy for difficulties, Soldiers were able to focus more on their training environment.
“This is my second time being [at Fort Pickett],” said SPC Burch. “Before we transitioned to this company, most of the time I was at Fort Indiantown Gap. The field training here is really good and there are different things [Fort Pickett] has that I haven’t seen at The Gap. It’s definitely a new experience.”
MAJ Cassidy said he sees the challenges the Soldiers faced at Fort Pickett as a necessary learning experience, especially as their upcoming NTC rotation nears.
“The good thing is that with all the delays and all of the problems we had, we built experience,” he explained. “It’s good to go through a little bit of baptism by fire. An issue we have is that the equipment doesn’t get exercised as much as we would like it to be. As we get more towards NTC and more towards a mobilization where we are on the systems for a longer time, these bugs will work themselves out. Soldiers will get the experience on how to fight through and correct these things.”
While there were some unexpected hurdles, the qualifications at Fort Pickett provided exactly what they promised: challenging and realistic training. The Soldiers of the 3rd and 4th squadrons used teamwork to persevere through their challenges while gaining the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their NTC rotation and future deployments.
“It got us away from the family and that’s one thing we need to get used to,” SPC Coulibaly explained. “Some of us haven’t had that experience. It helps us realize what it looks like when we are deployed because it can be a long time for some people who have a girlfriend or child. This kind of prepares us for that, not just training-wise, but also mentally. That’s what our Families need while we are away – for us to be strong.”
“It’s been fun and it’s prepared us pretty well,” said SPC Stephen Gerdner of the 3rd squadron. “We have to be well-coordinated and know how to move in parts. We all have our specific role. Every now and then, when we do these larger movements, we get to see how, even though we have a small role, it all connects to the bigger picture.”
By Staff Writer Tatyana White-Jenkins
Army National Guard photos by Luke Sohl
