3-7Th FA Kicks Off NTC with a Bang
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VOL. 35 NO. 19 | MAY 12, 2006 INSIDE 3-7th FA kicks off NTC with a bang Story and Photos by SPC. MIKE ALBERTS 3rd Brigade Public Affairs FORT IRWIN, Calif. – They fire big rounds, big distances. They are the Soldiers of 3rd Brigade, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, and they calibrated their big guns April 27 in preparation for enemy engagement at National Training Center. “Before we fire the guns in combat we need to calibrate them for the new lot of am- munition,” said Capt. Kevin Higgins, B Bat- RELATED STORIES Get more details of brigade training at Fort Irwin, Calif. See page A-6. Firefight for tery commander. “Every time we use a new lot of ammunition the guns need to be cal- ibrated. Basically, we shoot rounds through desert real estate each howitzer in order to get a velocity. “That figure is added to firing computa- 3rd Brigade Soldiers vie tions to ensure that our weapons hit targets accurately,” Higgins continued. “Each lot for control of insurgent [of ammunition] is slightly different, and it’s strongholds at NTC important for us to compensate for those differences in order to hit targets.” A-6 Brigade artillery brought its full comple- ment of 16 howitzers, also known as “M119A2,” to NTC. The unit is comprised of two firing batteries: A Battery and B Battery. Each battery is divided into two “sections.” Soldiers from Bravo Battery, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, turn their faces and cover their ears over ear protection as a high- SEE GUNS, A-11 explosive artillery round shoots downrange during live-fire training at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. Tropic Lightning Soldiers strike again U.S. enemies Byrnes, Goodman nab first Byrnes that we had to win every event,” Good- won by one point — that’s how close it was.” wage terror, man explained. Goodman modestly attributed the win to place at Fort Leonard Wood “Throughout the day we kept hearing that his sapper training and his desire to use that 2006 Best Sapper competition people weren’t getting to as many stations as experience to train his combat engineers. hatred via we were and that made us drive on even “My goal [was] to show my Soldiers that it SPC. AMANDA FLEMETT harder. We were struggling, but we knew can be done; the best thing we can do [now] 2nd Brigade Public Affairs everyone else was struggling too,” Byrnes is to train a team to go back and win it,” he Internet FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. – After over- said. said. Rockstar-style coming travel challenges and limited prepa- By pushing and encouraging each other, Byrnes intends to assist other members of his Defense officials say ration time, 2nd Lt. Joseph Byrnes and Staff the two sealed the victory. company in preparation for next year’s com- Sgt. Jeffery Goodman earned first place in They also received a little help from 1st Lt. petition. terrorists reach wider tribute the second annual Best Sapper competition. Colby Krug and Staff Sgt. Erasmo Flores, also “Being able to do the task that we had to do audience electronically It was the second time in as many years that from the 66th Engineer Company, who placed there is great training. It’s what we do — build the “best sappers” have come from Schofield first in the nine-mile run event. By doing so, things and blow things up — and it was great STEVEN DONALD SMITH Thousands converge in Krug and Flores denied crucial points to the to get back into that,” he said. “It’s always Barracks. A platoon leader and platoon ser- American Forces Press Service Waikiki to show support geant, Byrnes and Goodman represented the team that ended up in second place. Krug and good to go back there, to our [sapper’s] home for service members past 66th Engineer Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade, Flores placed fourth overall in the competition. and keep the sword sharp, as they say.” WASHINGTON — Terrorist net- and present 25th Infantry Division. “We were in 3rd place throughout the com- Byrnes grinned as he summed up the victo- works are skillfully using the “The odds were against us. We didn’t show petition and thanks to our counterparts, … we ry for Goodman and himself, “Tropic Lightning Internet to raise money, recruit B-1 up until 48 hours before the competition start- were able to take first overall,” said Byrnes. “We does strike in the same place twice.” and train members, and to spread ed [and] our bags didn’t show up until about a message of hatred, defense offi- eight hours before the competition,” Byrnes cials said May 4. said. “The enemy's message, of Combat engineers, or sappers, from across course, is a gross distortion of the Army came to Fort Leonard Wood to com- American policy," Peter Rodman, pete May 2–4. The competition was in a two- assistant secretary of defense man, two-and-a-half-day team event that for policy and international secu- challenged their skills as sappers and mettle as rity affairs, told the House Perma- Soldiers. nent Select Committee on Intelli- As part of the competition, teams complet- gence. “It is at bottom an incite- ed the following tasks: a modified physical fit- ment to hatred, extremism and ter- ness test, assembled and fired various weapons, rorism." conducted water and mountaineering opera- Rodman, along with U.S. de- tions, identified threat mines, negotiated ob- fense contractors, presented a stacle courses, took hands-on and written briefing to Congress that demon- demolitions tests, a nine-mile “fun” run, and strated how terrorists have used foot marched combat equipment an average of the Internet for propaganda pur- 20 miles per day across adverse terrain. poses. The briefing was developed When Byrnes and Goodman arrived in Mis- by Defense Department contrac- souri for the competition May 2, neither knew tors in conjunction with the Ma- if they would be well rested enough after rine Corps, in particular the Marine traveling so far and having so little time to Corps Training and Education prepare. Christian DeLuca | Fort Leonard Wood Guidon Staff Command, he said. “The briefing draws on over two Paying homage “We didn’t know what place we were in 1st Lt. Joseph Byrnes (left) and Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Goodman, 66th Engineer Company, 2nd through the whole competition, but I just told Stryker Brigade Combat Team, emerge from Bloodland Lake after the poncho raft swim. and a half years of research done by these contractors as they have been examining Arab media in the island style context of our operations in Polynesian Cultural Center Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as deals, Living History Day the broader war on terrorism," Most families stay in Hawaii for deployment Rodman said. demos round out Hawaii The defense analysts employed a Military Appreciation ANN WHARTON child, difficulty in finding a job, communities. These assessments additional need for family sup- method called full cultural con- Army Hawaii Family Housing the desire for additional help will also determine what, if any, port, opportunities for parents text, where they try to capture as B-4 much of the nuances in the analy- SCHOFIELD BARRACKS – Pre- with childcare, and fear of being additional programs and initia- to get together for camaraderie, sis as possible. liminary feedback from a recent alone. Respondents who were tives might be needed to assure excursions off-post or other, we “The monitoring of Arab me- survey sent to Army Hawaii undecided were awaiting word that families are taken care of want to know.” dia, which these particular con- Family Housing (AHFH) resi- on deployment dates, availabil- throughout deployment. Surveys are available at all This issue tractors do, while its immediate dents found the majority of fam- ity of an AHFH home or orders In addition to survey infor- AHFH community centers purpose is force protection, pro- ilies with a deploying spouse to PCS. mation, AHFH will conduct sev- through the end of May. PMO Corner A-2 vides other products of analysis, plan to remain in Hawaii. Ap- The survey information is still eral focus groups targeting Sol- Focus groups are scheduled to which are shared with other agen- Deployment proximately seven percent of re- preliminary. As surveys contin- diers and families who are facing begin later this month. If you or A-3 cies and which seem to be widely spondents stated they would ue to come in, AHFH and the deployment. your spouse will be deploying, appreciated as a useful contribu- News Briefs A-9 garrison will assess the feedback “These focus groups will help we encourage you to take part in leave and nearly six percent tion of the interagency effort of from residents to see how they AHFH better understand the these focus groups. Contact Community B-2 were undecided. public diplomacy," Rodman said. Some of the reasons given by can better inform families of the needs of our families,” said Ja- AHFH at 275-3177 or send an MWR Sports B-5 residents planning to leave in- many support services available nine Lind, Property Management email to: FocusGroup@army- cluded the impending birth of a through ACS, MWR and AHFH Director for AHFH. “If there is hawaiifh.com. SEE INTERNET, A-11 A-2 | MAY 12, 2006 HAWAII ARMY WEEKLY NEWS & COMMENTARY We want to Provost Marshal Corner hear from you... The Hawaii Army Weekly welcomes articles from Army or- ganizations, announcements from Assaults, larcenies dominate crime reports the general public about communi- (Editor’s Note: Information is this col- of the cigarette revealed positive results for service members and one civilian.