Weapons Squad

Due to the extra schooling I received after basic at Fort Benning in the Javalin Anti-Tank Missle system my MOS is now 11B2C. So I was put on the weapons sqaud, we're the ~9 man squad that carries and fires all the cool shit like M240B machine guns, AT4 rockets and other mass-casaulty producing weapons. Of course this means we have to lug all that heavy shit around so we've been assigned the baddest-ass Staff Sargaent in the 1-41 Battalion, SSG Zerby, to lead us and get us in to shape for the demanding role we'll be playing in 1st Platoon (aka, The Spartans).

One of our first excersizes as a squad was to head out to the field for one week for weapons familiarization and qualification. It was a good time, quality team cohesion and plenty of hands-on the M240B machine guns, both day and night firing.

I got my turn on the system and with SSG Zerby as my assistant gunner (AG) I managed to knock down 11 out of 11 targets, the farthest out at 800 meters, using a single 120rd ammo belt (7.62).

As one of two Jav guys on the squad, Private Edmunds is the other Jav guy), I didn't partake in some of the really high-speed shit, especially the stress fire which had our actual gunners and AG's running long distance in full armor, with M240B, carrying 80 gallons of water, and dragging a litter weighed down with sandbags before engaging targets in multiple firing stances: Prone, standing (from the hip) and over the shoulder/back of their AG, with hot shell casings pouring down the backs of the poor AGs!

I didn't bring my camera that day but here is Private Edmunds' video on youtube.