Rockets

Spent a couple days qualifying with the AT4 rockets. First day we just use 9mm tracer rounds to work on our firing positions and aim without using up the several thousand dollar rocket rounds.

The next day we actually dig into some crates of real High Explosive rockets and have at it. I was hoping to get a picture of a rocket actually leaving the launch tube, but it just didn't work out.

More pics here.

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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.

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