Written by Sgt. Jon Heinrich
1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs
Fort Campbell, KY – Two units from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, have spent more than a week occupying the training areas in Fort Knox, KY.
The Bastogne Brigade’s 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry, and 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, have been conducting their gunnery and artillery tables and other various types of training since as early as November 28th.
Maj. Dean Scaletta, the operations officer for 1-32 Cav., says that Knox offers better training areas than Campbell.
“We can also have three separate ranges with four separate troops at the same time,” continued Scaletta. “We can do different gunnery tables from first light until midnight every day.”
The TOW Missiles were fired from the mounted position on OP-12, a site that sits high up on top a hill overlooking the impact zone.
“It was a rush firing,” said Pvt. 1st Class Collin R. Hoffmeyer, a gunner from Troop A, 1-32 Cav. and one of the firers of the TOW. “It went from a bunch of excitement, to just a sudden shock after it went off and it just went straight into fun. It was a rush of adrenaline.”
Scaletta says some of the other forms of training his unit will participate in include MK-19 automatic grenade launcher, M203 grenade launcher and the At4 rocket launcher.
Sgt. Omar Kinder, a motor transport operator with Trp. D, 1-32 Cav., trains by running food and ammunition to soldiers at the ranges, as well as escorting convoys around the training areas.
Kinder also stated that a lot of the new soldiers were struggling to adjust to the new training, but quickly got used to the situations.
“Make the best of everything,” said Kinder. “The situation that you’re put in, try to make it fun in some way so that nobody will be miserable.”
Pfc. Robert O. Hooker, an ammunition team chief with Section 7, Battery B, 2-320th FA, says despite the conditions, his unit still was capable of completing their missions.
“It’s been alright,” stated Hooker. “The chow is really good. The weather just got kind of bad, but it’s alright now.”
Hooker says that the majority of what they have done is day and night occupation and sending rounds down range.
“Love being a 13 Bravo,” Hooker declared. “It’s a lot of fun. Just recently got moved up from radio telephone operator to ATC and loving it.
“As an ATC, we fuse all the rounds,” Hooker explained. “We make sure we have the right charge when we bring up the round and make sure the fuse is on tight. When we resupply we make sure we have the same count as the RTO.”
One of the missions for completing the artillery tables is direct fire, where the gun lays its tube in line of site with close targets.
“Direct fire is really fun,” said Pvt. 1st Class Abran S. Yates, a cannoneer three for Section 3, Btry. A, 2-320th FA. “It gives us a short time to put steel on target when we’re getting over-ran.”
“Exceptional training for us to actually exercise and be dedicated to the task at hand, to actually shoot the gunnery and different weapon systems,” Scaletta declared.
Both battalions returned here Friday after having completed all their training missions and tables.
