By Timothy Hale, FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, based here, gathered on the bleachers and listened intently to the instructor.
“Were you able to see, through the scope mounted on your rifle, why we were telling you what to do?” asked Master Sgt. Norman Anderson, a member of the Army Reserve Marksmanship team.
“Hooah!” came the response from the soldiers.
“When you did the practice yourself, you were able to implement and have success. Yes or no?” he asked.
“Yes!” was the unanimous response from the group.
The question and answer session was a small part of the training for soldiers from the 2nd/504th PIR on the Enhanced Battle Rifle – an individual weapon system that will be used by the unit’s squad designated marksmen during their deployment to Afghanistan.
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Kalina said that many of the trainers have been with the team for many years and have valuable experience to share.
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The EBR itself is not completely new but a modification of the M14 service rifle, said Staff Sgt. John Arcularius, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Army Reserve Service Pistol Team.
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Arcularius said the training is broken down into five phases to include: position evaluation; dry fire; range estimation; elevation, windage and hold off-hold on; and field fire qualification.
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Staff Sgt. Joshua Tyree, a squad leader in 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd/504th PIR, said the training was challenging but enjoyable.
They provided “very, very good teaching points,” Tyree said. “They really relate the training to how we are going to use it when we get down range.”
Tyree, who deployed to Iraq twice, said the training was definitely a confidence builder for him and his fellow airborne soldiers.
“Hands down, this is some of the best training I’ve had in the last couple of years,” he said.