NEWS 1-12 Cav executes Table XII Bradley gunneryfhspasteditions.com/2013/10...
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A6 October 31, 2013 www.FortHoodSentinel.com NEWS questions on the post’s internet radio station. During the broadcast, Elledge addressed questions about entertain- ment on post, bicycling, Phantom Express access for contractors, hous- ing, door-to-door solicitation and the way ahead with furloughs and pending cuts. The first question during the radio hour dealt with concerns about the temporary fixes within the govern- ment and how those fixes and cuts will affect civilians, contractors and Soldiers across Fort Hood. Many of those effects are still to be seen, the garrison commander said. “We are standing by, tentatively waiting for more guidance across the Army, and here at Fort Hood,” Elledge said, noting that some recent changes such as the deactivation of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade was not in response to the current fiscal climate, but part of the downsizing as the Army transitions from more than a decade at war. Heavy traffic and more Soldiers on post have resulted in Fort Hood utilizing more Phantom Express lanes at access gates, resulting in some traffic backlog at the man- ual gates. Two questions posted on Facebook, one of which was addressed on air, questioned if con- tractors on Fort Hood can register for Phantom Express. The short answer is no, because the express program is tied to CAC cards and military ID cards, but in an online response posted on Face- book, officials said they would look into the issue further. Darnauer, who assumed com- mand of the hospital June 28, field- ed questions about access to health care appointments, wait times at the CRDAMC pharmacy and the new medical center currently under con- struction and slated for completion in spring 2015. The new hospital is about 60-per- cent complete in terms of con- struction, she said, but Darnauer reminded community members that once the exterior construction is complete, another approximately 18 months of work remains. “I think everybody is pretty excit- ed, both the staff and the commu- nity about what’s going on with that hospital,” she said. When it is completed, the center will retain all of its current services and staff, the CRDAMC command- er added. “It is a replacement hospital, so the capabilities don’t necessarily expand,” Darnauer said. “We’re just going to be able to provide state-of- the art care that’s patient-centered, patient-friendly in a facility that worthy of the beneficiaries here.” Twelve of the 25 questions sub- mitted were addressed on the radio. Haug said officials would have liked more questions, but acknowl- edged that the government shut- down presented some challenges, especially in terms of publicizing the town hall. Responses to all queries were made within 72 hours and posted on the III Corps and Fort Hood Facebook page. Additionally, the broadcast was posted in its entirety on the same Facebook page. Hosting a town hall is something Elledge has been interested in doing for a while, and he hopes to keep the dialog going with follow-up online sessions. “This, in my mind, is phase one, trying to get the information out and trying to receive more informa- tion from all our folks that live and work on Fort Hood,” the garrison commander said. “This is phase one, phase two being a weekly, morning time blog or Facebook post; an hour to allow folks to tell me what’s on their mind and then provide me with any rec- ommendations,” he added. Elledge asked for feedback from the community about how often and when to schedule follow-up town hall sessions. “We’re looking to do that here soon.” BY SGT. KIMBERLY BROWNE 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs An infantryman can take on sever- al roles in the U.S. Army, and one of these roles is marching into battle. However, some of the 1st Cavalry Division’s infantry Soldiers roll into battle with M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Infantrymen with Company A, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd “Grey Wolf” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div., trained and qualified gunnery Table XII at Fort Hood training areas, Oct. 17. The crews began their gunnery with Tables II through VI in early August. These tables focused on developing the drivers’ skills. They also helped to develop the coor- dination between the three mounted crew- members, who operate the Bradley and the six Soldiers who dismount – or exit the Bradley to face obstacles – both to eliminate enemy objec- tives. During Table VI, they also live-fire quali- fied with the Brad- ley’s main weapon – a 25mm M242 Bush- master cannon. “The guys are very good at what they do,” said 2nd Lt. Scott Sev- erance, a platoon leader with Co. A. “They’re very proficient at it.” In addition, the Troopers are required to go beyond Table VI and complete Table IX. This Table evaluated dismounted Soldiers’ tac- tical and gunnery skills on stationary and moving targets over a period of four days and three nights. “I’m kind of anxious to figure out what all I get to do,” said Pvt. Brandon Mealer, a dismounted infan- tryman with Co. A. “This is what I signed up for. It’s my job, and I like it.” The troopers’ training and quali- fications contin- ued to Table XII, where four crews came together to form their platoon and execute a mis- sion together. The platoons were evaluated on their execution of collective tasks within a live-fire environ- ment. The purpose was to form a cohesive pla- toon and maneu- ver through the range to attack the enemy as a unit, said Sgt. Nelson Rosa, an infantryman with Co. A. Severance said that it’s basically the platoon leaders working with their platoons and that it was going to be a good learning experience for him. Mounted crewmembers engaged enemy threats when possible. When it was not practi- cal for the Bradley t o engage, the dismounted infantry- men were informed of the issue, and they exited the vehicle to handle it – such as clearing a house or a gulch. “Whenever they need us, we’ll dismount, clear a trench, clear a bunker … and just make sure we are executing to standard,” said Sgt. Anthony Johnson, a team chief with Co. A. Table XII does not have a time limit for the platoons, but it does have a high standard of com- pleting each task. “I feel we’ve done pretty good – I mean we’ve had new guys come in, and they’ve pretty much just picked up right where we left off before,” Johnson said. “There’s really no lag- ging in any areas.” 1-12 Cav executes Table XII Bradley gunnery TOP, M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles with Co. A, 1-12 Cav. Regt., 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div., stage in preparation for qualifying Bradley gunnery Table XII at a Fort Hood training area, Oct. 17. The 1-12 Cav. Regt. began Table II qualifications in early August. ABOVE, 2nd Lt. Scott Severance, a platoon leader with Co. A, 1-12 Cav. Regt., 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div., looks over his notes while sitting in his M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle at a Fort Hood training area, Oct. 17. Photo by Sgt. Kimberly Browne, 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs I feel we’ve done pretty good – I mean we’ve had new guys come in, and they’ve picked up right where we left off before. – Sgt. Anthony Johnson Town Hall: Access, housing top questions for 60 experts Continued from A1 CRDAMC Commander Col. Patricia Darnauer answers civilian media questions during the Fort Hood Garrison Facebook and Radio Town Hall Oct. 24. Photos by Sgt. Jordan Johnson, Sentinel Assistant Editor Garrison Commander Col. Matt Elledge answers questions in Fort Hood Radio’s studio during the Fort Hood Garrison Facebook and Radio Town Hall Oct. 24. were visionaries,” Muller said. “They had a vision for the Killeen com- munity and for Killeen ISD. And that vision embraced Fort Hood and sought collaboration with Fort Hood wherever possible. “And so they set in motion this powerful relationship,” he added, “that exists between Fort Hood and the Killeen community today.” Former Killeen ISD superin- tendent Charles Patterson, also a Fort Hood Good Neighbor, shared details of the school’s rich history and growth through the years. “Killeen had a population of 1,400 in 1941,” he said. “In 1975, that was the total of the Meadows school population.” During the ceremony, former Meadows student and teacher Judy Van Riper, a proud, self-proclaimed Army brat, painted a picture of the school’s opening as she loaded onto an Army bus that picked her up from a brand new Walker Village and dropped her off a Meadows Elementary for the first day of sec- ond grade. Patterson also told of fond memo- ries he had of a former principal of the school, Hal Adams, who Pat- terson traveled with to Washing- ton, D.C., to receive the school’s national recognition of the Blue Rib- bon award. Former school principal Karol Carlisle had similar memories to share of Adams and his competitive drive to achieve the award but also of his service-minded nature and the impact he had on the school. “I considered it nothing but a blessing to have worked with Hal Adams,” Carlisle said. Kristina Perez, a former student and current teacher at Meadows, also took to the podium to share of the Meadows’ part in her amazing journey. “When I first walked through the doors in 1991 as an 8-year-old third-grader, I didn’t know that I would end up here,” Perez said, pointing out her third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in the audience. “I remember Mr. Adams and how wonderful he was with students. “And when it came time for me to get my first teaching job, my first and only interview was here at Meadows,” she added. The school’s current principal, Sara Watson, reflected on Mead- ows’ rich history and its far-reaching impact over the years. “It’s a very rare and special privi- lege that we have to be part of such a great educational legacy such as Meadows,” Watson said. She said that when talking with community members, when they find out she’s the principal of Mead- ows, they can’t wait to share their ties to the school and recollections of the school when it was located in its former campus “up on the hill.” Meadows: Fort Hood’s first on-post school celebrates 60-year anniversary Continued from A1 Robert Muller, Killeen ISD superinten- dent, takes to the podium during the Meadows Elementary 60th anniver- sary celebration Oct. 24. Soldiers in the 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade, Meadows Elementary’s adopt-a-school unit, present the colors to open the school’s 60th anniversary celebration Oct. 24. Photos by Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Staff
Transcript of NEWS 1-12 Cav executes Table XII Bradley gunneryfhspasteditions.com/2013/10...
A6 October 31, 2013 www.FortHoodSentinel.comNEWS
questions on the post’s internet radio station.
During the broadcast, Elledge addressed questions about entertain-ment on post, bicycling, Phantom Express access for contractors, hous-ing, door-to-door solicitation and the way ahead with furloughs and pending cuts.
The first question during the radio hour dealt with concerns about the temporary fixes within the govern-ment and how those fixes and cuts will affect civilians, contractors and Soldiers across Fort Hood.
Many of those effects are still to
be seen, the garrison commander said.
“We are standing by, tentatively waiting for more guidance across the Army, and here at Fort Hood,” Elledge said, noting that some recent changes such as the deactivation of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade was not in response to the current fiscal climate, but part of the downsizing as the Army transitions from more than a decade at war.
Heavy traffic and more Soldiers on post have resulted in Fort Hood utilizing more Phantom Express lanes at access gates, resulting in some traffic backlog at the man-ual gates. Two questions posted
on Facebook, one of which was addressed on air, questioned if con-tractors on Fort Hood can register for Phantom Express.
The short answer is no, because the express program is tied to CAC cards and military ID cards, but in an online response posted on Face-book, officials said they would look into the issue further.
Darnauer, who assumed com-mand of the hospital June 28, field-ed questions about access to health care appointments, wait times at the CRDAMC pharmacy and the new medical center currently under con-struction and slated for completion in spring 2015.
The new hospital is about 60-per-cent complete in terms of con-struction, she said, but Darnauer reminded community members that once the exterior construction is complete, another approximately 18 months of work remains.
“I think everybody is pretty excit-ed, both the staff and the commu-nity about what’s going on with that hospital,” she said.
When it is completed, the center will retain all of its current services and staff, the CRDAMC command-er added.
“It is a replacement hospital, so the capabilities don’t necessarily expand,” Darnauer said. “We’re just going to be able to provide state-of-the art care that’s patient-centered, patient-friendly in a facility that
worthy of the beneficiaries here.”Twelve of the 25 questions sub-
mitted were addressed on the radio. Haug said officials would have
liked more questions, but acknowl-edged that the government shut-down presented some challenges, especially in terms of publicizing the town hall.
Responses to all queries were made within 72 hours and posted on the III Corps and Fort Hood Facebook page. Additionally, the broadcast was posted in its entirety on the same Facebook page.
Hosting a town hall is something Elledge has been interested in doing for a while, and he hopes to keep the dialog going with follow-up online
sessions. “This, in my mind, is phase one,
trying to get the information out and trying to receive more informa-tion from all our folks that live and work on Fort Hood,” the garrison commander said.
“This is phase one, phase two being a weekly, morning time blog or Facebook post; an hour to allow folks to tell me what’s on their mind and then provide me with any rec-ommendations,” he added.
Elledge asked for feedback from the community about how often and when to schedule follow-up town hall sessions.
“We’re looking to do that here soon.”
BY SGT. KIMBERLY BROWNE 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
An infantryman can take on sever-al roles in the U.S. Army, and one of these roles is marching into battle. However, some of the 1st Cavalry Division’s infantry Soldiers roll into battle with M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
Infantrymen with Company A, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd “Grey Wolf” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div., trained and qualified gunnery Table XII at Fort Hood training areas, Oct. 17.
The crews began their gunnery with Tables II through VI in early August. These tables focused on developing the drivers’ skills. They also helped to develop the coor-dination between the three mounted crew-members, who operate the Bradley and the six Soldiers who dismount – or exit the Bradley to face obstacles – both to eliminate enemy objec-tives.
During Table VI, they also live-fire quali-fied with the Brad-ley’s main weapon – a 25mm M242 Bush-master cannon.
“The guys are very good at what they do,” said 2nd Lt. Scott Sev-erance, a platoon leader with Co. A. “They’re very proficient at it.”
In addition, the Troopers are required to go beyond Table VI
and complete Table IX. This Table evaluated dismounted Soldiers’ tac-tical and gunnery skills on stationary
and moving targets over a period of four days and three nights.
“I’m kind of anxious to figure out what all I get to do,” said Pvt. Brandon Mealer, a dismounted infan-tryman with Co. A. “This is what I signed up for. It’s my job, and I like it.”
The troopers’ training and quali-fications contin-ued to Table XII, where four crews came together to form their platoon and execute a mis-sion together. The
platoons were evaluated on their execution of collective tasks within a live-fire environ-ment.
The purpose was to form a cohesive pla-toon and maneu-ver through the range to attack the enemy as a unit, said Sgt. N e l s o n
Rosa, an infantryman with Co. A.Severance said that it’s basically
the platoon leaders working with their platoons and that it was
going to be a good learning experience for him.
Mounted crewmembers engaged enemy threats
when possible. When it was not practi-
cal for the Bradley t o
engage, the dismounted infantry-men were informed of the issue, and they exited the vehicle to handle it – such as clearing a house or a gulch.
“Whenever they need us, we’ll dismount, clear a trench, clear a bunker … and just make sure we are executing to standard,” said Sgt. Anthony Johnson, a team chief with Co. A. Table XII does not have a time limit for the platoons, but it does have a high standard of com-pleting each task.
“I feel we’ve done pretty good – I mean we’ve had new guys come in, and they’ve pretty much just picked up right where we left off before,” Johnson said. “There’s really no lag-ging in any areas.”
1-12 Cav executes Table XII Bradley gunnery
TOP, M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles with Co. A, 1-12 Cav. Regt., 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div., stage in preparation for qualifying Bradley gunnery Table XII at a Fort Hood training area, Oct. 17. The 1-12 Cav. Regt. began Table II qualifications in early August. ABOVE, 2nd Lt. Scott Severance, a platoon leader with Co. A, 1-12 Cav. Regt., 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div., looks over his notes while sitting in his M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle at a Fort Hood training area, Oct. 17.
Photo by Sgt. Kimberly Browne, 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
I feel we’ve done pretty good – I mean we’ve had new guys come in, and they’ve picked up right where we left off before.
– Sgt. Anthony Johnson
Town Hall: Access, housing top questions for 60 experts Continued from A1
CRDAMC Commander Col. Patricia Darnauer answers civilian media questions during the Fort Hood Garrison Facebook and Radio Town Hall Oct. 24.
Photos by Sgt. Jordan Johnson, Sentinel Assistant Editor
Garrison Commander Col. Matt Elledge answers questions in Fort Hood Radio’s studio during the Fort Hood Garrison Facebook and Radio Town Hall Oct. 24.
were visionaries,” Muller said. “They had a vision for the Killeen com-munity and for Killeen ISD. And that vision embraced Fort Hood and sought collaboration with Fort Hood wherever possible.
“And so they set in motion this powerful relationship,” he added, “that exists between Fort Hood and the Killeen community today.”
Former Killeen ISD superin-tendent Charles Patterson, also a Fort Hood Good Neighbor, shared details of the school’s rich history and growth through the years.
“Killeen had a population of 1,400 in 1941,” he said. “In 1975, that was the total of the Meadows school population.”
During the ceremony, former Meadows student and teacher Judy Van Riper, a proud, self-proclaimed Army brat, painted a picture of the school’s opening as she loaded onto
an Army bus that picked her up from a brand new Walker Village and dropped her off a Meadows Elementary for the first day of sec-ond grade.
Patterson also told of fond memo-ries he had of a former principal of the school, Hal Adams, who Pat-terson traveled with to Washing-ton, D.C., to receive the school’s
national recognition of the Blue Rib-bon award.
Former school principal Karol Carlisle had similar memories to share of Adams and his competitive drive to achieve the award but also of his service-minded nature and the impact he had on the school.
“I considered it nothing but a blessing to have worked with Hal
Adams,” Carlisle said.Kristina Perez, a former student
and current teacher at Meadows, also took to the podium to share of the Meadows’ part in her amazing journey.
“When I first walked through the doors in 1991 as an 8-year-old third-grader, I didn’t know that I would end up here,” Perez said, pointing out her third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in the audience. “I remember Mr. Adams and how wonderful he was with students.
“And when it came time for me to get my first teaching job, my first and only interview was here at Meadows,” she added.
The school’s current principal, Sara Watson, reflected on Mead-ows’ rich history and its far-reaching impact over the years.
“It’s a very rare and special privi-lege that we have to be part of such a great educational legacy such as Meadows,” Watson said.
She said that when talking with community members, when they find out she’s the principal of Mead-ows, they can’t wait to share their ties to the school and recollections of the school when it was located in its former campus “up on the hill.”
Meadows: Fort Hood’s first on-post school celebrates 60-year anniversaryContinued from A1
Robert Muller, Killeen ISD superinten-dent, takes to the podium during the Meadows Elementary 60th anniver-sary celebration Oct. 24.
Soldiers in the 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade, Meadows Elementary’s adopt-a-school unit, present the colors to open the school’s 60th anniversary celebration Oct. 24.
Photos by Daniel Cernero, Sentinel Staff
