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High-tech tanks pack precise punch
2nd HBCT learns equipment in live fire
weblive fire exercise 024
Heat could be seen shimmering off the new M1A3 Abrams tanks lined up on Fort Stewarts Red Cloud Range this week. Short, rapid bursts of sound signaled machine-gun fire and heavy, intermittent booms that echoed and vibrated across field and forest indicated the firing of large artillery rounds. - photo by Photo by Denise Etheridge

Heat could be seen shimmering off the new M1A3 Abrams tanks lined up on Fort Stewart’s Red Cloud Range this week. Short, rapid bursts of sound signaled machine-gun fire and heavy, intermittent booms that echoed and vibrated across field and forest indicated the firing of large artillery rounds.
Soldiers with Company C, 1st Battalion, 64th Armored Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team are being certified over the next couple of months on how to successfully operate the latest, most technologically upgraded Abrams tanks available to the Army.
The M1A3s have a more advanced fire-control system and therefore can shoot farther and more accurately than the older M1 version, Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Peck said. He said the battalion has 14 of these new tanks, and a crew of four soldiers mans each vehicle.
Peck, a tank platoon sergeant, is responsible for training soldiers in basic tank duties, such as fire commands and battle drills.
“Each crewman knows what they’re supposed to do and when to do it,” he said.
These upgraded Abrams tanks are “faster and more lethal” he said. Therefore, crew members must learn to synchronize their individual tasks. Each tank crew has a driver, a loader who loads the gun, a gunner who engages and shoots targets and a vehicle commander who is responsible for the crew’s coordination, according to Peck.
“It takes a lot of group coordination, a lot of practice,” he said. “When the round hits the target, it’s a good feeling.”
Turning to Capt. Clifton McClung and Sgt. Dustin Gautney with 2nd Brigade Public Affairs, he added, “I can’t believe we get paid for this.”
The Abrams tanks weigh about 72 tons each and have a maximum firing range of 5,000 meters, or just over 3 miles, McClung said.
“We can see farther than that (3 miles),” Peck said, referring to the tank’s viewfinder.
“The new tanks (tracking systems) are fully digitized,” Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson said. “They have a new sight for the commander that is independent of the gunner’s sight.” Therefore, the commander can scan for other targets while the M1A3 is in the field, he said.
Larson said this gunnery tank exercise falls within the midpoint of the brigade’s reset phase. Soldiers are trained first in individual skills and weapons qualifications, than the training builds to the squad, platoon, company and battalion levels, he explained.
“It’s the crawl, walk, run type of training,” Larson said.
The tank gunnery exercise has been ongoing for a week and a half, according to Gautney. The exercise will last about three months, McClung said.
Peck said gunnery certification is completed every six months at the crew level and once a year at the platoon level.
“Once a crew is certified, you want to keep them together,” he said. “It takes a brigade commander’s thumbs-up to break up a crew.”

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Exchange Service salutes Vietnam vets with custom truck design
Army and Air Force Exchange Service redesigned logo 2011

To thank Vietnam veterans for their sacrifices, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war.

“The Exchange is privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Vietnam veterans through our fleet,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era. “These trucks will serve as rolling billboards, expressing gratitude for all who served during this era.”

The truck design features the silhouette of a lone service member set against the background of a faded horizon with a call to “thank a Vietnam veteran for service to our nation.” The single military member represents the warfighters who served during this time.

Three trucks in the fleet feature the commemorative design and will deliver merchandise to Exchange stores from the organization’s distribution centers in the continental United States.

The West Coast Distribution Center at Sharpe Army Depot in California; Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport News, Va.; and the Waco Distribution Center in Texas will each have a truck in service on their standard delivery routes, serving the whole country.

Air Force veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him.

“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center. “We want to be remembered.”

The trucks also highlight the veteran online shopping benefit, which launched in November. The lifelong online military exchange benefit authorizes all who served honorably to enjoy tax-free shopping and exclusive military pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the commemoration.

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