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Issue Home July 29, 2003 Site Home

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Local Guard Prepares For Annual Training

Local Guard Prepares For Annual Training

When Company C 1/109th (M) Inf, New Milford, conducted its weekend drill on July 19-20, the focus was to prepare for the upcoming annual training at Fort Drum, NY. While memories of the recent deployment to Bosnia are still fresh in these soldiers’ minds, their attention is shifting to operating the Bradley Fighting Vehicle to the best of their abilities. The mechanized infantrymen from Susquehanna, Wyoming and Bradford Counties will increase their proficiency on basic gunnery skills such as assembling and disassembling of weapons systems, loading and unloading ammunition and performing maintenance on the vehicle. Driver training will cover operating over various terrains and the use of night vision devices. The Bradley vehicle crew, which consists of a commander, a gunner and a driver, will conduct live-fire exercises on several training lanes.

After returning from training, soldiers will be looking forward to the opening of their new armory. Construction is set to begin this fall on the new building, which will be located between New Milford and Lakeside, about three miles from their current armory. "I’m anxious to see how the new armory will help our training," says Specialist Matthew Fischer, of Hallstead. "Preparing for our next mission in a properly equipped, modern building will certainly add to our readiness." An upgrade of facilities is long overdue. Company C has occupied the New Milford elementary school since its establishment in 1990, which was intended to be a temporary arrangement.

Upcoming monthly training includes qualification on the M16 rifle, M203 grenade launcher and 50-caliber machine gun, along with an army physical fitness test. Specialist Fischer and the rest of Company C are preparing for this fitness test by practicing pushups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run. "Not only are there standards which need to be met, but my platoon takes a lot of pride in how they perform on the fitness test," commented Sergeant First Class Jeffrey Hoal, of Montrose.

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