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Soldiers of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division attached to 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div. performed a gunnery skills test, or GST, and combat lifesaver course, or CLS, at Fort Stewart, Georgia, June 27-30.

A Co. is focused on increasing individual Soldier and unit readiness for future training exercises and missions. The next exercise on their calendar is a gunnery at Fort Stewart in mid-July 2016.

Sgt. Stephen Polidore [left] and Spc. Isaac Leal, both Soldiers with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, attached to 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., prepare an M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle during a gunnery skills test at Fort Stewart, Ga., June 28, 2016. The GST is one way A Co. is improving individual Soldier and unit readiness in preparation for future missions. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Payton Wilson)

“Gunnery is a test on the Bradley crews' ability to engage and destroy the enemy utilizing all weapons systems on the [M2] Bradley Fighting Vehicle,” said Cpt. Donnie Bradford, commander of A Co., 2-7 Inf.

Bradford added, the gunnery skills test is an evaluation of the Bradley crew members knowledge and understanding of how to put the Bradley Fighting Vehicle into operation.

“It is all about gaining those skills, being confident, and being a part of that crew when in the Bradley,” said Sgt. Stephen Polidore, crew leader of A Co. “You feel a lot more confident when you're out on the line.”

“This happens when we get a lot of new crew members, we have to take GST then move onto Gunnery Table VI to get qualified,” Polidore added.

The crew members of A Co. learned from each other when doing GST.

A Soldier of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, attached to 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div. applies a tourniquet during a combat lifesaver course at Fort Stewart, Ga., June 29, 2016. Soldiers took the CLS course to increase Soldier and unit readiness for upcoming exercises and missions. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Payton Wilson)

“I think we did phenomenal for our first time working together,” said Spc. Isaac Leal, gunner of A Co. “There are some things we need to improve on and some things we do not know, but that is what GST is meant for.”

Aside from GST, Soldiers of A Co. also performed a CLS class to improve medical readiness throughout the company.

“The purpose for CLS is to teach other non-medical Soldiers how to properly treat a casualty while in a combat situation,” said Spc. Christian Cano, company medic for A Co. “It is pretty much just take care of your casualty, to make sure they get to the next echelon of care.”

Taking CLS is an annual training event to maintain medical readiness for A Co. “It is necessary to have CLS complete,” Cano said. “So when we go out to the field to do gunnery, and if we do take casualties, all of the guys will know how to treat them.”

“The Assassins want to be qualified and proficient at all of our warfighting skills,” said Bradford. “This will allow us to have a high state of readiness to deploy, fight, and win whenever called upon.”

By U.S. Army Pfc. Payton Wilson
Provided through DVIDS
Copyright 2016

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