Posted on 12/15/2005 3:53:03 PM PST by SandRat
FORT LEE, Va. (Army News Service, Dec. 15, 2005) – Students of Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lee’s Quartermaster School will begin carrying weapons with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, starting Jan. 15.
The weapons immersion program being implemented by the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade at Fort Lee is designed to better prepare Soldiers for future deployments, officials said.
A number of other Army schools began weapons immersion earlier this year for AIT students, an Army Training and Doctrine Command spokesman said.
The TRADOC plan was to begin with combat-arms branches last spring and have all AIT schools practicing weapons immersion by the end of September 2006, he said. Schools scheduled to begin the immersion program in 2006 include:
• Ordnance and Munitions School at Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
• Information Technology School at Fort Gordon, Ga.
• Intelligence School at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
“The program will be TRADOC-wide, throughout all AIT schools,” said Gen. William Wallace, TRADOC commanding general. “The one thing that is slowing us down is the availability of weapons.
“The intent is to reduce the number of accidental discharges, and improve weapons maintenance," Wallace said.
Weapons immersion during training should result in fewer accidents in theater, said Lt. Col. Michael Cooper, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 23rd QM Bde. executive officer.
“TRADOC implemented this program after they saw negligent discharges in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Cooper said. “This training will help prevent negligent discharges while Soldiers are in theater.”
One of the greatest and most preventable dangers that a Soldier faces in a deployment situation is death or injury from negligent discharge, Cooper said.
“Soldiers will receive their weapon and five rounds of blank ammunition during the second week of AIT and carry them until they graduate," Cooper said. "Before weapons are issued, Soldiers receive proper loading, unloading, clearing and muzzle training.
The Soldiers will carry their weapons at all times including class, eating at the dining facility and in the barracks.
However, there are a few exceptions, Cooper said. Soldiers will not take the weapons to chapel, the post exchange, clubs on post, the medical clinics and recreation facilities.
“The Soldiers won’t be taking their weapons into places where there are large groups of civilians or children,” Cooper said.
The idea behind the program is to get the Soldier used to their weapon.
“This program gets the Soldier in a comfort zone with their weapon,” Cooper said. “They have their weapon with them all the time just like they would in Iraq or Afghanistan.”
To get ready for the full immersion of the brigade, one company in each battalion began the program in November.
“This was a test run for everyone,” Cooper said. “It gave us a chance to work out problems, check for weapons accountability and work them out before we had 100 percent immersion.”
The brigade also had to prepare for the changes. They acquired more than 3,000 weapons from TRADOC, they had to find more arms rooms to store the weapons and get additional personnel support for the newly opened arms rooms.
Cooper said the program has been very successful for those companies who started weapons immersion.
“So far, we have not had any negligent discharges, and we have not had any weapons accountability problems,” he said.
For Soldiers currently in the program, the weapon almost becomes a part of them.
“You get used to it, and it becomes second nature,” said Pvt. Miles Throckmorton, Company U, 262nd QM Bn., 23rd QM Bde. “I think this is a good program. You become comfortable with the weapon, and you get a lot of practice clearing the weapon.”
Cooper said Soldiers learn practical skills during this program.
“Soldiers really learn situational awareness,” Cooper said. “They learn things like never pointing the weapon at their battle buddy and to safely clearing their weapon before entering a building.”
Prior to entering a building on Fort Lee, the Soldiers must clear their weapons. In front of each door there is a plastic barrel and a sign written in both English and Arabic that informs the Soldiers of the rules.
“The reason for both languages is to familiarize the Soldiers with what they will see in a war zone,” Cooper said.
Cooper said security and weapon accountability is a crucial part of the program.
“Units provide a full weapons status three times a day to their higher headquarters,” he said.
For many of the Soldiers, the program is not new. In basic training, the Soldiers are now starting to see weapons immersion programs implemented.
Going back to the way it's supposed to be!
Good !
Terrific. How about practice actually firing the weapon? Somehow I think that's asking too much...
lololol...snortle...chort....emming remfs...
Their weapons and 5 rounds of blanks and they better return their blanks . I knew the Military wouldnt give them ammunition.
I would rather fire live rounds. Cleaning a weapon after fireing blanks is a pain in the @ss. Filthy work.
Hey, it's at least better than what they used to get.
Snake Eater: I think everyone that replies on this thread would share your sentiment. Firing the weapon is a big part of the equation, but it is not the whole picture.
The troops they have listed are primarily "support". They need to have weapons available for self/unit protection, but it is not their primary tool. I understand the sentiment that everyone is a rifleman/soldier, but the services, with the probable exception of the Marines, have to overcome the past 10-15 years where that was not the mentality. I had to train some support units when I was in that were more familiar with typewriters that weapons
Believe me, just getting them to understand weapons safety and security can be a major undertaking. This is a good thing. One step at a time, one they're safe with them, I am sure the necessary trigger time will come
An M16 all day? Yuck.
Give me a 1911 or an M3.
I'll trade you a 1911 for an M-16 any day you want!
Sheesh. She ought to be a civilian, since that's where her mind is.
My wife recently took a handgun training course over a weekend and loved it. Pretty good shot, too, for a beginner.
I agree. Also SandRat, you and I had our moment till I figured out what things really were. Merry Christmas and THANKS for all that you've been putting on here. If you know what happened to the RagTime CowGirl, please send me somthing so I can tell her Merry Christmas also. She put some great stuff on here like Santa ridiing a bicycle on the flight line at Bagdahd International. My Best to you and yours.
RC told me but I forgot the details. I vaguely remember her saying she was taking a hiatus as keeping up with all of the Causality Postings had gotten to her and she needed to renew herself.
She did say she would LURK ocassionally just to see how things were getting on. I still ping her in the hope I'll one day get a reply.
Thank you.
And there was once a Mark IV AD near the clearing barrel at Camp Fallujah. And it wasn't the Army. lol...
Bloop.......Ka-whoom!
Oh...SH!T
But will they have the firing pins in the rifles they are carrying around?
Well, almost. In the good ole days in what is now called "THE OLD CORPS", we lived with an M1 Rifle 24 hour a day, 7 days a week.
The last time I was aboard MBC Camp Pendleton, a young Master Sergent tried to convince me that there was something so dangerous about the M16 that they had to be stored in an armory when not being used.
When we were issued Grease Guns, they were stored at the foot of our racks. Held in place only by the two straps otherwise used to attach a blanket roll to a pack.
Time certainly have changed
Semper Fi
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