Posted on Oct 4, 2019
Does someone in the ARNG have a mounted gunnery focused training schedule they're willing to share?
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I'm currently the AGR training officer for a light infantry battalion. While we've made a good amount of progress, there's some significant concerns about our heavy weapons company completing Gunnery Table VI prior to AT on an annual basis. With us only having a 6 month window and limited UTAs there is very little room for error. However, I know there are units out there who are meeting this requirement. What I'm looking for is a training schedule to compare ours with and see if there's something we're missing. Right now I have a lot of constraints I'm dealing with, ranging from the number of MUTAs we're allowed to use to range availability. My intent is to build a case for my leadership to either reduce some of these constraints or be willing to accept we won't meet some of their training goals. Any help would be appreciated.
Master Gunner
Battalion Master Gunner
HMMWV Gunner
Master gunner instructor
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 1
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MAJ (Join to see), because you have so many constraints you may not be able to find someone else's training plan useful. They would spread gunnery training over 12 months, I would go back to the tables and see the related tasks. It is simpler than it seems. Start with your hard points, which are the range days. Backwards plan from each one to build the individual skills that need to be proficient. Don't see the range days as training, see them as evaluation of the progress of individual and collective training.
If you have 6 months, that means you have about 12-14 days total to get it done. Your drivers need to be licensed and proficient, your gunners need to be qualified (mounted) and proficient, and your VCs need to know the vehicle, the weapon system, and the course of fire. And all that needs to happen before you set foot on a gunnery range to 'practice'.
Crawl (non-range): Start with 'dry fire' exercises once everyone is qualified as mentioned above. Practice PID of targets, ranging, and running through the motions of your gunner moving into the sector of fire and acquiring the target. Get your timing and communication down, you can even do these while knocking out convoy training tasks.
Walk (first range day): Rehearse as listed above, Dry run the course of fire first, practice communication, movement and timing then move on to live fire, you will identify things that can be practiced during rehearsals
Crawl (non-range): Capitalize on the deficiencies identified during the range day through repetitive battle drills. Most of the issues with gunnery is centered around communication and equipment faults.
Rinse and repeat.
Let us know what you find if you see anything useful.
If you have 6 months, that means you have about 12-14 days total to get it done. Your drivers need to be licensed and proficient, your gunners need to be qualified (mounted) and proficient, and your VCs need to know the vehicle, the weapon system, and the course of fire. And all that needs to happen before you set foot on a gunnery range to 'practice'.
Crawl (non-range): Start with 'dry fire' exercises once everyone is qualified as mentioned above. Practice PID of targets, ranging, and running through the motions of your gunner moving into the sector of fire and acquiring the target. Get your timing and communication down, you can even do these while knocking out convoy training tasks.
Walk (first range day): Rehearse as listed above, Dry run the course of fire first, practice communication, movement and timing then move on to live fire, you will identify things that can be practiced during rehearsals
Crawl (non-range): Capitalize on the deficiencies identified during the range day through repetitive battle drills. Most of the issues with gunnery is centered around communication and equipment faults.
Rinse and repeat.
Let us know what you find if you see anything useful.
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MAJ (Join to see)
CSM William Everroad I appreciate the advice. I think you're absolutely on target. We seem do a decent job on hitting targets, it's the other aspects of gunnery where we have issues. I'm used to gunnery being a 12 month process as well. I spent the first 6 years of my career in the mechanized world. We would execute GST and individual training during IDT periods then shoot our qualification tables during AT.
Unfortunately, the 6 month requirement is not self-imposed. TC 3-20.31 (Training and Qualification, Crew) and TC 3-20.0 (Integrated Weapons Training Strategy) both specify a T-6 requirement for Crew Gunnery Tables. This is consistent with the guidance my MG and I are receiving from the Brigade Master Gunner. Completing Crew Table VI prior to annual training is also a requirement being specified by the XCTC and JRTC staff we've been in contact with. (We have both rotations in the next 2 years). My heavy weapons company is certainly training outside the 6 month window for gunnery, but they can't validate until they're in the window.
As far as training schedules go, there's really two areas I'm looking for some more detail on. One of them is MUTA structure. The closest gunnery range to my heavy weapons company is a 6 hour drive in a tactical vehicle. This makes anything less than a MUTA 6 just about worthless. Further complicating this is that it can only support up to section level gunnery. To get up to Platoon we're looking at closer to 8 hours one way. I suspect some of the other units executing the T-6 model are conducting MUTA 8's, but I only have one example of that.
The other area I'm looking for a model on is table execution. According to TC 3-20.0, Tables IV and V are recommended but optional. In talking with my BC, he would prefer we shoot all of the tables to build proficiency. I agree, but I'm concerned about throughput. Completing Table V doesn't help anyone if we don't complete Table VI. What I would like to find out more on is what other units executing the T-6 model are doing. I again suspect that they're skipping from Table III to VI, but I don't have any way to verify that.
My goal out of all this is to drive some discussion and hopefully a decision at the Brigade and/or state level. I need information to be able to do that though.
Unfortunately, the 6 month requirement is not self-imposed. TC 3-20.31 (Training and Qualification, Crew) and TC 3-20.0 (Integrated Weapons Training Strategy) both specify a T-6 requirement for Crew Gunnery Tables. This is consistent with the guidance my MG and I are receiving from the Brigade Master Gunner. Completing Crew Table VI prior to annual training is also a requirement being specified by the XCTC and JRTC staff we've been in contact with. (We have both rotations in the next 2 years). My heavy weapons company is certainly training outside the 6 month window for gunnery, but they can't validate until they're in the window.
As far as training schedules go, there's really two areas I'm looking for some more detail on. One of them is MUTA structure. The closest gunnery range to my heavy weapons company is a 6 hour drive in a tactical vehicle. This makes anything less than a MUTA 6 just about worthless. Further complicating this is that it can only support up to section level gunnery. To get up to Platoon we're looking at closer to 8 hours one way. I suspect some of the other units executing the T-6 model are conducting MUTA 8's, but I only have one example of that.
The other area I'm looking for a model on is table execution. According to TC 3-20.0, Tables IV and V are recommended but optional. In talking with my BC, he would prefer we shoot all of the tables to build proficiency. I agree, but I'm concerned about throughput. Completing Table V doesn't help anyone if we don't complete Table VI. What I would like to find out more on is what other units executing the T-6 model are doing. I again suspect that they're skipping from Table III to VI, but I don't have any way to verify that.
My goal out of all this is to drive some discussion and hopefully a decision at the Brigade and/or state level. I need information to be able to do that though.
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