Story and photo by Kristy Davies/The Signal
FORT GORDON, Ga. (TRADOC News Service, Oct. 28, 2005) – In keeping with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker’s credo emphasizing Warrior Ethos, advanced individual training Soldiers will learn more than what is taught in their military-occupation specialty.
They will now be going to class with weapons strapped to their backs.
Weapons immersion is one of many tasks now being carried out by training installations and units. Soldiers are required to carry the weapons and don gear they would wear while in a combat environment.
The 15th Signal Brigade has adopted a training transformation including weapons immersion. One company from 551st Signal Battalion has already begun piloting the new program; Company B, 369th Signal Battalion, will begin its pilot program in November; and 73rd Ordnance Battalion implemented weapons immersion into its training in September.
“We started several months ago in preparing or setting the conditions to conduct weapons immersion,” explained Lt. Col. Wade Sokolosky, 73rd Ord. Bn. commander. “This is happening throughout (Training and Doctrine Command), and to make this happen, TRADOC had to issue additional weapons to all the battalions in TRADOC. We already had well over 100 weapons, so I was in a position to start it.”
The 73rd Ord. Bn., which falls under the 59th Ordnance Brigade, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., uses M-16A2 weapons for the weapons immersion training. The other battalions under 15th Sig. Bde. will be using M-16A1 weapons because of availability.
Learning to always have a weapon with them teaches the Soldier responsibility and builds confidence.
“If you don’t go to the field a lot, you’re not used to keeping up with your weapon,” explained Maj. Rodney Lightfoot, 15th Sig. Bde. S-3. “The weapons immersion is to carry the weapon with you and properly secure it.
“We have to train (AIT Soldiers) in their MOS skill, but now we need to train them to a level of comfort with their weapon,” added Lightfoot. “Not only firing it, but to keep up with it. We need to instill confidence in them that the things they’re being asked to do, they know how to do.”
Drill sergeants here may have more on their hands to ensure safety and accountability.
“The training is being reinforced,” said Sgt. 1st Class Von Staggers, Co. B, 369th Sig. Bn. “They now know they don’t leave their weapon in the latrine or mess hall.”
Clearing barrels have been placed in strategic locations, including the schoolhouses, company areas, dining facilities and barracks buildings. The Soldiers are restricted to where they will carry their weapon and cannot carry them to medical appointments, the post exchange, shoppettes, commissary and library.
During weapons immersion, Soldiers will have their M-16 with them 24 hours a day and are required to carry the weapon while they are eating, in class and sleeping.
“When a Soldier arrives, the Soldier will conduct weapons immersion (once he is done processing at Darling Hall), and they will stay in a weapons-immersion status through Phase 4 into Phase 5, which is roughly about 12 weeks,” explained Sokolosky.
“Then, two weeks out before they graduate, during their warrior training exercise, they will pick up weapons immersion again as part of their predeployment training for the WTX,” he said.
Manpower for the arms room has not been affected by weapons immersion.
“What weapons immersion does is actually get the weapons out of the arms room and into the control of the Soldier, and is then openly supervised by the drill sergeants and the company commander and first sergeant,” added Sokolosky.
Safety comes first for all the units.
“The Soldier is issued a magazine with five blank rounds in it, and that’s all part of learning how to carry a loaded weapon, how to clear it properly and how to handle it,” explained Sokolosky.
Each unit will conduct weapons immersion slightly different from another but will continue to teach the fundamentals and responsibilities of having a weapon.
“Ultimately (we are trying) to instill a very disciplined standard in the Soldier," said Sokolosky. "We’ve lost too many Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan to negligent discharge. By giving the Soldier the weapon now, he or she develops a confidence with that weapon and will know exactly what to do.”