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Originally Posted by KSC
Before my current deployment to Iraq, had a trip to Louisiana for training, which I missed because of surgery. Then as far as range time, had one reflexive fire range, and a zero range. In Kuwait, we verified our zero and did a couple live fire runs through a shoot house. So, after about 100 total rounds in a four month build up, all the rest of them were fired in Tikrit. About 3 months into our deployment "the man" decided ranges would be a great idea and started letting us do them regularly. Now they talk about how scarred they are that we carry M203 HEs and M67s since we aren't properly trained on them. The insurgents are safe in their firing positions behind their thick brick walls since the AT4s we have just sit at the ammo point since we, again, "aren't properly trained" to use them.
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It's gotta be Army wide. My time with 3ID was the same. Hell, when I went to Iraq the first time I was my team's M2 gunner. First time I ever fired her was during an ambush.
The second time around I suppose the higher ups listened to our gripes about not shooting enough on our "off" time. So we ended up going to ranges once a month. However, the training and ranges were crap. It was more of a nuisance then good training. Heck, they never let us zero our Aimpoints or Acogs until we got in country.
As far as the explosives, I feel your pain. In 2003 as soon as we switched from an invasion force to SASO operations they took our AT4s and grenades. We had AT4s in 2005, but we weren't allowed to ride around with them because someone, somewhere, was afraid of a ND from all the bumping around.
I would hear the same thing when I would ask about not being allowed to use the tools available to us. It was always, "You don't have the proper training". Well, why don't you find time to get us the training? OR have a little faith in some of our abilities.
I don't blame my chain of command though. I know the orders come from way above. It never helps anthing when your division is leading in NDs for the entire theatre...