US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Bragg, NC)

Page 44 text:

Field Firing During Field Firing, the men learn to detect and hit tar- gets under conditions that might be encountered in actual combat. They learn about the effects of wind on a bullet and how to compensate for these effects. Since a rifleman must be able to see a target 'before he can hit it, training in target detection is a major part of Field Firing. A great deal of time is spent in practicing detection of single and multiple, hidden, and moving targets. When the men spot a target, they must then make an accurate estimate of the distance to that target. They must be able to do this instantly with constant accuracy, for on the field of combat they would be engaging targets at varying ranges and must know how to compen- sate for the distance. They learn how to move safely with a loaded weapon and quickly take up firing positions when brought under attack. Every detail is covered, from rapid reloading procedures to personal camouflage skills, to give each man the ability to go into combat, confident that he knows his weapon and has the skill to use it to his best advantage. ar-MQ' YMMJ,

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V ' ' Target Detection An unusual sound, a rustling in the grass or bushes, are critical sounds to a soldier in battle. A combat soldier must have a keen eye and an excellent ear to detect these factors. How can you fire at an enemy you cannot see? This is where target detection plays an important role in basic com- bat training. In target detection training, the utargetsi' are lightly camouflaged soldiers set in a natural surrounding. The trainees search for such targets, developing a skill for lo- cating and marking the uenemyw. Practical exercises are performed in this phase of rifle marksmanship and a trainee gradually learns that an empty battlefield may not be empty at all. Finally, the trainee is ready for record fire, where he utilizes techniques learned in battlefield firing and target detection. ,WW 27 am We 5, ,,,, M z , f -

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3, X X fu-f. .'k. ,sw Cm., in Record Firing Record Firing is the culmination of all the training, in- struction and practice the trainee receives with his individual weapon. His training has covered everything from the history and development of the rifle to practice in rapid reloading pro- cedures. But during record firing, he is tested in the basic reason for all this individual weapons training . . . his skill in locating and hitting a target. He reviews procedures for detecting targets by sight and sound. He performs some linal exercises in marking and estimating the range to targets. Then he moves out on the range with his fellow soldiers to Hre for record. Using the methods he learned in lndividual Tactical Train- ing, he advances toward his targets. From the various po- sitions he learned during Field Firing, he fires at single stationary and both single and multiple moving targets. His efforts during record firing earn him a qualification badge, but more important, this training gives him the ability to detect and destroy a real target if the need ever arises. ,afar n' r in w'lV,,,4 ri.-1' f, , ! pw wr ' -sz ' ' ,wr , 'nf W Nia: 5 Q Q s it at 1'-f Xmas, 5 is vp, X . ,gf GR l-14