SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii -- Machine gunners from each company of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, spent two weeks together for crew served weapons training and conducted a final live-fire event at Schofield Barracks, Oct. 8 through 10, 2013.
First Lt. Joseph Krawczyk, the heavy machine guns platoon commander, Weapons Co., 1st Bn., 3rd Marines, said the purpose of the training is to validate the Marines’ knowledge of weapons systems.
“They conducted disassembly, assembly and gun drills and, their classes covered information like employment of optics,” Krawczyk said, a native of Trenton, Mich. “This sustainment training allows them to keep up on all our weapons systems, since heavy machine guns (don’t always have the opportunity) to shoot the (M240B Medium Machine Gun).”
The Marines fired throughout the day, employing the M240B and .50 caliber M2 Browning heavy machine gun, engaging targets up to 500 yards away.
Lance Cpl. Collin Evans, a machine gunner with Bravo Co., 1st Bn., 3rd Marines and native of Westchester, Penn., said he recently returned from machine gun leaders course and applied what he learned during training.
“For some of the guys here, it’s their first weapons training event,” Evans said. “So us coming together means teaching the new guys and knocking some rust off. During classes we got one on one, hands on training from the instructors, and it was good to catch up on skills.”
Evans explained that what they learned during the course is applied in the field, like maintaining proper shoulder pressure while firing.
“Actually sending rounds down range shows their abilities,” Evans said.
“There’s been a good balance of senior and junior Marines during this training, which means we are able to pull them aside and help them improve their skills.”
Krawczyk said the Army was helpful and welcomed the Marines to the range.
“They have been awesome letting us on their range,” Krawczyk said. “They were supposed to be shooting as well, but they let us conduct training first and helped us by running the tower and with planning and execution.”
In between shooting, the Marines sought refuge from the Hawaiian sun by relaxing under camouflage netting and refueled with food and water.
Lance Cpl. Hunter Pepper, a machine gunner with Weapons Co., 1st Bn., 3rd Marines, described how training with all the machine gunners benefits participants.
“We are able to learn from each other’s mistakes,” Pepper said. “Learning together like this means each of us bring different things to the table."