Local Guard members hone tank skills for Iraqi mission
Editor’s note: This story is the second in a three-day series about the Connellsville-based Company B, 1st Battalion, 103rd Armor unit as it prepares to deploy to Iraq this week with the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.Sgt. Tim Williamson jumps to the ground from the Abrams tank he has been training in almost continuously for two weeks. Unshaved, tired, dusty and hungry, he still has a smile on his face.
“It was a good day,” he said, producing two military medals he achieved for firing accuracy during the training test phase.
Williamson, along with Spc. Nathan Barndt, Sgt. Shawn Logan, Spc. Tim Guthrie and Spec. Brian Sheetz are part of the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, which has spent six months training at Camp Shelby, Miss., for the upcoming deployment to Iraq.
All are members of Company B, 1st Battalion, 103rd Armor unit based in Connellsville.
Each of the five had met the two years’ prior active duty service requirement of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and could not be compelled to go on this mission. But, they opted to serve their country one more time.
“When we heard about this mission, we decided to volunteer,” said Williamson.
They have since been incorporated with the National Guard 2nd Brigade, which will be stationed in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
While the five have received combat, medical and weapons training, much of their time has been spent learning the skills needed to operate the massive Abrams with precision.
“It takes all of us working together,” said Williamson.
Instruction begins with necessary driving skills and coordination between the commander, gunner and loader.
The second phase entails the operation of machine guns mounted on the tank. As the training proceeds, the level of difficulty increases. The final level becomes a skill competition, with each tank crew vying for accuracy in hitting the designated targets, said Williamson.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran before joining the National Guard, Williamson is operating the Abrams tank for the first time, which makes his newly earned coin-type medals shine even more brightly.
“I’ve really learned a lot the past couple of months,” he said. “We’re ready to go get it done.”
Nearly 2,200 Pennsylvania guardsmen, along with units from 20 other states, have completed the training course and will join with a U.S. Marine battalion and Iraqi security team to form a 6,000- to 7,000-member coalition.
Sgt. William Colvin, a member of the 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry based in Mount Pleasant, will be a member of the 2nd Brigade logistical team in Iraq.
In most cases, said the Connellsville native, he will remain at the brigade base and monitor the movements of the forces as they travel outside their secured base area.
“If something happens, they will call back to us and we’ll give them guidance as what to do and send in whatever help they might need,” he said.
The training at Camp Shelby, said Colvin, has reinforced what he has learned during a 2003 deployment to Bosnia as a part of the NATO peacekeeping mission.
“There’s always something new to learn,” he said.
The six months at Camp Shelby have allowed him to personally meet the soldiers with whom he will be conversing via the computer systems that are components of many military vehicles.
“It gives us an idea who we will be talking to so we all feel more comfortable with one another,” said Colvin.
While the soldier feels prepared to meet the challenges of Iraq, he will still be counting the days until he can return home.
“I keep telling myself that when I get there the countdown begins and in 365 days I’ll be home with my family,” he said.
Sgt. Frank Piper of Smithfield said the soldiers have received instruction on Iraqi culture, so interaction should be amicable.
“We’re going to be dealing with a lot of civilians,” he said. “We need to understand the people, their culture and their environment while at the same time being able to restore order and provide security for them and the coalition.
“We have trained constantly here and every day we are more confident.”
Piper said members of the 110th are aware of the dangers they will face in Iraq, and they are well prepared for the challenge.
“Everybody knows what the game is when we get over there,” he said. “We’re ready.”
Sgt. Michael Pierce of Rices Landing said the time at Camp Shelby has allowed the soldiers from Pennsylvania to blend with others throughout the country to become one unit.
“We’ve come to depend and trust one another,” he said.
Geibel High School graduate 2nd Lt. Sean Bufano said the theater-immersion training at replicated Iraqi villages within Camp Shelby gave the soldiers a realistic sense of what they’ll face in the coming months.
The military hired more than 100 Iraqis living in the U.S. for the mock towns established at the military installation.
“It put us in a scenario where we were dealing with Iraqi citizens, speaking with village leaders and handling crowds,” said Bufano. “It gave us a chance to use the skills we have learned in a real-life setting.”
With most of the soldiers leaving spouses, children and other family members behind, Bufano noted the importance of the bonding among the uniformed personnel.
“We’ll miss home, there’s no doubt about it,” he said, “but we’ll have each other.”