USAREUR Public Affairs

April 16, 2002

173d Airborne conducts combined live fire

Story and photos by Sgt. Thorin Sprandel
173d Airborne Brigade Public Affairs

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- More than 200 soldiers from 173d Airborne Brigade
showed off their firepower during a combined arms live-fire exercise at here, Monday
through Wednesday, April 8-10.

Paratroopers from Company A, 1st

Battalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne)
were joined by Red Devil scouts
and mortarmen, 105mm howitzers
from Battery D, 319th Airborne
Field Artillery and helicopter crews
from 12th Aviation Brigade for the
mission.

After AH-64 Apaches fired their

machine guns at the objective, the
assault and support by fire teams
were inserted by UH-60 Black
A member of the support by fire team from Company A and two AH-
Hawk helicopters. 64 Apache helicopters from 12th Aviation Brigade send live rounds
downrange during a combined arms live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr,
Germany.

From the landing zone, they moved

into position with their weapons,
breached obstacles and cleared a
trench line.

“We exercised the company at all

levels, including integration of fire
and the use of close air support” said
Capt. Angel Mesa, commander, Co.
A, 1st Bn., 508 Inf. (Abn).

The company practiced for two days

without ammunition and then with
Paratroopers from Company A, pull security on a landing zone after
being inserted by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from 12th Aviation
blanks before firing live rounds both
Brigade during the exercise. at day and night.

“Anytime you fire live rounds, it’s

intense,” said Staff Sgt. Melvyn
Lopez, squad leader, Co. A, 1st Bn.,
508 Inf. (Abn).

“When you do a CALFEX and

combine all the weapon systems we
have, it’s even more impressive,”
said Lopez, who led a three man M2
machine gun crew from the
helicopter landing zone to a support
by fire position on high ground
overlooking the objective.

“We were well prepared and the dry

and blank iterations helped reinforce Sgt. Emmitt Adkins, Scout Platoon, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry
(Airborne) fires his M24 sniper rifle during the live-fire exercise.
that,” said Lopez. “Everyone knew
what they had to do and when it was
time, we did it.”

“The men did a fantastic job,” said Mesa.