During the spring of 2013 as my final days of being in high school were dwindling down, I found myself in a predicament. I desired to further my education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Wichita State; however, I wanted to avoid becoming the victim of crippling debt. After a little research, I found a solution to my problem with the Kansas Army National Guard (KSARNG). I quickly learned that joining the guard provides numerous benefits and opportunities that would fit my needs. By becoming a guardsman, I am able to obtain my education without any costs to myself. In addition guard members are offered opportunities to further their military career by working full time with their unit. These benefits are amazing and have certainly assisted
…show more content…
The first was during the summer of 2013, when I shipped out to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for basic training. Here, I learned the true definition of teamwork as my battle buddies and I endured and executed the booming commands of our drill sergeants. During my training I also learned to efficiently operate multiple different weapons. I became an expert marksman with my M4 knocking down 36 out of 40 targets during qualification. I felt the shattering recoil of a 240B as I sent rounds towards old broken down tanks. I was given the chance to throw 3 live grenades. I was also given the opportunity to put a crater sized hole in an old boxcar with a live AT4 rocket launcher. After basic I attended advanced individual training (AIT) as a 15P, Flight Operations Specialist. Here, I was taught how to properly execute the operating procedures for an aviation unit. After training I was assigned to B Company 1-108th aviation unit in Salina, Kansas. My unit has provided me with many memorable experiences; such as, flying in a UH-60 Blackhawk, aerial gunnery operations, and furthering my military career with a full time job. The neighboring bombing range, Smoky Hill Bombing Range frequently host live fire training exercises for American, British, and Canadian Special Forces. During the past year of working at Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) #2, we have spent four months supporting these Special …show more content…
They started the brief by describing their aircraft; in this moment I learned how lucky I was. I learned the AC-130U (Spooky) that I was about to board is one of seventeen of its kind. These experienced aviators explained the Lockheed AC-130 is a C-130 cargo plane converted into a gunship. The AC-130 is flown by United States Air Force (USAF) Special Operations, mostly in the close air support (CAS) role. Other roles include preplanned air strikes, armed reconnaissance, and friendly force protection. I learned this aircraft is equipped with three different weapon systems housed on its port side. These weapon systems include an assortment of cannons, howitzers and Gatling guns. The next portion of the brief explained the mission for this particular training exercise. The pilot in command (PC) stated, “We will be supporting 7 DEVGRU members as they perform operations in the villages on the range… They will call out targets and we will eliminate them… We all have a job to do. Execute your tasks safely, and let’s get some good training in today. Utilize the latrine before we leave, it’s a four hour flight and nobody wants to see you take a dooky on spooky. Wheels up in 45 mikes, let’s get it
The first was during the summer of 2013, when I shipped out to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for basic training. Here, I learned the true definition of teamwork as my battle buddies and I endured and executed the booming commands of our drill sergeants. During my training I also learned to efficiently operate multiple different weapons. I became an expert marksman with my M4 knocking down 36 out of 40 targets during qualification. I felt the shattering recoil of a 240B as I sent rounds towards old broken down tanks. I was given the chance to throw 3 live grenades. I was also given the opportunity to put a crater sized hole in an old boxcar with a live AT4 rocket launcher. After basic I attended advanced individual training (AIT) as a 15P, Flight Operations Specialist. Here, I was taught how to properly execute the operating procedures for an aviation unit. After training I was assigned to B Company 1-108th aviation unit in Salina, Kansas. My unit has provided me with many memorable experiences; such as, flying in a UH-60 Blackhawk, aerial gunnery operations, and furthering my military career with a full time job. The neighboring bombing range, Smoky Hill Bombing Range frequently host live fire training exercises for American, British, and Canadian Special Forces. During the past year of working at Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) #2, we have spent four months supporting these Special …show more content…
They started the brief by describing their aircraft; in this moment I learned how lucky I was. I learned the AC-130U (Spooky) that I was about to board is one of seventeen of its kind. These experienced aviators explained the Lockheed AC-130 is a C-130 cargo plane converted into a gunship. The AC-130 is flown by United States Air Force (USAF) Special Operations, mostly in the close air support (CAS) role. Other roles include preplanned air strikes, armed reconnaissance, and friendly force protection. I learned this aircraft is equipped with three different weapon systems housed on its port side. These weapon systems include an assortment of cannons, howitzers and Gatling guns. The next portion of the brief explained the mission for this particular training exercise. The pilot in command (PC) stated, “We will be supporting 7 DEVGRU members as they perform operations in the villages on the range… They will call out targets and we will eliminate them… We all have a job to do. Execute your tasks safely, and let’s get some good training in today. Utilize the latrine before we leave, it’s a four hour flight and nobody wants to see you take a dooky on spooky. Wheels up in 45 mikes, let’s get it