OROGRANDE, New Mexico (KVIA) \u2013 Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, opened their training area to military families Saturday.<\/p>\n
The event offered a close look at how crews operate the M1A2 Abrams tank.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soldiers have been in the field since April 7, working through increasingly difficult tables designed to sharpen accuracy, coordination and battlefield readiness.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes me feel accomplished, it makes me feel good, it gives me a little bit of an adrenaline rush,\u201d Sgt. 1st Class Jose Cuevas said.<\/p>\n
Cuevas, a tank commander, said the experience of leading a crew brings both responsibility and pride as he directs the gunner, driver and loader during engagements.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels good, you get to build the next generation of tankers, you get to mold the people in your tank,\u201d Cuevas said. \u201cBeing a tanker, it\u2019s a tight-knit community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Family Day added another layer to the training, allowing loved ones to see firsthand what soldiers do in the field. Cuevas said their presence boosts morale and strengthens connections within the unit.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving families here, it\u2019s always good for the soldiers to spend time with family, it\u2019s a morale booster,\u201d Cuevas said. \u201cIt ties everything together and lets soldiers know they have support on both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n
For many crews, the most exciting part of the job comes when the main gun fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most exciting part of my job is shooting the main gun, because when I shoot it, I get a huge adrenaline rush,\u201d Specialist Promotable Tristin Hoskin said.<\/p>\n
That excitement is paired with pressure, as each shot counts during engagements that simulate combat conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou only get one round, if you miss that round, that\u2019s time lost in the fight,\u201d Hoskin added.<\/p>\n
Leaders say the training is essential preparation for future missions. Crews move from Table IV to Table VI, often described by soldiers as the culminating event, where proficiency is tested under demanding conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re working toward qualification tables so crews can move to the next level of training, platoon and company live fire,\u201d 1st Sgt. Kevin Greene said. \u201cThat\u2019s what certifies us for when we\u2019re called to go overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greene, who oversees training and soldier welfare for his company, said the time spent in the field allows crews to focus solely on their craft without distractions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis allows the crews to focus on their job, this is their mission while they\u2019re out here,\u201d Greene said.<\/p>\n
He said Family Day also helps bridge the gap between military life and home life, giving families a clearer understanding of the demands placed on soldiers.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies get to see all the hard work and sacrifice that goes into what their soldiers do every day,\u201d Greene said. \u201cIt\u2019s a fantastic opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind the thunder of tank fire and the spectacle of heavy armor, leaders emphasized the deeper purpose of the training.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe time and effort that goes into this training is what prepares soldiers to answer the nation\u2019s call,\u201d Greene said. \u201cIt can be the difference between them coming home or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the soldiers of the battalion, the day blended mission readiness with moments of connection, showing both the power of armored warfare and the people who stand behind it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OROGRANDE, New Mexico (KVIA) \u2013 Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, assigned to the 3rd Armored…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":256228,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139],"class_list":{"0":"post-256227","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-el-paso","8":"tag-el-paso","9":"tag-el-paso-headlines","10":"tag-el-paso-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256227\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}