Arise.  Formation.  Chow.  Weapons draw.

 

It is “Oh-seven” and we are rested, fed and armed.

 

 

Well, no cartridges yet. 

 

 

This is the “zeroing” range.  The paper targets are small but only a short distance away which makes the walk short.  Once the soldier/M-16 combinations have been calibrated, we will move on to the qualification range.

 

 

A little oil will prep the mechanism.

 

 

A little pointing will prep the soldier.

 

 

The muzzle can rest on your boot, but not in the dirt.

 

 

The history of warfare reveals a clear trend:  The violence has never been done at greater distances or in a more impersonal way.  Still, every soldier knows that things can get personal in a hurry.

 

Maybe your job has you pushing a computer mouse around.  You know that you are dealing with life-and-death matters and you take your work seriously, but carpal tunnel syndrome has always been your greatest injury risk.

 

Then, perhaps, your mouse is pulled from your hand as your computer is pushed aside by the bad guy rushing across the table toward you.  When the barbarians are climbing the walls, every soldier is a rifleman.

 

 

As the 420th engineers are now, the 724th Transport passed through Fort McCoy in February, 2004.  The reservists of the 724th met monthly in Bartonville, Illinois – less then 200 miles to the southwest from Fort Sheridan by car – before they were activated and deployed.

 

Jeremy Church and Matt Maupin were among those reservists.  This month, four years ago, they were among the soldiers riding five HMMWVs that escorted two dozen fuel tankers to the airport just west of Baghdad.  An ambush of unprecedented scale was unleashed.  Jeremy became the first United States Army Reserve soldier to be awarded a Silver Star.  The ceremony was held at Fort McCoy upon the 724th’s return.

 

Matt was captured and a videotape made June 28, 2004 shows a soldier, probably Matt, being executed by his captors.  On March 30, 2008 the army developed DNA evidence of Matt’s remains.  As I write this on Sunday, April 28th, his funeral is finally taking place.  (3000 of my brothers from the Patriot Guard Riders are standing there right now, holding flags.  3000.)*

 

So we practiced with our M-16s.

 

 

Checked the targets.

 

 

Cleaned and adjusted the rifles.

 

 

Until we made them work.

 

 

Here is Robin with her personal range guard.

 

 

This is the photo we will show to any prospective son-in-law.

 

 

And here is COL Dolieslager with one of his fearsome warriors.

 

 

 

321 photos.

 

 

 

 

 

on to the next chapter

 

back to the table of contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Update:  “A miles-long procession left the stadium, with as many as 4,000 motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard following the hearse containing Maupin's coffin up Interstate 71.”