Guardsmen get rare opportunity to practice on live hand grenade range

Missouri National Guard 1st Sgt. Donna Kinder tosses a training grenade during an 835th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion battalion-wide training at Fort Leonard Wood. (Photo by Matthew J. Wilson)

Guard's 835th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion trains at Fort Leonard Wood

By Matthew J. Wilson
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - It isn't often that most of a battalion in the Missouri National Guard can gather for training in one place during its drill weekend, but that's exactly what members of the 835th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion recently did on post.

More than 600 Guardsmen from the unit's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, of Jefferson City, 1035th Support Maintenance Company and 3175th Chemical Company, both of Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, and the 735th Field Services Company, of DeSoto, gathered to practice throwing hand grenades and conduct military operations on urbanized terrain training.

"This weekend we're focused on Army warrior tasks - shoot, move and communicate," said 1st Lt. Jason Gipson, commander of 1035th. "We're also doing any number of administrative tasks, like immunizations and noncommissioned officer evaluation reports. We've moved around two-thirds of the battalion to various locations on post and they are all being housed and fed here."

It's the first time the battalion has gotten together since it held weapons qualification in April at Camp Clark. Gipson said battalion-wide training weekends require a lot of planning.

"To have two-thirds of a battalion's force coming together at Fort Leonard Wood for a two-day training event of this type, it take s a lot of coordination to pull this off," said Gipson, who lives in Terre du Lac. "The unit supply sergeants and the unit readiness noncommissioned officers are the ones that really helped bring the thing together."

Gipson praised the efforts of 1st Sgt. Donna Kinder, Sgts. 1st Class Michael Buhr, Alvin Sutton, and Mike Cook, as well as Staff Sgt. Tim Trigg.

Although it is an Army requirement that all Soldiers qualify with grenades once every few years, few Guardsmen ever get that chance.

"This is one of those targets of opportunity that we would not always have presented to us," Gipson said. "It's a big deal on Fort Leonard Wood for a National Guard unit to come here and use these resources because you have to coordinate scheduling with active-duty basic combat training. I've been in the National Guard since 2002 and have never conducted training at a hand grenade range."

The opportunity to train with hand grenades couldn't have come at a better time for Gipson's unit.

"It's very poignant that my company, which will be deployed to Afghanistan in the next year, and a large number of these Soldiers will be carrying live hand grenades in theater," Gipson said. "This won't be the last time that they ever handle these types of explosives and it's better to get the training here in a safe setting. That's why it's real important they learn how to handle these grenades here - they don't want to make some sort of mistake that could be costly over there."

The grenade training took place at Range 31 on post. After receiving a safety brief, Soldiers had to successfully throw a training grenade in a practice area before they could qualify to toss a live grenade on the live range.

"The cadre has been great," Gipson said. "They've given them a period of instruction on grenade types, grenade safety and throwing technique."

Sgt. Shawn Coon, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, said it has been too long since he has been able to enjoy throwing live hand grenades.

"I'm 42 years old and went through basic training in 1987, and that was the last time I got to practice with grenades," said Coon, who's been in the military a total of 14 years. "This means a lot. Eight or nine months out of the year, you're in the armory doing classes inside, so it's nice to get out of the building and do some hands-on practical training."

Coon said bringing the battalion together was a good way to finally meet folks he talks to regularly.

"As a full-time Guardsman, I talk to a lot of other Soldiers on the phone and I'm just meeting a few of them today," said Coon, who lives in Jefferson City. "It's nice to be able to put a face to a voice."

Staff Sgt. Jason Duffy, also of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, said training as a battalion is "how it should be," and he enjoyed seeing old friends within the battalion.

"I've seen Soldiers that I haven't seen since weapons qualifying, but immediately the relationship is already there, you're fist-pumping and hugging," he said. "It's great to see them."

A former Minnesota Guardsmen, Duffy said he's impressed with the way the Missouri Guard is run.

"The training down here, not to put anything past anybody, is by far, bar-none, a step above," Duffy said.

He especially enjoyed the grenade training.

"I haven't thrown a grenade in 17 years, so this sure was nice, real-life training," he said. "It's one thing to do simulations and mock training - to work with lasers and paintballs. But when you are throwing a live grenade or shooting live rounds, that's what it's all about.
"What a great cadre out here that Fort Leonard Wood has - very efficient."

Duffy, who lives in Glendale, said he'll now feel more confident if he ever has to throw a grenade.

"If you don't do something for 17 years, you're going to have a little rust," Duffy said.

Even though the Guardsmen only got to throw one grenade each, Duffy said he didn't expect anyone to complain.

"I think most folks are going to be overjoyed from the shockwave of the grenade - I don't even think they are thinking about throwing another one," he said. "I've forgotten how powerful that blast was. You are behind a concrete wall and you can still feel the wave of that grenade. It was great."

Spc. Kyle Sexton, of the 1035th, called going to the grenade range a good morale booster.

"It gets people out here doing something other than common task training," said Sexton, who lives in St. Charles. "They want to get out here and shoot or blow something up. It's kind of an Army thing - people join the Army get to shoot. It's a good way to get people motivated so they'll enjoy their training a little more."

Sexton said he hasn't thrown a grenade since basic training in 2005, but that still was too long in between trips to the range.

"This was fun and I think the instructors did a real good job," he said. "They made sure everybody was being safe. It was good to get used to pulling the pin and having it in your chest - that's what is scary for some people."

The most important thing Sexton said he learned was to not watch the grenade after he threw it.

"People want to watch it blow up," he said. "You want to throw it and then stand there and watch. But you can't do that. If they catch you looking, the instructors say they are going to put you down, which is for your own good."

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.