Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks; AWT

Hot off the press and trimmed:
Soldier Training Publication
STP 21-1-SMCT, 2 MAY 2011

"I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills."

It is right there in the U.S. Army Soldier's Creed. But where can a Soldier find these warrior tasks and which ones are the ones they should know?

Army Warrior Tasks are selected common individual Soldier skills deemed critical to a Soldier's basic competency and survival on the battlefield. Examples include weapons training, tactical communications and lifesaving. Everyone in the Army is expected to know level one tasks. Battle Drills are group skills such as react to an ambush. 

The ALARACT 078/2012, 2012 'Best Warrior' Competition and Army G-3 specifies using the online manuals (http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/smct_1.html) as they "are the most current." These are the digital copies of the fat brown book you where handed in basic training that fell apart almost immediately.

If you look at the current manual, there are a lot of tasks missing from years past. Gone are tasks for the MK19, and M18A1 Claymore Mine. Why?

Referencing the 2009 Army Posture Statement, "The Army conducts an annual review of WTBD to maintain relevance to current operations. Army Warrior Training, the program that replaced common task testing, focuses on WTBD training for all military personnel throughout the Army." 

In effect, they review tasks annually, add some and remove some in reaction to current operations.

Because of this review, even the manual may not be the most up-to-date resource available. In the Introduction to the SMCT, it says, "If a task identified in the SMCT is not current refer to AKO “my training” or “DTMS”, identify the individual task or task number. All tasks are reviewed annually and may change before the SMCT is updated."

So, if you have been ordered to teach how to perform safety checks on a hand grenade, don't reference your October 2006 Warrior Skills 1 book, but see if Task Number 071-325-4401 is in the current brown book. Then check the Army Training Network, ATN Task Search (https://atn.army.mil/) to get the most current task information.

NOTE: Don't throw those old books away. They are a solid, printed resource for weapons instruction on the crew-serve weapons. Great for hip pocket training when you have to teach a detail how to disassemble an MK19 and use LSA and not CLP. 

Saluting at parades

Figure 15.7. Position of the Colors at the Carry

With parade season approaching, I wanted to refresh my D&C knowledge. Here are some of the important things to consider when ground guiding a vehicle and driving in a parade.

• When driving, don't salute
• When alone, passing or being passed by the uncased National Colors, 6-step salute (look for yellow fringe)
• Salute when you recognize persons entitled to the salute (most importantly here--Coast Guard)

FM 2-21.5, 15-2. THE COLOR AND COLORS
b. Individuals or units passing or being passed by uncased Colors out of doors render honors. Individuals, not part of a formation, salute six steps distance from the Colors and hold the Salute until they have passed six steps beyond the Colors. The individual in charge of a formation calls the formation to ATTENTION and Present, ARMS.


f. During a review, parade, or honor guard ceremony, ordinarily only one National Color is present. [Ed Note: local commander can authorize subordinate groups to carry their National Colors in addition to the honor guard.]


A-1. WHEN TO SALUTE
Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled (by grade) to a salute except when it is inappropriate or impractical (in public conveyances such as planes and buses, in public places such as inside theaters, or when driving a vehicle).

a. A salute is also rendered—

• When the United States National Anthem, “To the Color,” “Hail to the Chief,” or foreign national anthems are played.
• To uncased National Color outdoors.
• On ceremonial occasions as prescribed in Part Two, Ceremonies.
• At reveille and retreat ceremonies, during the raising or lowering of the flag.
• During the sounding of honors.
• When the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag is being recited outdoors.
• When turning over control of formations.
• When rendering reports.
• To officers of friendly foreign countries.

b. Salutes are not required when—

• Indoors, except when reporting to an officer or when on duty as a guard.
• Addressing a prisoner.
• Saluting is obviously inappropriate. In these cases, only greetings are exchanged. (Example 1: A person carrying articles with both hands, or being otherwise so occupied as to make saluting impracticable, is not required to salute a senior person or return the salute to a subordinate.)
• Either the senior or the subordinate is wearing civilian clothes.

c. In any case not covered by specific instructions, the salute is rendered

A-6. SALUTING COLORS
National and organizational flags, which are mounted on flagstaffs equipped with finials, are called Colors. Military personnel passing an uncased National Color salute at six steps distance and hold the Salute until they have passed six steps beyond it. Similarly, when the uncased Color passes by, they salute when it is six steps away and hold the Salute until it has passed six steps beyond them.

NOTE: Small flags carried by individuals, such as those carried by civilian spectators at a parade, are not saluted. It is improper to salute with any object in the right hand or with a cigarette, cigar, or pipe in the mouth.

AR 600–25, Salutes, Honors, and Visits of Courtesy, 1–5. Hand salutes and salutes with arms

b. All Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled to the salute. Salutes will be exchanged between officers (commissioned and warrant) and enlisted personnel, and with personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard), the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service entitled to the salute.


d. When military personnel are acting as drivers of a moving vehicle, they should not initiate a salute.


IN ADDITION:

Colors
A U.S. flag trimmed on 3 sides with golden yellow fringe.



AR 600–25, 1–12. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag
Soldiers may recite the Pledge of Allegiance as noted below in accordance with Section 4, Title 4, United States Code (4 USC 4)—
a. During military ceremonies, soldiers will not recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
b. At official functions, social events, and sporting events, soldiers should—
(1) When in uniform, outdoors, stand at attention, remain silent, face the flag, and render the hand salute.
(2) When in uniform, indoors, stand at attention, remain silent, and face the flag.
(3) When in civilian attire, stand at attention, face the flag with the right hand over the heart and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Headgear should be removed with the right hand and held over the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.

Common Bridge Transporter CONUS Vehicle Restrictions

M1977 Common Bridge Transporter with MKII Bridge Erection Boat loaded. 

I have been tasked to bring two vehicles and four Soldiers to a St. Patrick's Parade this weekend. No biggie, conduct a PMCS (preventive maintenance check and services), double check safety equipment, check fuel level, stage in the company parking lot and ...wait a minute, is my boat truck too tall?

In my MOS (military occupational specialty) we use large trucks and boats to build floating bridges. The M1977 Common Bridge Transporter (CBT) is a modified M977  Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) chassis with a load handling system (LHS) installed. Manufactured by Oshkosh Defense, the M977 chassis is used for many things like wreckers and tankers and guided missile transporters.

We use our M1977A2 CBTs to haul supplies, bridges and boats. It is pretty strange to see a truck with a boat in the middle of the Iraq desert but we were there. The M14 Improved Boat Cradle (IBC) holds the MKII Bridge Erection Boat (BEB). Yes, we erect bridges with it.

One would think they could find the simple answer of how tall this combination is from a technical manual. Nope. Through the power of the Internet, I was able to find the final transportability approval for the CBT program. And in Table 1 was my answer.

However, what is legal in the state of operation? Look no further than vehicle restriction statutes found on the department of transportation web site.

Now we just have to make sure we don't hit any low hanging cables. Éirinn go Brách.

Additional notes:
"Truck, Cargo, Common Bridge Transporter, With Winch, M1977A2", "Transporter, Common Bridge" (NSN 2320-01-492-8219) $217,434.

"Truck, Cargo, Common Bridge Transporter, Without Winch, M1977A2", "Transporter, Common Bridge" (NSN 2320-01-492-8218) $207,241.

The boat video is pure MOS porn. Army recruiters don't show teenagers the very heavy bridge parts they get to lift or  mention rolling around in human and camel feces under damaged bridges in a combat zone while wearing 50+ lbs of body armor. However, I signed back up--twice. 

Horrible Hand Salute and TC 3-21.5.

DRILL AND CEREMONIES
TC 3-21.5 (20JAN2012)

I wanted to review how to properly execute the hand salute today. I have recently seen some absolutely horrific salutes (not current service members) and wanted to refresh my memory on the particulars. What kills me is it is not a difficult thing to do if you follow a simple trick.

Because I archived all my army publications, I have been downloading new ones from the Army Publishing Directorate. Ok, where the hell is FM 3-21.5? It was nowhere to be found.

Drill and Ceremonies is the current day incarnation of the first field manual of the United States Army. "The Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States," is commonly referred to as the Blue Book and was written by the former Prussian officer Baron Friedrich von Steuben. It codified the training he gave General George Washington's troops at Valley Forge in February 1778 who were, "half-starved, wretched men in rags."

Apparently the field manual has become a training circular. Drill and Ceremonies, TC 3-21.5 (20 JANUARY 2012) was released a couple of months ago. At first glance I don't see any changes, but I might spot some as I get ready for Memorial Day ceremonies.

As for delivering a correct hand salute, just remember to "follow the buckle." On Present, ARMS put your right fingers and thumb together and move your palm over your pant buckle. Swing the arm up and out to the right corner of your eye, your eyeglasses or your headgear with a visor. Your hand will be canted the correct angle and your wrist will be straight. Just make sure your upper arm is horizontal. If your wrist is bent or elbow pointing down, remember to follow the buckle on the way up.

Also, if you are getting ready for the board, you can remember Dn'C because it has 3 letters, you offer 21 gun salutes and the Taps recording works about .5 percent of the time.