All in a Days Work

(FORT BENNING, Ga) - Pfc. Richard L. Channell, from Jonesborough, Tennessee, stands displaying a packed parachute. Channell has been in the Army for a year and four months and is the current Fort Benning Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade Rigger of the Year. Riggers, or Red Hats, pack static-line and military free fall parachutes for the brigade, as well as the five programs of instruction that take place at the Maneuver Center of Excellence on Fort Benning.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) - Pvt. Nathaniel Littrell, 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment, 194th Armored Brigade, from Prineville, Oregon, displays his gas mask after completing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response (CBRN) training at Britten Range on Sand Hill. After a few minutes in a room known as the Confidence Chamber, trainees are required to remove their masks for a brief period. Inhaling CS gas, or tear gas, irritates mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs, causing tearing, sneezing, coughing, etc. This exercise emphasizes the importance of properly fit and routinely maintained personal protective equipment.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Pvt. Chris Howe, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 197th Infantry Brigade, from Zyonsville, Indiana, holds the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, or SAW, after completing training at Pulaski range on Sand Hill. Howe, 43, went through basic training 25 years ago and was previously stationed in Korea and at Fort Drum in New York. He left the military to enter the business world and founded and ran an IT company before deciding to re-enlist in 2021.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Pvt. Lamothe, 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment, 194th Armored Brigade, holds two live grenades trainees throw as part of their One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning. The M67 grenade is a fragmentation hand grenade used by the United States Military and is a further development of the M33 grenade, which is a replacement for the M26-series grenade used during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the older Mk 2 "Pineapple" grenade used during World War I.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Pvt. Angel Robles Aguilar, 22, with 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade, prepares for a Field Training Exercise as part of his One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Fort Benning. The Army has increased OSUT for Infantry Soldiers from 14 to 22 weeks, with more combat arms career fields expected to follow the charge. The additional eight-week push reinvented a model dating back over 40 years and is designed to build better Soldiers through increased lethality and readiness training.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Pvt. Thomas J. Carstensen, 21, with 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade, prepares for a Field Training Exercise as part of his One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Fort Benning. The Army increased OSUT for Infantry Soldiers from 14 to 22 weeks, with more combat arms career fields expected to follow the charge. The additional eight-week push reinvented a model dating back over 40 years and is designed to build better Soldiers through increased lethality and readiness training.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Sgt. Tyler Roberts, 22, inspects his 25mm ammunition prior to loading it into a M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle during Bradley Master Gunner School at Hastings Range. Conducted by the 3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, 316th Cavalry Brigade, the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle System Master Gunner Course is an eight-week, two-day course which utilizes small group training methodologies to train Master Gunners on Bradley Fighting Vehicle weapon systems maintenance and Armored Brigade Combat Team gunnery training strategies.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Pvt. Gorgeous Wilson, 18, from Newcastle, Oklahoma with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry, 198th Infantry Brigade, completes an obstacle conditioning course during One Station Unit Training (OSUT) on Sand Hill. Since 2015, all Army Military Occupation Specialties have been open to female Soldiers.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Pfc. Marcos Burgos, a native of Puerto Rico, with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry, 197th Infantry Brigade, completes the Combat Water Survival Assessment (CWSA) at Carey Pool. Trainees must complete challenging tasks including a 50m swim with a rucksack and a 25m rifle swim while keeping the rifle out of the water to preserve its combat effectiveness.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Pvt. Fredreeck Pennington, 19, with Fury Company, 1st Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment, 194th Armor Brigade, holds two cans of ammunition used to fire the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun and the M240 machine gun mounted on the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Capt. Taylor Steele, from California, prepares to jump from a 34 ft. tower on Eubanks Field as part of the Basic Airborne Course (BAC) conducted by the 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – 2nd Lt. Derek Parris, 26, from Wichita, Kansas, prepares to graduate from the Armor Basic Officer Leader Course (ABOLC) at McGinnis-Wickham Hall. The 2nd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, trains and develops future Tank Platoon Leaders to be competent and confident mounted warfighters capable of leading, fighting, and winning at the point of contact against any adversary.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Pfc. Ty’sha Cann, 19, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, stands in front of a M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank before loading ammunition. Trainees of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment spend 22 weeks in One Station Unit Training (OSUT) learning how to operate tanks and assault vehicles to destroy enemy positions anywhere in the world. The regiment trains armor crews who are self-disciplined, physically-conditioned and technically-proficient, infused with the Warrior Ethos, ready to serve immediately upon arrival to their units.

(FORT BENNING, Ga) – Spc. Preston Mitchell, 20, from Wichita, Kansas, looks down-range during training with the U.S. Army Sniper Course. During the seven-week course, students undergo rigorous training to become the most feared weapon on the battlefield. The course tests students on field craft, marksmanship, mission planning, advanced situational awareness, urban operations, complex engagements and building collective lethality to create an advantage over the enemy.