The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) has participated in a live-fire gunnery exercise.
Personnel assigned to the navy vessel carried out weapons familiarisation and qualification tasks as part of the initiative, which involved the M2.50-calibre and the M240B machine guns.
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The exercise was conducted in order to train and qualify the newest crew members of the USS Preble’s at-sea and in-port security force, known as the small craft action team (SCAT).
SCAT member master-at-arms 1st Class Robert J. Schmidt said: “Each weapon system is different, so receiving familiarisation lessens the likelihood of an accident occurring.
“Going through the course of fire and receiving that experience ensures that each participant is an asset to the team.”
Regular weapons familiarisation and qualification shoots are scheduled every few months on-board the USS Preble in order to ensure mission readiness and maintain an optimum level of knowledge among the sailors.
The US Navy vessel is currently deployed to the US 5th Fleet area of operations along with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), and guided-missile destroyers USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Sampson (DDG 102).
More than 20 sailors from DDG 88 previously carried out a visit, board, search and seizure exercise off the coast of southern California last year.
The exercise was conducted to assess the skills of the crew members, as well as their capability to work collaboratively to ensure the safety of sea lanes and overall ocean security worldwide.
