Artillery Soldiers kit up for XCTC - June 19, 2014

Soldiers of Hampton-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team get issued their Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System gear to use during the brigade’s 10-day eXportable Combat Training Capablity rotation June 19, 2014, at Fort Pickett, Va. XCTC is designed to train and validate platoons on tasks that support offensive and defensive operations under daylight and hours of limited visibility. Units will concentrate on training selected mission essential tasks in a realistic field environment to refocus junior leaders on tactical field craft. The Army National Guard’s XCTC program provides an experience similar to a Combat Training Center to Guard Soldiers at a home station training center, minimizing cost and time away from home and jobs. XCTC is an instrumented field training exercise designed to certify unit proficiency in coordination with First Army. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. JoAnna Greene/Released)