THE BEST WEAPON IS A WELL TRAINED MIND!



Running head: Project E – Instructional Strategy Development

EDUC 520 Instruction and English Language Learners

Instructional Strategy Development

Project E

Joe E Livingston

Southwestern College

Professor Nicole Giglio

October 2, 2013

Abstract

This paper targets weapons maintenance and the importance of it. A weapon without a soldier is useless; likewise a soldier with a malfunctioning weapon is also useless.

Learning Task

During this presentation I hope to enhance one’s ability to maintain and engage targets with different weapon systems. Too many lives have been lost carelessly because of a malfunctioning weapon.

On 9/11 America was attacked on her own soil; this lead to President Bush vowing to get revenge on those who are responsible for the horrific event. A call to arms was made and America’s military went to Iraq and Afghanistan to wage a full out war. As time went on things were changing within our military; new equipment, new ideas, new ways of fighting came to the table. Never before, since Vietnam, has America been faced with such a ruthless enemy. Our adversary has no uniform to be identified by, there is no longer a defined front line, nor is there safety in the rear echelons. This enemy uses women and children as shields, they employ guerilla type tactics and the newest item called IED.

This new weapon, the IED, can be deployed many different ways such as vehicle born IED or UBID, suicide bomber or planned IEDs. We have to get it right all the time; they only have to get it right one time. Our weapons of war are more accurate, more deadly than ever before, but we have to ensure that they are maintained.

Motivator

In Iraq one of our platoons was hit inside a city that was known to be a hot spot. Of the 24 soldiers in the platoon, eight were KIAs (killed in action) to sniper fire, and an additional three were wounded. The following day my platoon was tasked to go in and to find and delete the sniper. We established support by establishing a fire position to over watch the maneuvering squads. I guess about thirty minutes had passed, when the sniper fired his first deadly shot. He scored a hit but he also revealed his position. We returned fire and eliminated the target at over 900 meters distance. This would have not been possible if the gun used for this kill shot would have not been well maintained.

Preview of the lesson

This lesson will include:

- Capabilities of the M2 caliber 50 machine gun

- Limits and limitations of the M2 caliber 50 machine gun

- Disassemble the M2 caliber 50 machine gun

- Reassemble the M2 caliber 50 machine gun

- Set head space and timing on M2 caliber 50 machine gun

- Load and unload the M2 caliber 50 machine gun

- Fire the M2 caliber 50 machine gun while vehicle mounted

Body:

The capabilities of the M2

It can fire up to 1250 meters single shot or fully automatic. It can fire Armor piercing (AP) tracers, and ball ammo. It has a sustained rate of 250 rounds per minute on fully automatic. The gun can be mounted on wheel or track vehicles as well as rotor wing aircrafts. The caliber 50’s rounds can penetrate up to 1 inch of armor at 300 meters (unclassified) and is the heaviest weapon found in most squads. The gun is fired by using recoil action to fire the next round and is fired from the closed bolt position. Since the gun has a removable barrel the gunner must set the head space and timing each time before a mission or when it has changed hands.

Practice:

The students will have a thirty minute study period prior to taking the 25 question practical exercise.

Evaluate Feedback or After Action Review:

Each student will receive their quiz back with a number grade and all incorrect answers marked and the correct answers identified. The instructor/educator will go over each question and explain the correct answer.

Recall prior knowledge/process information:

By using the previous knowledge the students will be given a M2 machine gun with a spare barrel, head space and timing gauge, tripod and a traverse (T) and elevation (E) mechanism. The instructor/educator will walk the students thru the action steps of disassembling the M2 machine gun. And explain how each part works. When completed the instructor/educator will walk the students thru the action steps of reassembling the M2 caliber 50 machine gun.

Practice:

The students will have one hour to practice disassembling/reassembling the M4 machine gun.

Evaluate Feedback:

The students demonstrate their ability to disassemble and reassemble the M2 machine gun within thirty minutes. When the task is complete, the instructor/educator will report back to the students with any errors made.

Recall prior knowledge/process information:

If the head space and timing are not set properly the gun will fire to slow, not fire or explode. The instructor will demonstrate how to insert the barrel into the receiver, line up the locking key to the 3/8 inch hole and set the head space using the GO/NO GO gauge.

Upon completion the instructor/educator will remove the back plate and demonstrate how to set the timing using the fire/no fire gauge. The instructor/educator will walk the students thru the action steps mentioned above.

Practice:

Upon completion the students will pair up and take turns replacing the barrel, setting the head space and timing for thirty minutes.

Evaluate Feedback:

The instructor/educator will call each student to the front of the class and have each replace the barrel and set the timing and head gauge. The instructor will evaluate the student’s performance, inform the student of their mistake(s) if necessary or praise them for receiving a GO.

Recall prior knowledge/process information:

The students now understand the M2 machine gun and can set the gun into operations. Now it is time to teach the students how to load and unload the machine gun. The instructor/educator walks the students thru the action steps on lining up the ammo on the feed tray and feed paws, and how to lock and load the weapon. Upon completion the instructor will demonstrate how to safely unload the M2 machine gun.

Practice:

Then the students will be given ten rounds of dummy ammo to practice the action steps on their own for five minutes.

Evaluate Feedback:

The students are called to the front of the classroom and have to demonstrate their ability to load and unload the M2 machine gun. The instructor/evaluator will inform the students if any mistakes were made or praise them for receiving a GO on this task.

Recall prior knowledge/process information:

Now that the students have a good working knowledge of how the gun functions, it is time to have them mount the weapon.

First the instructor walks the students thru the action steps required to mount the weapon on a tripod with the “T” and “E” and demonstrates how they work. Upon completion the instructor will walk the students thru the action steps on how to mount the weapon on a vehicle and where and how to store the ammo can.

Practice:

The students will then have thirty minutes to practice all demonstrated action steps reference mounting the weapon on their own.

Evaluate Feedback:

Each student will have to demonstrate their ability to mount the gun to a tripod with a “T” and “E”, and mount the weapon to a vehicle. The instructor/evaluator will praise them for good performance, and provide feedback on the errors that they made.

Recall prior knowledge/process information:

Now that the teaching in the classroom is complete, the students move to the range. They have to assemble the weapon, load the weapon, and fire at twenty-four stationary targets and one 800 meter moving target. They must hit all twenty-five targets using 100 rounds total.

Practice:

There is no practice for this task

Evaluate Feedback:

The instructor/educator will inform the students of the total number of targets hit; provides feedback to the students and re-fires students that failed.

Conclusion

Summarize and review:

When all students have cleared the range, they will have gained the full understanding of the M2 caliber 50 machine gun.

Transfer Learning:

This training may have been hard and demanding for some, yet fun for others. It is easy to do in a controlled environment. The next time they see an M2 machine gun may be down range in a combat zone. And maybe, just maybe, that will be the weapon which will save their lives due to this training.

Assessment:

The final test will be given after the range and will cover everything that was discussed both in the classroom and on the range. The students will have one hour to complete a 100 question final exam; in order to pass the test they have to score 80% or better.

References

SAM31 – Training Support Packet for M2 caliber 50 machine gun (2010)

Smith, Patricia L. and Regan, Tillman J. (2005). Instructional Design. Hoboken, NJ. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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