WEBVTT

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- Captain Garrett, I'm
the INI with Echo Company,

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4th Tank Battallion.

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We're a reserve tank company
out of Fort Knox, Kentucky.

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We're out here at ITX
4-18 getting the Marines

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an opportunity to
integrate within the MAGTF.

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It's been a great
opportunity for the Marines

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to really grow in their knowledge base,

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and to get an opportunity
to do some live, realistic

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training that's putting
them to the real challenge,

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and continuing to improve their skills

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and hone their skills, making
them the most effective

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force that we can, ready to
move out when we get the call.

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This'll be an opportunity
to look at the Marines,

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seeing them individually, what they do

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day in and day out, and
get a peek into what

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the life of a tanker is within
Echo Company out here at ITX.

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- My name is Sergeant
Tyler James Rosencamp.

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I'm a tank commander with the
United States Marine Corps

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Reserves, Echo Company,
4th Tank Battalion.

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My job consists of making
sure the driver provides

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the most steady platform for our gunner

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to actively engage targets in combat.

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Also I advise the gunner
on engaging which targets

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have priority, or giving
target grids for artillery,

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air strikes, that kind of stuff.

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Also, I have this .50 cal
mount that the main turret

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can be oriented towards the enemy,

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and if something comes up to our right,

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or anywhere else that
the turret's not oriented

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I can actively engage with
the .50 cal and suppress

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that target until my
gunner can go over there,

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or if I can destroy the target.

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I have two thermal
sights with the .50 cal,

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and also the main gun itself.

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I can just switch over and switch back.

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And I can help my gunner
out, spot targets.

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Also if my gunner passes
over a target and I see it

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through mine, I can take power from him

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and I can walk him back
on and then go back

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to what I was doing,
or just keep advising,

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and being on comm, and
making sure the tank

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runs as smooth as possible,

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making sure the PMCS on
the tank is done correctly,

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and also that our Marines are operating

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and doing everything safe,
making sure everybody

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gets back home safe.

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I love my job.

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- My name is Corporal Fernando Fuentes,

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and I'm with Echo Company,
4th Tank Battalion.

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I'm out of Cookville, Tennessee.

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I'm an M1A1 tank gunner,
and I'll be giving you guys

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a brief description on the
gunner's role in the M1A1.

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Starting from left to
right, we have the GAS sight

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which we could use in
the low-sky position.

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And over here to the
right we have a GPS sight,

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which is like my day sight.

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I can zoom in and zoom
out, all that good stuff.

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Over here I have my thermals.

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And on this one I can zoom in all the way

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to the 12 power, zoom out.

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This is also the sight that
my tank commander is also

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seeing when I'm engaging an enemy target.

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Exactly what I see
here, he'll see up here.

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Down here we have the Cadillacs.

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Grab power, and I can traverse, elevate,

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depress the main gun,
lace, and shoot my targets.

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That's pretty much it.

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Best job I ever had.

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- My name's Lance Corporal Bunch.

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I'm a loader with 4th Tank
Battalion, Echo Company.

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This is my loader station right here.

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My job is to load the rounds,
which are stored right here.

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(hydraulics roar)

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And in seven seconds or
less, I take them out,

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put them in the breech
back here, which comes back

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12 inches when it's fired.

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I'm also in charge of the radios,

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and mounting all weapons
systems, which includes

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TC's .50 cal machine
gun, the loader's .240

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which is up here, and the gunner's .240.

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And I think this is one of
the best jobs I've ever had.

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It's an honor to be a part
of the Marine Corps Reserve

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and to be a tanker.

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I love every bit of it.

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- Hey, I'm Lance Corporal
John Banks with 4th Tanks,

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Echo Company from Fort Knox, Kentucky.

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I'm from Ree, Kentucky.

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I'm driver of the M1A1 Abrams tank.

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I'm responsible for a
lot of the maintenance

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and getting the tank from
point A to point B safely

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while communicating
with the tank commander.

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It's definitely one of the
coolest things I've ever done,

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and I'm blessed to have
had this opportunity.

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(creaking, clanking)