Lawton’s Townsquare Media Team Experiences Fort Sill Live Fire Event

Living near Fort Sill, Oklahoma inadverdently means you'll hear the booms and blasts from the field artillery any time of day (or night). It's easy to get irritated about the sounds in some situations; but, when you see firsthand what these men and women do for the United States Army up close and personal, you'll develop a newfound respect for the training they're doing to keep our country safe.

Today, Tuesday, May 20, Fort Sill's Field Artillery hosted a live fire event for select members of the community. Market Manager for Townsquare Media, Dakota Woods, and I had the opportunity to participate in the event. Unlike many other fire events in the past, we were actually able to experience what it's like to shoot off one of the M119 Howitzer guns ourselves.

The powerful booms civilians hear throughout the days and nights beside Fort Sill typically come from artillerymen and women sharpening their skills. It's important for soldiers to hone in their communication, accuracy, timing and efficiency with the massive equipment.

Learning to quickly load 40 pound rounds into this giant piece of machinery (that the team has to be able to move by hand, by the way) doesn't happen over night. But it isn't just the strength training these soldiers need to perfect.

Knowing how to shoot something won't make a difference if you don't know what you're shooting at. These practices test the soldiers' ability to strategically calculate where their targets are, quickly and clearly relay messages between teams and successfully shoot "the enemy" in stressful situations.

If you've been around any military installation, you've more than likely heard the saying "if it's raining, we're training." Sure, nice, clear weather can allow soldiers to learn the basics of their work. But training under pressure can better prepare them for intense situations in combat. Pressure can come from rain, heat and even nightfall.

The next time you hear "the sounds of freedom" near Fort Sill, Oklahoma, just remember how important their training is for our country and for their own lives.