Email   Print   Share By Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson, 41st Fires Bde. Public Affairs

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Kelly Padilla, 16, receives some guidance on the M2 .50-caliber machine gun from Sgt. Michael Smith, instructor, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 589th Brigade Support Battalion, 41st Fires Bde,, during the Teen Extreme summer event hosted by the 41st Fires Bde. Tuesday. Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson, 41st Fires Bde. Public Affairs

Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Land, HHB, 1-21 FA Regt., 41st Fires Bde., explains the functioning of the squad automatic weapon to his son, Andrew, 14, during the Teen Extreme summer event hosted by the 41st Fires Bde. Tuesday. Parents were allowed to attend and participate in the training with their children. Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson, 41st Fires Bde. Public Affairs

Twenty-five teens participated in a foot march during the Teen Extreme summer event hosted by the 41st Fires Bde. at Fort Hood Tuesday. The teens participated in weapons familiarization and convoy training, call for fire, drill and ceremony, a tug-of-war, physical readiness training, and a push-up competition. The event provided the opportunity to experience life as “Rail Gunners.” Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson, 41st Fires Bde. Public Affairs

Twenty-five teenagers separated into two equal groups to take on each other in the tug-of-war competition during the Teen Extreme summer event hosted by the 41st Fires Bde. Tuesday. The winning team challenged six Soldiers to tug-of-war. Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson, 41st Fires Bde. Public Affairs

During the last few weeks of summer break, some teenagers frantically scramble to prolong their leisure time. Some attempt to extend their vacation by collecting extra hours of sleep, work, traveling, training for fall sports or playing countless hours of thumb-numbing video games. However, a small group of teens took an uncustomary break from the normal teenage-routine and launched themselves into the world of field artillery.

Twenty-five teens volunteered to give up the comforts of their day to participate in the first Teen Extreme summer event hosted by the 41st Fires Brigade Tuesday on Fort Hood.

The group was weaned from the refreshing feel of air-conditioning for a day and met face-to-face with the Central Texas heat. The Teen Extreme event provided them with an opportunity to experience life as “Rail Gunners.”

They began the day as an unorganized group, but the cluster of disorganized youths was quickly reorganized by Master Sgt. Theodore Durand, Teen Extreme noncommissioned officer-in-charge. The gruff NCO with more than his fair share of years and experience, called the group to attention having the teens create a tight traditional rectangular formation.

Throughout the day, Durand – with the help of several NCOs and junior-enlisted Soldiers – shaped, molded and conditioned the teens into fine artillery Soldiers.

“We didn’t want to come out barking, yelling or beat them down with the training, because none of them are in the Army,” said Durand, who is assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Bde. “We wanted to provide them with exposure and just show them how much fun their parents can have doing our jobs, and also provide the children some mentorship along the way.”

The teens picked partners and created battle-buddy teams to assist each other throughout the day. Then they were transported to the engagement skills training center to receive weapons familiarization and convoy training.

At the EST center, the teens trained on an M9 pistol, M4 semi-automatic rifle, squad automatic weapon and an M2 .50-caliber machine gun. During the simulation portion of the training, the teens were able to work in squad-sized elements, use their honed first-person-shooter video games skills, eliminate enemy threats and move tactically from one point to another. Enthusiastic smiles spread across the mini-Soldiers faces as they laughed and joked after each scenario.

The weapons familiarization may not have taught the teens how to handle a .50-caliber machine gun like the movie character John Rambo, but they were able to visualize the reality and potential behind the weapon.

“I play Call of Duty, and when I got out here, I found out that this was nothing like my video game,” Daniel Nunez, 15, Teen Extreme participant, said. “I usually beat everyone in the game. I think I only hit one target out here. I understand what Soldiers do, and it’s tough. That .50-cal was pretty heavy, the marching was hard, and it’s hot. This experience has changed my whole perspective of Soldiers.”

After weapon’s training, the next point was learning how to call for fire on an enemy position. The vehicles were parked and they prepared themselves for the walk ahead. Most of the teens donned their parents’ body armor, rucksacks and Kevlar helmets and went on a grueling half-mile foot march, with a tormenting mid-day sun overhead.

“I’m very proud of my son,” said Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Land, HHB, 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Bde. “It shows that he has the physical and mental strength to push himself to great limits. He learned that Army life isn’t as easy as the video games.”

From the call for fire center, the group headed back to the Rail Gunners’ footprint for some precision drill and ceremony training, physical readiness training and a push-up competition. And no Army gathering is complete without the customary tug-of-war competition.

As the training subsided, the teens fell into formation – standing tall like proud Soldiers. The top performers excelling in the various areas were presented with certificates of achievements and everyone received coins of excellence from the commander.

“Teen Extreme was very fun and a great way to spend the day,” Kevin Padilla, 16, said. “This changes the way I view my dad. I didn’t know that he did all of this. I can respect him for going through all of this for me – for supporting us and giving us a house, what he does is really extraordinary.”