The 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team welcomed more

The 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team welcomed more than a dozen civilian employers of the Guardsmen to have a glance into the objectives, equipment, and personnel of the annual training at Fort Hood, Aug. 20. The event was coordinated with Texas Employer Support for the Guard and Reserves (ESGR). The employers met their Guardsmen at the brigade’s tactial operations center (TOC) where they received mission briefs and experienced a typical annual training lunch of Meals-Ready-to- Eat (MREs). From there, they departed to the Cold Springs Landing Strip where they learned about the RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aircraft system. The employers also toured displays of the extensive equipment used during the Exportable Combat Training Capability program. They saw and handled some of the weapons systems that the 56th uses in their operations, spun around in turrets, and touched the powerful M119 105mm howitzer. The event help bridge the gap between the civilian and military lives of many of the Guardsmen of the 56th by showing the employers a brief glimpse into the day-to-day life of living in the eld of Fort Hood during annual training. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Michael Vanpool)