Nevada Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. William Burks, welcomed the latest additions to the Nevada Army Guard’s armored vehicle fleet when he observed a demonstration of the 1-221st Cavalry Squadron’s newly-acquired Abrams battle tanks.
The squadron recently received 10 of its 14 M1A1 AIM-SA Abrams model main battle tanks as part of its $280 million-dollar equipment upgrade.
The upgrade includes 45 M2A3 Bradley fighting vehicles and was necessitated by the squadron’s new role within the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team headquartered in Idaho. Until last November, the 1-221st was associated with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Irwin, California.
Burks said the demonstration at the here at the Clark County Armory helped him comprehend the capabilities of the M1A1 and understand how the armored behemoths that each weigh more than 60 tons could be used by the Nevada National Guard in the future.
Earlier this spring, Master Sgt. Tamas Horvath, the 1-221st operations sergeant, briefed Burks on the details concerning the new M1s and updated him on the squadron’s transition to its new brigade combat team.
Horvath said the squadron’s new tanks feature highly-advanced optics that can destroy targets from more than three kilometers.
Each vehicle is also equipped with a “Blue Force Tracker” system that allows commanders to track the exact position of friendly units on a battlefield.
Each of the SA models (the SA is an acronym for situational awareness) offers a myriad of features that were not available on the cav’s M1A1 Abrams circa mid-2000s, when the squadron featured four tank troops (or companies) across the state.
Those tanks were subsequently scrapped by the Army when the organization became an armored reconnaissance squadron in 2007.
After the demonstration, Burks took matters into his own hands and completed a computer simulation session.
“It’s a phenomenal system. There’s no doubt in my mind that over the course of time, as the Soldiers become more comfortable with the simulator, they’ll be among the best tank operators in the Army,” Burks said.
The Tank and Automotive Command, Abrams Net Team, from Fort Hood, Texas, hosted the demonstration and simulation session. The Net Team is teaching 1-221st Soldiers how to use the new M1’s advanced equipment.
This summer, all 14 of the squadron’s tanks, including four pending arrivals, will be transported to Orchard Proving Grounds in Idaho, the site of the brigade combat team’s range, said Horvath. There, all 1-221 tank crews will aim to qualify with the guidance of the Abrams Net Team.
After qualification, 10 tanks were to remain in Idaho and four were due to return to the Clark County Armory.
Writer Walter Lowell is a sergeant at Joint Force Headquarters of the Nevada National Guard.