Grunt Work All the Way
Pfc. Anthony Ehinger, M-240B gunner, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, practices his technique for firing the M-4 rifle, Sep. 5, during a training exercise on Fort Carson, Colo. Photographer: Spc. Paul Harris, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs
DVIDS
Story by Spc. Paul Harris
FORT CARSON, Colo. – It was in the backwoods of West Branch, Mich., that Pfc. Anthony Ehinger, M-203 gunner, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, learned his deadly craft. In the quiet town, the Soldier learned to shoot from a ripe age of 10.
From his upbringing of hunting and playing paintball he was able to recently shoot expert on the M-4 rifle, M-203 Grenade Launcher and the M-240B machine gun.
It was quite an accomplishment for a Soldier only 10 months into his Army career and it also gave his commander a sigh of relief considering Ehinger is his personal gunner.
“It gives me a great level of confidence; this is my first deployment, “said Lt. Col. Troy Otto, commander, 3rd STB. “Just having a gunner you know can shoot that well makes you feel more safe when you are out moving around.”
When Ehinger and Otto went to fire at a recent night range it was the commander who turned to his young Soldier for guidance and training.
“He is the guy who coached me when we did the night fire,” Otto said. “The first time (I fired) I did not do too well. He came in and coached me and put me right on the target. He definitely has the ability to shoot whatever he picks up”
Sitting next to a tree near the battalion headquarters, Ehinger spoke confidently about why he chose to join the Army during a time of war.
“Marines were too hard core. I never like to fly much or boat around and the Army sounded like grunt work all the way,” Ehinger mused. “I figured if there was one more gun in Iraq it would give someone else a chance of going home.”
It is that type of attitude that endears him to his chain of command.
“As a commander a lot of times you deal with all the problems and you don’t always get the positive side of what is going on,” Otto said. “Then you are directly involved with someone like Ehinger who goes out and does a great job; it’s kind of refreshing and it reminds you of the 90 percent of Soldiers you do not hear about on a daily basis. He is a great kid.”
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