Table XII is a 48-hour grind of firing and moving with other tanks that is as close to actual combat as a tanker can get. It is the ultimate test of Eight of his platoons scored superior and the four others finished with a distinguished rating during Audino s first Table XII in March and April 2000. Four platoons were superior and the five others were distinguished seven months later, after the battalion had turned in 14 tanks. Yes, he was pleased, Audino acknowledged. I never want to hear one of my officers say they are not prepared for battle because they haven t had the opportunity to train their platoons to standard, he insisted.
More tough training is on tap.
Next December, the 1st of the 33rd will become the first armor battalion to train at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., where infantry tactics are the specialty. That s where the tankers will train with the light infantry soldiers with whom they would go to war following next year s conversion to a cavalry squadron. That is giving us our focus for this year, Bishop explained. That is the best thing that could happen to this battalion. Taking a position, such as advocating gunnery, is nothing new to the evenhanded Audino who has argued many points and supported many positions since growing up on Cape Cod where he was captain of his high school s football and lacrosse teams.