Soldiers sharpen their archery skills

3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division

DIYALA, Iraq — Every forward operating base has firing ranges of some sort, but the one at FOB Warhorse is unique — an archery range.

Standing atop a shipping container at one end, some people might not recognize how the small area is used. Sixty yards away, there are four target stands: two with foam, one with cardboard, and another with tightly packed wool blankets.

Though it might seem simple, for Soldiers of 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, it is an oasis for relaxation and preparation before going home after deployment.

“It’s real peaceful down there. You can just relax for a little while,” said Sgt. Christopher Velez, a medic with 5-20 Inf.

“We go down, shoot for a while, take a break to rest our eyes, and then shoot some more.”

Besides recovery time, the range gives Soldiers the convenience to hone their skills before bow season opens once they return stateside.

“Having our bows here gives us the opportunity to prepare on our own time and get everything ready so we don’t have to rush when we get home,” said Spc. Curtis Gamble, a vehicle commander with 5-20 Inf. The range provides the same chance to any Soldier stationed at FOB Warhorse.

“Before we started, we checked with the Mayor Cell to see what we needed to do to use the range, and they told us it was open,” Gamble said.

“Having the open range allows us to get out there whenever our schedules work out, so we follow safe range practices and go have a good time,” said Velez.

The only thing they would like to improve upon is the number of people who can shoot simultaneously.

“Right now, only two people can shoot at a time, but we would like to get more so that we can set them at different ranges and allow more people to shoot together,” Gamble said. “We can really only use the one target because arrows just go straight through the foam ones and break coming out of the cardboard.”

Velez began learning archery at FOB Warhorse. His new skill will figure in his future plans.

“We are planning to get together as a group when we get home to go on hunts,” Velez said. “I want to get a big elk, even if I have to buy a new deep freeze.”