On March 5, 2010, Bronx-based Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery of the N.Y. National Guard headed down to Camp Blanding, Fla. to conduct their annual training. Their mission was to conduct training on a new cannon weapon system and gain certification on them.
Soldiers watched movies on the charter bus during the bus ride down to Florida.
Soldiers gather their equipment after it was downloaded off the bus upon after arriving at Camp Blanding.
Soldiers are convoyed out to the training area in Humvees.
Spc. Woodard sets up his tent upon arrival to the training site. This would be his home for the next 12 days.
Tent city – Bravo Battery’s home in the field.
The Bravo Battery Headquarters tent.
Capt. Lindemann shaves with the assistance of a Humvee mirror.
Sgt. Mateo enjoys some early morning coffee while sharing a joke with fellow soldiers.
Soldiers are served breakfast just as the sun begins to rise.
With limited electricity, soldiers have to share an outlet to charge their cell phones.
After heavy rainfall, soldiers dig trenches to drain the water from their living area.
Sgt. 1st Class Suarez screams out data he reads off his gun laying and positioning system.
Cpl. Owens takes a breather after a long training day.
Spc. Veloz practices some map plotting.
Soldiers speak to an artillery instructor on how to properly use their cannons.
With only the assistance of Humvee headlights, soldiers try to ready themselves for the training day.
A group of soldiers race on the road for fun.
Soldiers organize an ad hoc game of football.
Lavatory facilities were limited to only porta-johns.
Soldiers look on as their colleagues fire their cannons.
A soldier collects up unused gun powder during a heavy rain storm.
As part of his initiation into the battery, Pfc. Marte is thrown into a muddy pit.
Cpl. Lenehan packs his belonging as he prepares to leave the field.
Staff Sgt. Brown does a celebratory dance as the unused gun powder is burned on the road. The powder burning signified the end of training.
