Guardsmen train with wrong equipment
Coshocton Tribune
May 31, 2007

COLUMBUS (AP) — Soldiers in the Ohio National Guard are not being trained with the same equipment they would use if deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, according to the state's adjutant general.

"It's about confidence in soldiers, and the soldiers need to train on the right pieces of equipment so they have confidence in the mission we're asking them to do," Maj. Gen. Gregory Wayt said Wednesday.

For example, Wayt said some Army Guard troops will begin three weeks of training starting June 9 using standard-issue M-16 rifles when they would be using shorter, lighter M-4 rifles in the field.

The soldiers also can't train with the type of night-vision goggles or armored vehicles they would use in combat, the Guard said.

The Pentagon has said the soldiers will have the M-4 rifles and other equipment they will use in the field when they report to mobilization stations for training before they are deployed.

But Wayt said the soldiers should have as much training as possible on the equipment they will use.

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