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Show Garfield Guardsmen pr Return From Huge in FIRE-X Maneuvers $ Seventeen Utah National Guardsmen from Garfield County returned Sunday from taking part in FIRE-X, the largest combat maneuver ma-neuver since WWII to take place in the continental United States. The camp exercise, from June 11 through June 26, involved 14,000 National Guardsmen, Army personnel, and Air Force members at Dugway Proving Grounds near Tooele. "Imagine the thrill," said Staff Sergeant Bennett Josie, "of standing stand-ing just two miles away from a line of heavy field artillery which is firing over your head. Since it's nighttime, illuminating shells are fired, casting super sharp contrasts of brilliant light and dark shadows. Helicopters firing rockets are flying in just under the shell pattern." "And," said Josie, "the ammunition was live." FIRE-X called for the combined efforts of field artillery, engineers, infantry, supply, ordinance, signal corp. reconnaissance groups, medical medi-cal groups (including evacuation personnel), Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, tracked vehicles, tanks, armored vehicles, attack helicopters, light mobile artillery units and Air Force jet fighters as main components of the giant operation. op-eration. "I Corps" or the First Corps, its official designation, had approximately approxi-mately 30 percent regular Army units that combined with 70 percent per-cent National Guard and reserve units to create a crack, rapidly mobilized mo-bilized and highly trained first strike force. Terry Matthew, 18-year veteran of the Utah National Guard in time-in-service-and-grade, is the ranking member of the UNG in Garfield County. He said FIRE-X was the most spectacular military event he had ever been in. Matthew said that I Corps commanders had anticipated and were prepared for nine deaths during the dangerous and highly complex operation. Instead, and fortunately, only injuries plagued the encampment. encamp-ment. The 14,000 men operating around live ammunition came away with a spotless record not one death. Brigadier General James Miller commanding the First Corps said, "A good leader never walks by a mistake! What safety hazard did you eliminate today?" Miller said that safety should be a natural function in a military unit. Matthew noted, that the FIRE-X record validates the truth of Miller's remarks. The corps has conventional, rocket and nuclear capability. Local guardsmen are part of the 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field Artillery. Ar-tillery. Other members from Panguitch Pan-guitch are Charles Floyd, Sp. 4; Daniel Robinson, Sgt.; Ron Mur- firsi Josie, Sp. 4; Clare'nc Ml ? orr Arthur Miller, Sgt.p S,S L SSgt, David' C Marsh, Sp.4; an gg, gt- S visitors |