FRIDAY FOTO (July 1, 2022)

STILL LIFE WITH GALAXY.

(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Christopher Stewart ) Click on photo to enlarge the image

Army Sergeant Justin Covert mans an M1A2 .50-caliber machine gun on a Stryker vehicle during training on May 24, 2022 at Fort Irwin, California with the Milky Way galaxy visible overhead.

The original M2 “Ma Deuce” .50 Caliber Machine Gun is a belt-fed, heavy machine gun that mounts on most aircraft and vehicles and can be fired from a tripod. The system is highly effective against light armored vehicles, low- and slow-flying aircraft, boats and enemy personnel.

The Stryker is a wheeled armored vehicle that combines firepower, battlefield mobility, survivability and versatility, with reduced logistical requirements. Manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems, the Stryker family of vehicles consists of nine variants of eight-wheeled armored vehicles mounted on a common chassis that provide transport for troops, weapons, and command and control.

Fort Irwin, located in the Mojave Desert between Las Vegas, Nevada and Los Angleles, is home to the Army’s National Training Center.

For a short (2:14 minutes) video of Marines learning how to load and operate the M1A2, click here.

A very short National Guard video shows some of the ins and outs of the Stryker. Click here to see it.