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American Morning
Talk with Sgt. Wayne Harkins
Aired February 17, 2003 - 07:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back here in Kuwait, welcome back as our coverage continues.
Say hello to Sergeant Wayne Harkins.
Good to see you today, sir.
SGT. WAYNE HARKINS, U.S. ARMY: Good morning.
HEMMER: Tell our viewers -- whoa. Tell our viewers quickly what this is.
HARKINS: This is a 120 millimeter heat round that we're using for training today to train for crews for possible war.
HEMMER: Got it. And what we're seeing here essentially is the M1A1 tank from firing range number seven here in Kuwait. Tell us about the tank and what it's firing down range.
HARKINS: Right now our tank's firing his main gun and a scenario to prepare for combat. It's a typical scenario he might see as far as an engagement. Now he's firing his 50 cal...
HEMMER: What are we hearing right...
HARKINS: That's his 50 caliber machine gun engaging troops and light skinned vehicles.
HEMMER: Now, we mentioned down range. How far down range are we talking, sir?
HARKINS: We have targets down right now almost a mile and three quarters.
HEMMER: A mile and three quarters in this range.
HARKINS: Yes.
HEMMER: How much is this training helping you get ready for the eventuality of and the possibility of war to the north?
HARKINS: Quite a bit. It helps our crews. They're less nervous if they know that what we're going to actually do. They've practiced and they're well rehearsed and there's no fear.
HEMMER: Yes, put this down for a second here, because I want to show, I want to give our viewers an idea of the bullets that are coming out of that gun right there. You have one on you. Why don't you pull it out and show it for us.
HARKINS: Hey, where did my 50 cal round go?
HEMMER: There we go. You got it? OK. Well, before we get to it, Sergeant, go ahead and tell me something else, though. We're in the desert right now.
HARKINS: Yes.
HEMMER: Could you convert this training to, say, urban combat?
HARKINS: What we're doing today, yes, definitely. Without the actual building environment, we've actually been through a mount training sequence already with training with our dismounts. It's very difficult because the dismounts on the ground really can't speak with our tank crews.
HEMMER: But the bottom line is with your exercises out here you're testing your equipment and you're practicing, essentially?
HARKINS: Yes, sir. Definitely.
HEMMER: How much has this training out here enabled you to get ready from a military standpoint? Because essentially the Kuwaiti government has given you the northern third of the country to practice.
HARKINS: Too much to speak. I mean we come from Fort Stewart, a forest environment, swamp, and now we're out here in rolling territory where there's nothing here to hurt. So we can do what we want to.
HEMMER: Yes, Sergeant, thank you.
HARKINS: Thank you.
HEMMER: Sergeant Wayne Harkins out of Dallas, Georgia. Much appreciate it.
Next hour, we'll show you a completely different exercise. It is wide open country here and we'll bring it to you the next hour here of AMERICAN MORNING.
Back in a moment in Kuwait and in New York City.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 17, 2003 - 07:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back here in Kuwait, welcome back as our coverage continues.
Say hello to Sergeant Wayne Harkins.
Good to see you today, sir.
SGT. WAYNE HARKINS, U.S. ARMY: Good morning.
HEMMER: Tell our viewers -- whoa. Tell our viewers quickly what this is.
HARKINS: This is a 120 millimeter heat round that we're using for training today to train for crews for possible war.
HEMMER: Got it. And what we're seeing here essentially is the M1A1 tank from firing range number seven here in Kuwait. Tell us about the tank and what it's firing down range.
HARKINS: Right now our tank's firing his main gun and a scenario to prepare for combat. It's a typical scenario he might see as far as an engagement. Now he's firing his 50 cal...
HEMMER: What are we hearing right...
HARKINS: That's his 50 caliber machine gun engaging troops and light skinned vehicles.
HEMMER: Now, we mentioned down range. How far down range are we talking, sir?
HARKINS: We have targets down right now almost a mile and three quarters.
HEMMER: A mile and three quarters in this range.
HARKINS: Yes.
HEMMER: How much is this training helping you get ready for the eventuality of and the possibility of war to the north?
HARKINS: Quite a bit. It helps our crews. They're less nervous if they know that what we're going to actually do. They've practiced and they're well rehearsed and there's no fear.
HEMMER: Yes, put this down for a second here, because I want to show, I want to give our viewers an idea of the bullets that are coming out of that gun right there. You have one on you. Why don't you pull it out and show it for us.
HARKINS: Hey, where did my 50 cal round go?
HEMMER: There we go. You got it? OK. Well, before we get to it, Sergeant, go ahead and tell me something else, though. We're in the desert right now.
HARKINS: Yes.
HEMMER: Could you convert this training to, say, urban combat?
HARKINS: What we're doing today, yes, definitely. Without the actual building environment, we've actually been through a mount training sequence already with training with our dismounts. It's very difficult because the dismounts on the ground really can't speak with our tank crews.
HEMMER: But the bottom line is with your exercises out here you're testing your equipment and you're practicing, essentially?
HARKINS: Yes, sir. Definitely.
HEMMER: How much has this training out here enabled you to get ready from a military standpoint? Because essentially the Kuwaiti government has given you the northern third of the country to practice.
HARKINS: Too much to speak. I mean we come from Fort Stewart, a forest environment, swamp, and now we're out here in rolling territory where there's nothing here to hurt. So we can do what we want to.
HEMMER: Yes, Sergeant, thank you.
HARKINS: Thank you.
HEMMER: Sergeant Wayne Harkins out of Dallas, Georgia. Much appreciate it.
Next hour, we'll show you a completely different exercise. It is wide open country here and we'll bring it to you the next hour here of AMERICAN MORNING.
Back in a moment in Kuwait and in New York City.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
