Combat medic supports gunnery through readiness and prevention

NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria — While tank crews move through gunnery tables and focus on putting rounds downrange, U.S. Army Pfc. Drew Hanny watches the range from a different perspective. His job is not inside the M1 Abrams, but his role is essential to keeping the training mission moving safely.

Hanny, a 68W combat medic specialist assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, supported tank gunnery operations at Novo Selo Training Area (NSTA), Bulgaria, May 27, 2026. As Soldiers trained with Abrams tanks, Hanny and the medical team remained prepared to respond to injuries on the range, provide care and evacuate casualties if needed.

“I’m a medic, 68 Whiskey, and we’re just here to help people if they get injured” Hanny said. “Prevention is really the biggest thing that we’re worried about out here.”

A native of Fairport, New York, Hanny said his interest in medicine started at home. When he joined the Army at 19, he wanted stability, direction and the chance to do work that could make a difference for the people around him.

“My mom was a nurse, so I think I kind of got some interest in it from her…I just wanted to do something that involves helping people.”

Hanny has been in the Army for about a year and a half, but he said the experience has already given him opportunities to see new places, meet new people and understand how his role fits into a much larger mission. His time in Bulgaria has been one of those experiences, offering him a chance to support armored training while also experiencing a new country and working alongside Soldiers across the formation.

“I like getting to see Bulgaria…being out here is pretty cool. I met a lot of new people.”

On the gunnery range, Hanny’s focus remains on medical coverage and response. During live-fire training, medics must be ready for the types of injuries that can occur around heavy armored vehicles and weapons systems. Hanny said his role during gunnery is to respond to injuries on the range, move with the field litter ambulance and help transport casualties to a medical treatment site when necessary.

“Today we’re just responding to any injuries that happen during gunnery down on the field,” Hanny said. “In that case, we would take the FLA (front line ambulance) and roll out down there, treat the casualties, and then evacuate them.”

The risks on an Abrams gunnery range are different from those in many other training environments.

“For gunnery specifically, what we’re worried about is crush injuries with the hands or with the feet…and then any blast back from there being improper seals on the tanks, so that could be burn injuries, things like that,” Hanny said. “Inhalant injuries as well would be a concern out here.”

Although Hanny is still early in his career, he said his experience at the National Training Center (NTC) in November helped him better understand how Army units operate in the field. Being part of a larger training environment showed him how each Soldier and section contributes to the mission, even when their individual role may seem small compared to the size of the overall operation.

“I think the time that we had out at NTC in November was probably my first time being out there, being in the field for a while,” Hanny said. “Seeing kind of how everything goes together, and how we’re just one small part of everything, how it all meshes.”

For someone considering joining the Army, Hanny said the experience can offer stability, training and the chance to do something new. For those considering becoming a medic, he said the job provides a direct way to help people while gaining experience that can carry forward into the future.

“I’d recommend going for it,” Hanny said. “The Army as a whole is pretty fun, you get to experience a lot of new things, and it’s not too bad.”