Staff Sgt. Joe Gallik was not fooling around.

"You will engage the target; take it down; bound forward and reengage," said the veteran Soldier.

"Got it?"

With those last two words, Gallik and nine other Washington Army National Guard soldiers stepped of a line of departure and began to move down a 700-meter, sage covered course designed to perfect tactical movement skills.

Halfway during the training, thunder, lightening and rain made the training more realistic.

"We train in any kind of weather," a soaked Gallik said later.

For the past three weeks, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, 81st Infantry Brigade (WANG) has engaged in annual training at the Yakima Training Center.

"We've been engaged in a lot of new equipment training, or NET," Lt. Col. Kevin McMahan, battalion commander, explained.

"But just as importantly, we have accomplished a tremendous amount of gunnery and dismounted training as well."

Moments later, a Bradley Fighting Vehicle rumbled by on it way to participate in a gunnery training exercise.

"The crew will engage targets from 400 to 1,200 meters," Operating Sgt. Maj. Kelly Workman said.

A split second later, the vehicle's 25mm chain gun open up on a target.

The target - and most of the ground around it - disappeared.

"As you can see, there is a little bit of punch in this bad boy."

The unit's training will conclude this week.

"It's been good; we've worked hard," Capt. David Redman, commander, Bravo Company, said.

For the near future, the 161st has no apparent plans to deploy; however, it is training as though it were going to.

"If we are needed, we are ready to go," McMahan said.