FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — Some legislators have toured Fort Hood for a closer look at helicopters, tanks and how the sprawling Central Texas post operates.
Friday was Texas Legislative Day and more than a dozen new members of the state House and Senate had a chance to interact with soldiers, the Killeen Daily Herald reported.
The lawmakers took part in a combat engagement skills simulation, with access to the same weapons that soldiers use.
GOP Sen. Dawn Buckingham, of Lakeway, represents the district that includes the Army post.
“We wanted to understand each and every one of our communities and the folks who live here. So I just view this is a continuation of that,” she told KWTX-TV.
The event was a daylong opportunity for Texas government officials to see the training areas and to interact with soldiers.
“It gives us a glimpse of what it’s like to be a soldier,” said Rep. Scott Cosper, a Republican from Killeen. “It’s also an opportunity to see how big Fort Hood is and what the many moving parts are — from the motor pools, the training areas to the command post.”
Buckingham had the chance to jump in a tank, get in a helicopter and shoot a machine gun during a simulation.
“I’m a gun girl, since I grew up shooting guns,” Buckingham said. “So I just walked up and said ‘dibs’ on the biggest one.”
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