“A Southern Black Racer slithers across the barrel of a NationalGuard Soldier’s sniper rifle during a 1-173 Infantry training exercise Saturday, April 7, 2018, at Eglin Air Force Base. Snipers are trained to remain still for hours and invisible to enemies and even to wildlife.”
US Army photo by Staff Sgt. William Frye
Eglin’s panhandle training area is the stomping ground not only of Air Force SOF commandos but also the Army’s co-located 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and the black bears and assorted snakes in the area see lots of company.
1st Battalion, 173rd Infantry Regiment is part of the Alabama National Guard based in Enterprise, AL. Since their activation in 2016, they have been aligned as a mobilization asset of the Louisiana-based 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as the Tiger Brigade. The latter is sure to be a matter of heartburn during Alabama/LSU games.