Capt. Brooks Hayward, the assistant administration

Capt. Brooks Hayward, the assistant administration officer for the New Hampshire National Guard’s 54th Troop Command, from Epsom, N.H., fires a M240B machine gun as part of a familiarization fire course at Fort Devens, Mass., Oct. 2. Hayward and about 370 other soldiers from the 54th Troop Command, were at Fort Devens to participate in weapons qualification and familiarization courses that are a yearly requirement for NHNG soldiers to practice their basic soldier skills to be prepared to perform their state and federal missions.