By Staff Sgt. Caroline K. Maribei
300th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. — The long hot days, the rough terrain, and the ominous grey smoke from the burning hills made for a challenging three-week training exercise.
Pacific Warrior, the Army Reserve's annual event, brought together almost 4,000 Soldiers and about 100 units for nearly a month's worth of hands-on learning this year. Service members gathered from across the nation to take part.
"It's an important collective exercise," said Col. Lorenzo J. Valenzuela, the Joint Task Force commander. "Prior to the Global War on Terror we never trained this way. It is now possible to see where units are before and after AT. I think it's critical that we continue to invest in these exercises so that Soldiers are better prepared to survive and succeed in the battlefield."
The units, which included medical units, sustainment units, chemical units, military police and engineering units, worked together, training and sharpening their skills.
Valenzuela said the aim was to provide the units that are a year or two from deployment with critical skills and teach them to work as one on the battlefield.
"It is collectively where we get that strong combat and combat support power," he added.
The one thing that Valenzuela feels would be a great addition for future exercises would be some maneuver forces.
"Many ... have not operated with an M-1 tank, or had to refuel Bradleys or actually done a hot refuel mission on Blackhawks," he said. "Adding that level of realism would put the exercise over the top."
Bringing the units here was no easy task.
"You've got units from Puerto Rico, New England, Texas, Oregon ... Washington, and right down the street in California," said Valenzuela. "It's quite an orchestrated effort."
Training began as soon as the Soldiers arrived and was based on the lessons learned from theater, Valenzuela said. Some of the training the Soldiers received included Improvised Explosive Device defeat, convoy operations, base operations, and combat lifesaver.
He said the greatest accomplishment of the exercise was that all the Soldiers were actively engaged throughout the exercise. "Sometimes you go to these exercises and half the Soldiers have a great experience, and half of them are just bored to tears," he said.
For Valenzuela the most satisfying part of Pacific Warrior was that Soldiers were trained on those tasks that would help them survive and succeed on the battlefield. He said the most important thing was for the Soldiers to learn to work together, adding it was the first time many had seen the work of others outside of their functional specialty.
"It's important they understand that collaborative effort as they get to deployment," he said.
Subscribe
