129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Story by Spc. Joseph Bungert

GRASSLANDS NATIONAL PARK, S.D. – Over the past several years, observer controller/trainers from 1st Army have been integrated into the annual Golden Coyote training exercise that takes place in the Black Hills of South Dakota every June.

Elements of the 166th Aviation Brigade from Fort Riley, Kan., along with the 1/383rd and 2/383rd Training Support Battalions from Des Moines, Iowa, and Leavenworth, Kan., are providing over 170 OC/Ts to conduct training and evaluate participating units. These training battalions also have a team evaluating several units in the exercise that are scheduled for mobilization in the near future.

The primary focus for the majority of the OC/Ts at Golden Coyote are the training lanes: operating Military Operations in Urban Terrain, convoy operations and an entry control point lane for the forward operating bases.

Sgt. 1st Class Neil Horton, from Des Moines, Iowa, with 1/383rd TSBN, the lead OC/T for the grasslands convoy lane said, "Our main job is to evaluate units going through the lane and ensure they are properly conducting a convoy."

Immediately upon arriving, every unit gets a safety briefing and is given their mission.

"At that point, we step back and observe how they are conducting their troop leading procedures, issuing warning orders, starting necessary movement and making a plan," said Horton.

As a unit progresses through the convoy lane they are presented with a number of scenarios. During each scenario the OC/Ts observe to see that the unit is reacting appropriately.

At the end of the lane we conduct a comprehensive after action review.

"We go through each of the scenarios and let them know the things they did very well and the things they need to improve on," Horton said. "All our observations are consolidated and passed on to the unit, and the next time they come down the convoy lane they can react better, and make sure they are hitting all the key points."

This year a classroom convoy 101 course was added to the list of training events offered at Golden Coyote.

The convoy 101 course is a full-day course for those units that don't feel their Soldiers are totally trained up to meet expectations and complete all the tasks and sub-tasks required in the other convoy lanes.

"It's a classroom environment where they sit down and run through in detail each one of the scenarios in the full-convoy lane, along with learning how to set up their landing zone and aid-and-litter teams to handle casualties," said Horton. "Once the unit completes the 101 course, they should be to a point they can go through the full lane and be ready to be evaluated."

During the after action review the unit gets to see where they are and what they need to improve on, so they can go home with that knowledge and develop standard operating procedures for the unit, or create plans for additional training. "The after action review is the most important part of being an OC/T," said Horton.

"Being an OC/T is very rewarding, and it's good knowing when a unit leaves the lane, you've helped them learn about convoy operations and all the tasks involved," stated Horton. "You also know they are better trained and educated and about their jobs than when they came to the lane."

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