106th Public Affairs Detachment

Story by Staff Sgt. Frank Marquez

RAPID CITY, S.D. – "Break contact," the driver in the lead vehicle yells to his gunner as he scans the road ahead. His vehicle rocks at the impact of an explosion. They drive on and a handful of Soldiers are lucky to remain with the rest of their convoy.

During the Golden Coyote training exercise in the Black Hills of South Dakota, 10 Soldiers from the 67th Network Support Company from Billings, Mont., remove their headsets as a Virtual Convoy Operations Trainer simulation comes to an end.

The simulator sits in a 55-foot tractor trailer, which houses a control center and four individual vehicles with positions for convoy commander, drivers and gunners. The training system is designed to prepare Soldiers for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, where they might encounter roadside improvised explosive devices.

It allows leaders the chance to improve their decision-making skills, while Soldiers can analyze reactions to enemies, bystanders, driving distances and road hazards.

"There are hundreds of scenarios we can run," said Tyler Weyrich, a Whitewood, S.D., resident and a trainer with the Company C, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment in Rapid City. "We can throw anything into the program. We can add insurgents or terrorists, IEDs, new routes and reconnaissance missions, or anything that they might not expect, including fire trucks and medical evacuation helicopters."

The simulation training, in its second year at Golden Coyote, takes Soldiers through crawl, walk and run phases. After a briefing to deliver the operation order, they spend two hours on the VCOT and within days of the simulation, the Soldiers can test their training on actual convoys.

Sgt. 1st Class Cody Shandy, a platoon sergeant for the 67th, chose the "shoot, no-shoot scenario," which tests the Soldiers on the rules of engagement. He said that he is getting his unit ready to deploy with 47 Soldiers to Iraq. The signal unit, which "stood up" in January 2008, needs convoy training because it will mobilize in June.

"I want the unit to get in as much training as possible, especially convoy training, so that when they go through the mobilization site, they can get through it faster," said Shandy.

The unit, which was converted from a fuel company to a signal company, also needed convoy training for the many trips it makes between the five forward operating bases at Golden Coyote.

"We run four convoys a day," said Staff Sgt. Casey Stevens, a training observer assigned to the 67th. "So, we're really fortunate to go through convoy training here."

Spc. Kristopher Kenney, a signal support systems specialist from Billings, Mont., said the unit makes routine trips to the FOBs. "Sometimes we need to re-initiate the communication lines that might be down," according to Kenney. "With this training, it makes us aware of what happens ahead of time. It gives a situational awareness, so that we can react with as much information as possible."

The training stressed the importance of preparation to the 67th's Sgt. Robert Bryson, who drove a humvee for the first time two weeks ago. "The simulation gave me an idea of what it would be like on a real mission," he said. "The explosions get my heart going. That tells me how I might have to get ready for the real thing."

Another Soldier from his platoon, Spc. Matthew Fehr was in Iraq for the "real thing." The satellite specialist also served tours in Macedonia, Kuwait and Kosovo. He said the simulator stresses the importance of effective communication between vehicles and could have helped his unit, the 578th Signal Company, 22nd Signal Brigade, 5th Corps, Germany, during its deployment.

Training on the VCOT, located in Cedar Rapids, S.D., is available for training year round, according to Chief Warrant Officer Jay Powell, a training officer in Rapid City, S.D.

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