Photo By Staff Sgt. Ian Kummer | Staff Sgt. Erwin Samaniego (far right), attached to Headquarters and Headquarters...... read more read more
FAIRFIELD, Calif. – Kaboom! The “detonation” signaled by a nearby noncommissioned officer sends Soldiers scrambling for cover in the dusty training lane. Combat veterans brought their whole company together to prepare them for one of the most serious threats on today’s battlefield: improvised explosive devices.
Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 49th Military Police Brigade, California Army National Guard, conducted IED training at their armory in Fairfield, June 7-8.
The troops started off with a classroom briefing on the modern IED threat focusing on the construction of commonly seen IEDs, such as pressure plates and trip wires, and ways to detect them. After the briefing on Saturday the Soldiers went outside and practiced IED procedures for a mounted patrol. On Sunday the Soldiers returned for a more difficult dismounted exercise while wearing full combat gear.
Even though these Soldiers are not explosive ordinance demolition (EOD) experts or engineers, knowledge of IEDs is crucial to their safety and effectiveness in the field.
"We have MPs who have deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, so they know what they’re talking about,” said Master Sgt. John Otten, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the training of the IED training.
The training also encompassed combat lifesaver (CLS) procedures for injuries caused by an IED. An explosion could cause many different injuries, from an amputated limb to internal burns.
“The medic on a patrol is positioned so he can get to a casualty as fast as he can no matter where it happens, but he can’t always get there in time,” said Staff Sgt. Erwin Samaniego, a medic with the company and a former member of Task Force Warrior. “That’s the importance of CLS, to stabilize your buddy until the medic can arrive.”
IED attacks are the leading cause of combat related deaths for coalition forces in Afghanistan, making anti-IED training a top priority for the American armed forces. IEDs pose a threat not only to coalition members, but to Afghans as well. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s 2013 annual report on of Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, IEDs were the largest cause of increased civilian casualties in the Afghan war zone.
Fortunately for the junior Soldiers of the 49th, they have the mentorship of senior troops and NCOs with experience from previous deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. On top of that, thousands of After Action Reports from real IED incidents across the world provided the basis for their counter-IED training.
Unit leaders interested in creating or improving an IED training course for their Soldiers can request access to Real-time Analysis and Publication of IED Data (RAPID), a website that provides the latest information and trends on IEDs in war zones around the world (https://rapid.a-tsolutions.com/).
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2014 18:34 |
| Story ID: | 132502 |
| Location: | FAIRFIELD, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 150 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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