Paratroopers, Latvians work together to develop leaders

Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Crawford | Paratroopers with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade and Latvian soldiers march toward a rally point after more than 30 hours in the field during the Comanche Team Leader Course in Adazi, Latvia, July 18. The 40-hour course uses team-building exercises, classroom instruction and reconnaissance patrolling to develop junior leaders' values, discipline and standards. Paratroopers are in Latvia as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, dedicated to demonstrating commitment to NATO obligations and interoperability with allied forces. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael T. Crawford/Released)  

ADAZI, LATVIA

07.17.2014

Story by Sgt. Michael Crawford 

U.S. Army Europe and Africa     

ADAZI, Latvia - Imagine: your squad is taking enemy fire, and many of your Soldiers are in each other's line of sight, clustered together so tightly a single grenade could eliminate the entire squad. The enemy is starting to flank your squad, but only a handful of your Soldiers are returning fire.

The rest of your Soldiers are confused and looking to you for guidance. You need to act now; otherwise the situation is going to get worse.

And it's all going to be your fault.

This is the weight of responsibility paratroopers with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade and Latvian Soldiers grappled with as they worked to complete the 91st Cav. Regt.’s Comanche Team Leader Course here July 17. The 40-hour course uses team-building exercises, classroom instruction and reconnaissance patrolling to develop junior leaders' values, discipline and standards.

"If you're the squad leader, it's your job to develop the plan," said Capt. Jonathan Patten, commander for Troop C, 1st Sqdn., 91st Cav. Regt. "No matter how little time you have, you need to take a little bit of it and come up with a plan. If you're not the one thinking of a plan, nobody has a plan."

Current and prospective team leaders, alongside Latvian soldiers, began the course at 3 a.m. with a modified version of the Army Physical Fitness Test that added chin-ups and a five-mile run with a 40-minute time limit.

Following its completion, course participants laid out all of their assigned gear for inspection before marching into the woods. Hungry and tired, the Soldiers learned the importance of pre-mission checks and making a plan before acting.

By 9 a.m., course participants were marching into the surrounding wilderness. Instructors stopped paratroopers and Latvian Soldiers along the way to present them with surprise obstacles that would test their ability to think quickly and motivate each other to take initiative.

"A lot of the physical events in the beginning are designed to break them down and wear them out a little bit," said Staff Sgt. Bret Richardson, a native of Panama City, Florida. "We toss them into a situation where they're going to have to make some critical decisions being mentally and physically tired. They still need to possess that level of leadership to be able to motivate those younger Soldiers."

Course participants received classroom instruction on understanding a mission brief and how to plan effectively for it. Knowing the right thing to do and executing became separate concepts for participants as fatigue and stress grew.

"Your mind thinks very particularly when you're under stress," said Patten, a native of Detroit, Michigan. "There's nothing you can do about it; you're physiologically designed that way. Soldiers need to be aware of that; they've got to take a minute, take some deep breaths and get control of the situation, otherwise they'll very quickly, and without knowing it, lose control."

Participants struggled to maintain control as the short-lived night came and went, receiving yet another mission that pushed them deeper into the unfamiliar wilderness where role-playing opposing forces waited to ambush them.

"This course is designed to develop that young leader and make him a team leader," said Richardson. "Team leader is probably one of the toughest jobs in the Army. They're coming from the enlisted ranks into the noncommissioned officer ranks and now they're going to be responsible for making decisions, so it's imperative they learn that role before they get there."

Through trial by fire, course participants began to work together seamlessly. Though snap decisions came slower and with more mistakes, U.S. and Latvian forces did not hesitate to help each other drive forward.

"Nothing brings people closer together than having to suffer together," said Richardson. "We're starting to see the Latvian Soldiers and U.S. Soldiers come together more and tighter as a team. The Latvians are excellent team players and bring a lot of skills to the table that are enhancing the relationships between our two armies."

In the final hours of the course, Spc. Lee Starks, an infantryman with the 1st Sqdn., 91st Cav. Regt., found himself in a squad leader position over a group of seven paratroopers and two Latvian Soldiers. He learned several areas where he needs to strengthen himself, but he also saw he was strengthening the bonds between two armies.

"Through shared sacrifice, you get to learn a lot about each other, especially on a personal level," said Starks, a native of Tampa, Florida. "One day, when I come back to Latvia, I'll see the same faces, and we'll remember that time together in the team leader course."

• Date Taken: 07.17.2014
• Date Posted: 07.31.2014 10:03
• Story ID: 137830
• Location: ADAZI, LV
• Hometown: DETROIT, MI, US
• Hometown: PANAMA CITY, FL, US
• Hometown: TAMPA, FL, US