Photo By Sgt. 1st Class William Howard | Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo.— The indirect fire infantrymen knelt in the tall grass as the CH-47 Chinook slowly descended. When the helicopter landed they swung heavy rucksacks over their backs and entered through the ramp at the rear.
Mortar teams of 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, began the first day of a Mortar Training and Evaluation Program, conducted from Aug. 19 to Aug 21.
During the flight Soldiers sat close together strapped in their seats and tried to speak over the tremendous noise of the tandem rotors. Eventually they just relaxed within the heap of gear filling the middle of the helicopter.
“Since 1st Bn., 38th Inf. Reg. has been deemed the air assault battalion of the 1st SBCT, it’s important for us to build in as many air movements into our training progression as possible,” said Capt. Kyle Tarvin, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 38th Inf. Reg., 1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div. “It exposes Soldiers to the culture we’re trying to build within the battalion and tests the leaders to make sure we’re conducting all the tasks required to be the air assault battalion.”
The CH-47 Chinook landed about 15 minutes later in the training area. Soldiers quickly spilled out of the back ramp and hunched down behind their rucksacks in the tall grass amid cacti until the helicopter departed.
“It was pretty exhilarating from the time the Chinook was hovering over us and landing to when it took off,” said Pvt. Dominic Carranza, indirect fire infantryman, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 38th Inf. Reg., 1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div.
Platoon leadership then gathered at the center to establish radio communications and determine the route for their patrol.
The indirect fire infantrymen moved out in a wedge formation until they reached the linear danger area of a road. Two Soldiers secured the opposite side of the road and the rest of the formation rushed across in two columns and formed a circle.
The Soldiers then skirted the base of a hill and assembled in a strategic area for future operations. They set-up their four M252 81 mm mortars, leadership ordered Soldiers to specific overlook positions to maintain a parameter of security and reconnaissance was performed for the next patrol.
“We’re evaluating them on their flexibility, they’re ability to provide accurate indirect fire support and everything they’ve learned up to this point,” said Tarvin. “Each section will occupy a mortar firing position, receive a fire mission and fire different types of missions.”
Platoon leadership came together to define the nature of their training mission and disseminated the information down the chain of command.
Thirty minutes later the platoon gathered their gear and began the next patrol. The Soldiers fought through the heat and exhaustion carrying an average of 100 pounds up a draw and over a hill to the next assembly area.
“I’m the ammo bearer so I got stuck with the tube. It’s definitely heavy and walking up the hills with it is very challenging,” said Pfc. Branden Maurin, indirect fire infantryman, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 38th Inf. Reg., 1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div. “If I work hard then I’ll progress and become an assistant gunner. Either way everyone is carrying a piece of the mortar system.”
Teams placed four M252 81 mm mortar in a firing line towards a simulated enemy. The rest of the platoon maintained security of the parameter while camouflaged in tall grass and Soldiers perched on nearby hills kept a full view around their position.
When they received the dry fire missions, two Soldiers manned each M252 81 mm mortar and performed all the necessary steps to effectively fire rounds at the enemy. No rounds were actually fired but each team treated the training like a real combat mission.
“The idea with this training event is that we’re certified on all of our dismounted mortar capabilities,” said Tarvin. “At the end of this training event the mortar platoon will be certified on providing indirect fire support on their 81 mm mortars and the mortar sections will be certified on their 60 mm mortars.”
| Date Taken: | 08.19.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2014 17:24 |
| Story ID: | 140567 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 122 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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