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FORT DRUM, N.Y. - Six companies assigned to 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment “Golden Dragons”, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, participated in Operation Battle Rattle, a combined three part training event on Fort Drum Oct. 15-16.
The companies prepared for the unknown by executing core competencies drills of emergency deployment readiness preparation, rifle marksmanship qualification under stress (stress shoot), and competed for the division’s Physical Fitness streamer during a 12-mile road march for time.
“Readiness has been a number one goal, adhering to the ability to be notified, recalled, and deployed to local training or overseas contingencies is what 10th Mountain is about,” explained native of Holmes Dale, Idaho, Maj. Kelly Boian, the battalion’s operations officer.
Mimicking the unpredictable nature of a natural disaster or emergency deployment situation, the events start time was unknown. It was only after the telephonic alert was activated they received the mission brief.
“It (the alert) started at 1 a.m.; we came in, got accountability of our Soldiers, drew our weapons, and stepped off at 5 a.m. on a 12-mile road march that we had to conduct within four hours with no fallouts to earn the streamer, stated Staff Sgt. John Duncan, platoon sergeant, B Company.”
Donning the required 65 pound rucksack and personal protective equipment worn during combat operations, Solders of B Co. left the company area establishing their winning pace.
They navigated Fort Drum’s paved streets, trekked through rugged training area terrain, and doglegged around Wheeler Sack Air Field to the finish line near range seven, allotting leader’s time to assess the mental and physical abilities of their Soldiers.
“Well the event for the company is definitely a gut check for the new Soldiers coming into the ‘Commando Brigade’,” said native of Muskegon, Mich. Duncan. “It also tests their mettle to see how tough they are. Around mile eight or nine the new Soldiers started to give up and you saw veteran Soldiers pick them up.”
Duncan continued to say the event encompassed esprit de corps; team building, physical fitness, and built moral, especially after they completed the road march with no fall outs, met time standards, and earned the division’s silver PT streamer. Something no other company if 2-14th IN achieved.
With little time to waste between events, they removed their rucksacks, accounted for sensitive items, and grabbed a quick snack before receiving a range safety brief and moving to the firing line.
Samuel Shaver, a private assigned to B Company; described how the physical stress of a road march affected his abilities to fire a weapon.
“I thought I was going to have a lot of trouble,” explained native of Johnson Iowa, Shaver. “When we took our rucksacks off I was tired and really couldn’t move at all, but when I got in there (firing line) I calmed down and shot a lot better than I thought I would.”
Shaver struck 37 targets out of a possible 40 and continued to say his previous experiences with stress shoots helped.
“I’ve been to a few different types of stress shoots, so this wasn’t my first time doing something like this. I think it helped a lot when you know what to expect coming into something.”
Whether expected or unexpected, stressful or not, these infantrymen harbor a fighting spirit and exemplify the warrior ethos.
“Never quit,” exclaimed Duncan. “These Soldiers never quite and in the face of adversity, whether it’s a “battle rattle” to get a streamer or it’s climbing a mountain in Afghanistan, if you never quite, if you start together and finish together, we will win any fight anywhere.”
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2014 10:31 |
| Story ID: | 145618 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 2-14th IN conducts Operation Battle Rattle, by SFC Mark Moore, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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