Paratroopers get hands-on training during live-fire event

Photo By Sgt. Maj. Alejandro Licea | Paratroopers assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division kick in a door in order to conduct building clearing procedures of a known enemy cell during a training event on April 15 at Live Fire Village complex.  

IRAQ

04.27.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Alejandro Licea 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

By Pvt. 2 David L. Nye
49th Public Affairs Detachment (Airborne)

Paratroopers of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division honed their combat skills during a live-fire exercise on April 15 at the Live Fire Village complex.

The training's purpose is to familiarize new paratroopers with their squads and platoons in order to build a cohesive unit to conduct its wartime missions. Exercises such as a reconnaissance, surveillance patrol and building and room clearing procedures help the unit's leadership assess each squad strengths and weakness.

One scenario the paratroopers encountered was that of an enemy village that had been identified as a Tier 1 improvised explosive device threat. This meant that the village had been the site of a large number of recent IED attacks on coalition forces and local nationals.

For Pvt. Michael Gavinski, an infantryman with Company C, 2-505 PIR the exercise was a great chance to evaluate not only himself but see his role in the squad.

This is a great chance for us to practice these skills before deploying, said Gavinski. "The more and more I do it, the more confident I feel about any upcoming deployment."

As part of the training, paratroopers also learned the proper methods of conducting casualty evacuations and handling enemy prisoners of war techniques.

As part of the 3rd BCT and 82nd Airborne Division, units such as Company C, 2-505 PIR consistently train on their warrior tasks in order to conduct full spectrum war operations in theaters of combat such as Iraq or Afghanistan or in case of rapid notification to protect America interest on the home front or abroad.

• Date Taken: 04.27.2008
• Date Posted: 04.27.2008 22:36
• Story ID: 18822
• Location: IQ