Training lane gets U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers mission ready

Courtesy Photo | Members of the 121st Brigade Support Battalion move an Iraqi army casualty by litter during a training exercise with the Iraqi army at Camp Adder, Iraq, Jan. 7.  

TALLIL AIR BASE, IRAQ

01.07.2010

Courtesy Story

41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team

By Sgt. Candace Westlund
41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team

CAMP ADDER, Iraq — Training lane gets U.S. and Iraqi soldiers mission ready.

Utilizing available resources on Contingency Operating Base Adder, the 121st Brigade Support Battalion from Fort Bliss, Texas, conducted a convoy exercise with the Iraqi army's 10th Motor Transport Regiment at the Convoy Academy, Jan. 7.

The 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Oregon facilitates training and manages the building for units that come through. Over 2,000 Soldiers have been trained at the Convoy Academy.

"The 41st manages all the training for the Soldiers," said Staff Sgt. Chris Austin, from Sherman, Texas. "We provide the building and set up the lanes. We have also done Combat Lifesaver certification training. We built onto the facility and have done a lot of improvement for the next unit to take this over."

The training was started by the 121st BSB to ensure that convoy commanders are ready to lead the mission, explained Master Sgt. Rico Figueroa, from Puerto Rico. The training lane is unique because it was voluntarily implemented by 121st BSB to stay focused.

Keeping up on Tactics, Techniques and Procedures is essential for mission readiness. In order to make the training more realistic, support from the Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit was requested.

"It is realistic being hit with the explosion," commented Figueroa. Staff Sgt. Christopher Alderman, from Thomasville, Ga., agrees, citing that he has been on numerous convoys and has actually been hit with an explosively formed projectile.

"The explosives are built and put where they are wanted," said Air Force EOD Staff Sgt. Swift Moon, from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

The explosion consists of a loud bang and smoke, which doesn't cause any damage to the vehicles in the convoy. Soldiers have to react appropriately to simulated vehicle damage and casualties.

This exercise has benefit for the Iraqi army in addition to what it provides for the American soldiers.

"This helps make sure we are on the same page for training," explained Amged Yousef, an interpreter originally from Cairo, Egypt. He has lived in Riverside, Calif., for the last ten years, and received his undergraduate degree from California State University, San Bernardino.

Yousef believes this training serves a greater purpose in the relationship building between the United States Army and the IA, and that the Iraqis understand that these training opportunities won't be around forever. The innovative training designed and maintained by 121st BSB and 41IBCT ensures that both American and Iraqi soldiers are proficient and ready to execute their mission.

• Date Taken: 01.07.2010
• Date Posted: 01.13.2010 04:28
• Story ID: 43756
• Location: TALLIL AIR BASE, IQ