Engineers having a blast

Courtesy Photo | An explosive resistant security vehicle at NTC on Aug. 5. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Cody Campana)  

FORT IRWIN, CA, UNITED STATES

08.07.2010

Courtesy Story

301st Public Affairs Detachment

By Spc. Cody Campana

FORT IRWIN, Calif. – With sand blowing and sweat rolling down their faces, soldiers from all over the U.S. are constantly training at the National Training Center here.

In the intense summer heat of the California desert, Soldiers are training for their deployments overseas. Army Reserve, National Guard, and Active Duty Soldiers are immersed in an environment resembling the Middle East so they may be more prepared for what is to come.

The 391st Engineer Company from Boise, Idaho, is an Army Reserve unit taking part in the NTC’s intense training for 28 days to prepare for mobilization to Iraq in November.

“The NTC provides the most realistic, real world, and collective training for maneuver and counter insurgency operations,” said Capt. Ryan Strong, commander of the 391st Eng. Co. under the 301st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. The real world training at NTC creates an atmosphere where soldiers can ease into combat situations, while lives are not actually held in the balance.

“My overall goal is to integrate Counter Insurgency doctrine into all aspects of route and area clearance operations,” said Strong.

While taking part in the NTC, the 391st plans to conduct training in real war scenarios, live fires, urban operations, and vehicle dismounting, he said. Much of the unit’s training will also include training to defend against roadside bombs and clearing, he added. The training will take part in the classroom as well as in the field.

One of the most beneficial training opportunities that NTC provides is the chance for Soldiers to familiarize themselves with equipment that they may not use very often. The NTC has given the 391st Soldiers a chance to use the Buffalo mine clearing vehicle, the Husky mine detection vehicle, and explosive resistant security vehicles, said Spc. Wayne Smith, a combat engineer with the 391st Eng. Co. Training here has also given him the chance to familiarize himself with hand held mine detecting devices. The ability to familiarize with the hand held mine detector can be crucial for Reserve soldiers who also have civilian careers. As a civilian Smith goes to college for graphic design, he said. Equipment familiarization can be some of the most important training for soldiers like Smith because he doesn’t get a chance to use this equipment every day as a Reserve soldier.

The training that soldiers receive at the NTC may not only affect themselves but other Soldiers indirectly. The training they receive here allows them to practice safe removal of improvised explosive devices from the battlefield, which would create major casualties for other units if not extracted.

Engineers can be a valuable resource for the safety of all soldiers during deployments. Engineers do not only extract IEDs, they sweep for mines, perform cache sweeps, provide convoy escorts, and serve as force protection for other soldiers, said 1st Sgt. Andrew Paulin, the 391st Eng. Co. first sergeant.

The best tool an engineering company has is the individual soldier, added Paulin. Soldiers can find more caches, IEDs and casualty-producing tools than any of the equipment they use, he said. However; the combat engineers do have an arsenal of life-saving devices at hand in order to fulfill their mission, such as the hand-held mine detecting device. Every beep and zoom of the device gives the engineers valuable information on where a mine may be located. Engineers play a very large role overseas, whether it is a hero saving lives or the as experienced and ready war fighters.

The missions of engineers include providing mobility, promoting soldier safety, fighting as infantry, and providing counter mobility, said Paulin. NTC helps soldiers better accomplish their missions by giving them a fast operational tempo and the realism of being deployed.

“All soldiers must be fully alert at all times,” he said.

Overall, Paulin’s goal for his company is to make them respect and take care of each other, he said. While on deployment service members may have to rely on one another for various situations, and it’s important for them to be there for their comrades.

NTC may benefit all of the military units attending, but it has definitely benefited the 391st Eng. Co. NTC training is doing exactly what it is intended to do, said Strong. Service members can leave here with a far more realistic experience of their military occupational skill and a clearer view of how combat will be if mobilized.

The 391st may be one of the last Reserve engineering units to enter Iraq for the military’s current operation there. They can plan on entering Iraq fully prepared for most engineering missions and with a realistic expectation of what it will be like when they arrive later this year.

The 28 training days the 391st plans on spending at the NTC may be some of the most beneficial training the Army has to offer them. Having non-commissioned officers with the confidence to take care of their soldiers in combat is another of Paulin’s goals, he said. These warrior engineers can go to Iraq knowing that they have received the best training the Army has to offer and the experience to successfully complete their missions and goals.

• Date Taken: 08.07.2010
• Date Posted: 08.07.2010 14:15
• Story ID: 54125
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CA, US