Engineers and infantrymen train together on how to secure a compound at Camp Taji, Iraq

Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Joe Grant, an engineer squad leader with C Company, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division - Center and a Charleston, Ill., native, secures the door that his team breached with a silhouette charge during training at a range at Camp Taji, Iraq, April 20, 2011. The soldiers spent the day running through the scenario multiple times as dry fire and live fire exercises, implementing different charges each time. (Photo by: Spc. William K. Ermatinger)  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

04.20.2011

Courtesy Story

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs

Story by Spc. William K. Ermatinger

BAGHDAD – Engineer soldiers with C Company, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division – Center and infantrymen with Company A, 1st “Vanguard” Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd AAB, 1st Infantry Division, USD-C trained together April 20 during a simulated raid to secure a compound at Camp Taji, Iraq.

The purpose of the training was to ensure new soldiers within the formation, along with the more experienced veterans, maintain proficiency in traversing a concertina wire obstacle, conducting a kinetic breach of a door and securing the inside of a building.

Securing the perimeter was the first objective. The infantrymen set up an outer-security cordon and provided supporting fire while the rest of the teams moved into position. This allowed the teams an opportunity to practice rapidly getting into place and suppressing enemy security forces.

After the enemy security forces were defeated, the engineers in the team carried a preassembled detonation charge to the door of the target building. Within moments, the charge was fixed in position and the team moved away for detonation.

“We got to experiment and show the infantry how to build, emplace and calculate the safe standoff distance with our breaches, and how breaches would be beneficial to them when they do an urban breach on a house or something of that effect,” said Staff Sgt. Keith Hursman, a platoon sergeant with C Company and an Elgin, Okla., native.

After the breach charge blew, soldiers ran through the doorway, suppressing the enemy with shots, followed by an echo of “room clear,” confirming the room was secure.

The soldiers ran through the scenario multiple times as a dry fire and live fire exercise, implementing different charges for each run to demonstrate both the capabilities of the engineers, and to learn which charges are appropriate for different situations.

“There is a little more freedom being in theater to conduct realistic combat scenarios, and this was a great opportunity for the infantry and engineers to do combined training,” said Hursman.

• Date Taken: 04.20.2011
• Date Posted: 05.05.2011 06:33
• Story ID: 69869
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ