Paratroopers trade parachutes for sea legs

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Butler | Paratroopers from the Scout Platoon, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (ABN), 25th Infantry Division are heading on a dry fire mission on the Euphrates River. The dry fire missions are to help the Paratroopers get acclimated to riding in their new amphibious mode of transportation.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

02.03.2007

Story by Staff Sgt. Marcus Butler 

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. Marcus Butler
4th BCT, (Abn.) 25th Inf. Div. Public Affairs

ISKANDARIYAH, Iraq - Paratroopers from the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, added another element to its arsenal of maneuver capabilities with the addition of amphibious transportation.

The Scout Platoon for the "Geronimo" Battalion, 1-501st PIR, will utilize this new mode of transportation to conduct reconnaissance throughout their area of operation.

"This new addition gives us the ability to use routes the enemy would not expect us to use," said 1st Lt. Matt Didier, scout platoon leader for the Geronimos.

In addition to opening new routes, the aluminum utility boat can carry a maximum of 15 combat equipped paratroopers versus the five personnel that can be carried in a Humvee.

Since most of the scout's missions are normally all dismounted, the addition of this new mode of transportation was something they had to train for. Though the boat will not replace the Humvee, Didier said it greatly add to our effectiveness.

Before the paratroopers were allowed to participate on missions with the boat, preliminary training involving a swim test and various battle drills had to be completed.

"Each paratrooper had to complete a swim test with full combat gear and learn how enter and exit the boat," said Didier. "Also, each squad would go over battle drills with reacting to enemy contact and procedures for a downed vehicle."
Before conducting actual missions, the platoon conducted several dry-fire missions to familiarize the paratroopers with water-borne operations.

"For an entire week, our platoon ran training missions along the river to show the paratroopers how to maneuver, control and dock the boats," said Didier.

"It is a very different way to conduct missions for our platoon, but the paratroopers picked up on the training quickly and drove on with the mission without any problems," said Didier. "It is a great asset for our brigade. It is a great tool to help combat the enemy and to help make Iraq a safer place."

• Date Taken: 02.03.2007
• Date Posted: 02.06.2007 11:09
• Story ID: 9063
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ