New look on old training

Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Blakeslee | Soldiers with B Company, 3rd Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, enter a shoot house during recent Military Operations in Urban Terrain training conducted with the help of Special Forces soldiers on Fort Stewart, June 21. The training was meant to help improve the soldiers, who as part of a support battalion may not always get the most up-to-date tactical maneuvering training.  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

06.26.2012

Story by Spc. Emily Knitter 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORT STEWART, Ga. — The soldiers stack outside a doorway, ready to enter the house. They appear flawless, using hand signals to communicate, as they ensure everyone is ready to take the objective.

"What are you doing?" comes a voice suddenly from across the field. "You are all dead right now!"

The soldiers look at each other, then in the direction of the voice.

"Oh," says a squad leader, as he moves himself and his squad at a 45-degree angle off the wall, as they readjust before entering the house.

"There you go!" says the voice again.

The voice belongs to a soldier assigned to the Army Special Forces, helping soldiers from B. Company, 3rd Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, train how to better approach Military Operation in Urban Terrain training for the ever changing battlefield.

"We never know where we are going, as far as deployments are concerned, and we have grown accustomed to the luxuries of having route clearance and air support," explained 1st Lt. Jamal Murphy, the B. Company, executive officer. "But we may not always have that, so what do you do as a support battalion? We have to move around a lot, but we may not have infantry or other units available to help escort us during a support mission."

So the company got in contact with a Special Forces unit on Fort Stewart to try to get some updated training, ensuring the 3rd BSB soldiers will be ready for any situation, whether on their own or not.

"[This training is] completely different than what I'm used to in the six years I've been in," said Sgt. Adam Briggs, a mechanic with B. Company, and native of Van Etten, N.Y. "I have been taught since day one to stack on the walls, but the unconventional approach the SF uses for the same task is genius, and it will save lives."

Whether veteran or new soldier, this training was different and eye opening.

"This is my first formal MOUT training since I have been in the military, and I couldn’t ask for anything more than to be trained by Special Forces," said Spc. Ryan Moore, a mechanic with B. Company, and native of Republic, Mo. "I was afraid the training would be basic-training style, 'Do this, how I say it, now.' But it's not like that at all, it is very one-on-one, individual based training and it's really helping me improve."

As the soldiers stack up once again, preparing to enter the room, they remember to angle 45-degrees. They flow into the house, neutralizing the enemy and clearing the house.

"Much better," says the Special Forces soldier. "Now go do it again."

• Date Taken: 06.26.2012
• Date Posted: 07.10.2012 10:24
• Story ID: 91318
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US