FORWARD OPERATING BASE THUNDER, Afghanistan – Soldiers from the 850th Horizontal Engineer Company, Task Force Trojan Horse, took part in a ceremony to recognize the hard work, dedication, and achievement of Afghan National Army soldiers in the 203rd Corps Engineer Kandak. Soldiers advising the 203rd CEK oversaw the planning and completion of a counterimprovised explosive device training area that will enhance the preparation of ANA soldiers for combat.
Soldiers from the 850th HEC are part of an embedded training team and provided guidance during the construction. The main focus of construction was to make a Freedom of Movement training site dedicated for the Warrior Training Alliance and the explosive hazard reduction course. The WTA focuses on enabling Afghan freedom of maneuver with courses involving counter-improvised explosive device training and driving with mine rollers. The EHRC course will provide training to ANA soldiers on explosive ordnance detection and disposal.
“The most impressive part of the construction of this training area was that it was spearheaded and completed by the newest soldiers in the 203rd CEK. Due to operational requirements, most of our veteran and experienced soldiers were on mission; these guys really stepped up and made the mission happen” said Sgt. Corey Ullom, a noncommissioned officer in the EMTT hailing from Huntington, W.Va.
In the coming months, more construction is planned for the Freedom of Movement training site, including an on-site permanent shelter that can house ANA soldiers during the classroom portions of instruction. The site is expected to train between 300-500 Afghan soldiers annually; this number will increase as the site continues to grow.
“What I love about this training site is that it enables ANA soldiers from across the entire 203rd Corps to train, learn, and hone their skills regardless of their job. It’s truly a force multiplier that will benefit the ANA for years to come,” said EMTT officer in charge, 1st Lt. Mike Carr of St. Cloud, Minn.
| Date Taken: | 08.21.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2013 05:52 |
| Story ID: | 116360 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE THUNDER, AF |
| Hometown: | HUNTINGTON, WV, US |
| Hometown: | ST. CLOUD, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From green to gold: New Afghan soldiers construct an advanced training site for 203rd Corps, by 1LT Steven Keith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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