Photo By Spc. Anna Laurin | Spc. James Barron, firefighter with the 181st Engineer Detachment Firefighting Team,...... read more read more
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SALINA, Kan. - Not all military training is for a direct company mission, which is exactly the type of training the Soldiers of the Nebraska Army National Guard were doing in an extraction drill during Vigilant Guard 2014, an exercise hosted by Kansas at Crisis City, Salina, Kansas, Aug. 4 2014.
The 632nd Vertical Engineer Company assembled teams to practice their rope-handling skills in a drill designed to prepare the Soldiers in rescuing actual victims in a real disaster.
“Our exercise today was to extract three victims out of an elevator shaft,” said Sgt. John Langley, carpentry and masonry specialist, 632nd Vertical Engineer Company of the Nebraska Army National Guard, and team leader for the mission. “We were focused on how to hook up a proper rope system to successfully rescue victims.”
Handling ropes and rescuing civilians is not a common opportunity for all members of the 632nd Vertical Engineer Company.
“We only do this type of training two, or three times a year,” said Langley. “Practicing with the ropes on the drill floor and tying knots was a lot of the preparation we did for this exercise.”
The teams are made up of different elements, like firefighters, who are attached to the engineers as to assist during these exercises and actual emergency situations.
“They practice handling the ropes a lot more than we do,” said Langley. “They are more proficient.”
Although not all of the Soldiers work with rescue skills on a first-line mission, they understand how important the training is.
“Becoming more proficient in our search and extraction skills is very important,” said Langley. “It’s our job stateside and, when we come out here to train, we just get better and better at it.”
Overall, the mission was a success and the team leader was very happy with the teamwork his Soldiers put forth.
“The team did great,” said Langley. “The teamwork was fantastic. Everyone worked together and had great communication. This was probably one of the best rope missions I’ve been on.”
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2014 16:47 |
| Story ID: | 138791 |
| Location: | SALINA, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Hometown: | SALINA, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | TOPEKA, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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