Vanguard Training and Assessment Company builds leadership and knowledge

Photo By Sgt. Joshua Laidacker | Service members from across 3rd Infantry Division conduct a tactical movement during the Combat Leaders Course, facilitated by the Vanguard Training and Assessment Company, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID, on Fort Stewart, Ga., April 1, 2015. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Joshua Laidacker, 4th IBCT, 3rd ID, Public Affairs)  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

04.02.2015

Story by Sgt. Joshua Laidacker 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FORT STEWART, Ga. - “The Vanguard Training and Assessment Company provides combat leaders course graduates an increased preparedness in combat arms functions,” said Col. Thomas Gukeisen, commander of 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. “These are fundamental skills every soldier needs to know.”

The 4th IBCT has introduced a new training company, The Vanguard Training and Assessment Company dubbed VTAC. This company made up of instructors who have been hand selected by the brigade sergeant major, was created to ensure all Soldiers are given an opportunity to gain a better knowledge base

“Our goal is to ensure that we’re training soldiers to improve their knowledge base,” said Capt. Matthew Longo, commander of the Vanguard Training and Assessment Company. The cadres’ sole job is to teach, coach and mentor Soldiers who attend the Combat Leaders Course, Small Arms Master Gunner Course, and the Urban Breachers Course, which is slated to begin later this year.

“By attending the course, soldiers will gain that knowledge base that you need and want them to have,” said Longo.

The most recent class of CLC graduates completed the course on April 2, 2015. The course, framed around Ranger situational exercises, can accommodate up to 40 students at a time. One recent graduate accepted his certificate of completion with pride.

“It definitely exceeded my expectations,” 2nd Lt. Taylor Hale, 15th Air Support Operations Squadron of the Air Force. “It was a lot of fun though and I learned a lot of tactical field skills.”

Hale was one of three airmen who had just completed the 10-day field portion of the course during the rotation. The course itself is not restricted from anyone who is physically able to complete it.

“Everyone wants a soldier who is willing to improve and wants to develop himself or herself which is why our course is MOS and gender immaterial,” said Longo.

“Every soldier within the brigade needs to have that opportunity,” said Gukeisen.

One recent graduate, turned instructor, provided an excellent example of the variety of students and military occupation specialties, or MOSs, which attend this school successfully.

“It was rough but it was very educational, especially for someone came from my MOS which isn’t infantry based,” said Sgt. Helena Krukowski, a carpenter who helps instruct at the VTAC.

“It was one of the best classes I’ve been to.”

“Being imbedded with the Army, I think one of the most important things is understanding their scheme of maneuver,” said Hale, who said his primary mission is to facilitate close air support for 3rd ID. “I’d say the biggest takeaway would be the knowledge of field skills. Specifically the ambush and recon battle drills we went over.”

Gukeisen said that the course is designed to improve leadership in the soldiers who attend but also serves as an important metric to the 4th IBCT, or Vanguard Brigade, for soldiers preparing to go to ranger school because it improves their graduation percentages.

“Just the foundational knowledge of the operations orders, the tactical field skills and the gut check of seeing how your body and mind react after going days with little sleep and little food gives you a gauge of where you need to be for that course,” said Hale, who says he will go on to Ranger School if he gets the opportunity.

Not all candidates are preparing to go to Ranger School though.

“We hope that units are sending guys even who don’t necessarily want to go to ranger school,” said Longo. “We’re trying to improve soldiers and leaders. I think anybody who is willing to go through this course is going to improve themselves and go back to their unit and improve their soldiers.”

Krukowski said she really felt like she earned something in completing the course and added, “I think I could go back to the 92nd Engineers and be a better team leader or squad leader than I would have been before because I know so much more.”

Gukeisen concluded saying the course is opened to all service members who are physically able and assigned or attached to 3rd ID.

The next Combat Leaders Course is slated to start May 5 and can accept up to 40 students. The next Small Arms Master Gunner Course is slated to start April 20 and can accept up to 10 students. The Urban Breacher Course is slated to begin after July 2015.

For more information about the courses offered by the Vanguard Training and Assessment Company, contact [phone] or [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 04.02.2015
• Date Posted: 04.09.2015 12:56
• Story ID: 159523
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US