Ukrainian guardsmen complete first phase of training

Photo By Staff Sgt. Alexander Skripnichuk | Soldiers from the Ukrainian national guard's 3005th Regiment evacuate a mock casualty during an individual-soldier-skill assessment June 25, 2015, as part of Fearless Guardian in Yavoriv, Ukraine. Paratroopers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade are in Ukraine for the first of several planned rotations to train Ukraine's newly-formed national guard as part of Fearless Guardian, which is scheduled to last six months. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Alexander Skripnichuk, 13th Public Affairs Detachment)  

YAVORIV, UKRAINE

06.25.2015

Story by Sgt. Alexander Skripnichuk 

173rd Airborne Brigade

YAVORIV, Ukraine – Soldiers from the Ukrainian national guard completed the first of five modules during the second rotation of Fearless Guardian here June 25, 2015, with a practical exercise testing their knowledge on the training covered so far before moving into the next step of training.

Fearless Guardian is the name for the Congress-approved, Departments of State and Defense initiative to train the newly-formed Ukrainian national guard under the Global Security Contingency Fund-Ukraine. The U.S. military and the training provided are at the request of the Ukrainian government.

“The soldiers ran through a 10-step assessment testing all the subjects covered in the first two weeks of training,” said 2nd Lt. Joseph Frechette, a platoon leader with the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade. “We made the assessment stressful for the soldiers to ensure their knowledge of individual soldier skills under realistic conditions.”

During the first two weeks of training, paratroopers covered soldier tasks including camouflage, basic rifle marksmanship, react to direct and indirect fire and combat first aid.

According to Frachette, the assessment of soldier skills in a practical exercise is one of the changes made in the second rotation of Fearless Guardian in order to help the paratroopers train the guardsmen more efficiently by identifying strengths and weaknesses.

“I was impressed with the high level of motivation the Ukrainian soldiers showed,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jordan Kerr. “They were proficient in their skills and are ready to move forward to more complex training.”

During the 55-day training rotation, guardsmen will begin with training individual soldier skills and progress to squad, platoon and company-size operations, allowing them to function as a professional military able to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine against all threats, internal and external.

• Date Taken: 06.25.2015
• Date Posted: 06.28.2015 16:43
• Story ID: 168432
• Location: YAVORIV, UA