FORT BLISS, Texas – 1st Brigade Combat Team,1st Armored Division, Soldiers and civilian contractors trained British Soldiers of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, 12th Armored Infantry Brigade, on the Stryker, an eight wheeled armored combat vehicle at Fort Bliss, Texas, Sept. 11.
Over the next month British forces, interested in adopting the Stryker, will gain an extensive look at the vehicle and its capabilities.
“Right now we are getting the vehicle crews familiar with the Stryker as they are looking to possibly adopt the Stryker vehicle into their force,” said Staff Sgt. Jared Cate, weapons squad leader, 1st Battalion, 36 Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT. “They want to see what the vehicles can do, test them out and see how it compares to other vehicles.”
Civilian instructors with General Dynamic Land Systems out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., instructed basic equipment set-up and operation while U.S. Soldiers provided additional expertise and on-the-spot guidance.
The goal is to train the troops using the ‘crawl, walk, run’ method, explained Cate. First the Soldiers will become acclimated with the vehicle, then they will head to the field to test their skills.
“We’re learning a new vehicle platform,” said British Guardsman Michael Chadwick, 1st Battalion Scots Guards, 12th Armored Infantry Brigade. “I’ve mainly worked with tracked vehicles as a gunner so this is the first time I’ve ever driven a military vehicle. It’s provided a definite insight.”
The British Soldiers will find more insight on the Stryker’s capabilities as they transition to the “run” portion of the training.
“We have a 23-day field problem beginning next week where the vehicle crews will get some hands on experience and test the vehicle’s capabilities in a desert environment,” said Cate.
While the Scots Guards test out their new knowledge of the Strykers, U.S. Soldiers will brush up on perishable skills they may not use in day-to-day operations.
“This is a good refresher for a lot of our Soldiers who have not done this type of training recently,” said Staff Sgt. David Clark, squad leader, 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st BCT.
Additionally, this mission provides Soldiers from both sides a rare opportunity to work closely with a NATO ally on American soil, said Clark.
“It’s a good experience,” said Chadwick. “Our training is mainly in Canada or the U.K. so we don’t get a chance to do anything like this, especially for this length of time.”
Cate believes the British Soldiers will take back every bit of knowledge and expertise his team had to offer.
“I’m hoping they are able to take back a good experience working with the American Soldiers,” said Cate. “That is definitely a main priority. Secondly, I hope they get a good understanding of the vehicles capabilities and whether or not it is exactly what they are looking for in a medium-infantry vehicle.”
Date Taken: | 09.11.2015 |
Date Posted: | 09.14.2015 18:07 |
Story ID: | 176021 |
Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
Hometown: | ALDERSHOT, HAM, GB |
Web Views: | 260 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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