1SBCT Soldiers vigilant, ready to engage forces at JRTC

Courtesy Photo | "Providers" from 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, lay concertina wire around their tactical operations center as a defensive measure at JRTC and Fort Polk, Jan. 10. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)  

FORT POLK, LA, UNITED STATES

01.15.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Ricardo Branch 

24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

FORT POLK, La. – Soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Ready First,” 1st Armored Division, deployed to the pinewoods of Louisiana in early January as part of a monthlong training exercise to test their readiness for combat.

The training at Joint Readiness Training Center here offers a great opportunity to prepare troops for battle.

“Coming here to JRTC is great because it provides some of the most realistic training not normally available on smaller squad and company sized training exercises,” said Staff Sgt. Isaac Downing, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st SBCT, 1st AD.

Downing, 34, from El Paso, Texas, relates training in places like JRTC with experiences he faced in a combat zone.

“It’s some of the best training for new Soldiers the Army can provide without going into actual combat,” he said. “Dealing with force-on-force and the situation we experienced out here are just like what you could face down range. Fortunately, there are experienced NCOs available to help young Soldiers through the challenges this training offers.”

Among the many benefits to training here, the west Texas-based Soldiers immediately notice one thing – trees.

“This is definitely a different environment. This place has more woodland, so it’s nice to get out of the desert and into some areas with trees,” said Spc. Corey Hutchison, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st SBCT, 1st AD.

Hutchinson, 22, from Fredrickson, Virginia, went through a lot of steps to prepare for the current rotation in JRTC.

“We did a lot of individual weapons qualification and various classes to make sure we were set for success over here,” the infantryman said. “Things like Sergeants Time Training or tactical operations center setup drills ensure we knew how to operate once things got started.”

The greatest benefit to the training will be the lessons the Soldiers learn, said Col. Earl Higgins Jr., brigade commander.

“We’ve got world-class trainers, coaches, and mentors to assist us in being the best we can be” Higgins said. “This is an incredible opportunity to test our commitment to be the absolute best we can be at what we do.”

• Date Taken: 01.15.2016
• Date Posted: 01.15.2016 16:32
• Story ID: 186423
• Location: FORT POLK, LA, US
• Hometown: EL PASO, TX, US