Photo By Master Sgt. Kelly Simon | Sgt. Matthew Plowman discusses the benefits of various types of gloves and Arctic...... read more read more
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FORT DRUM, N.Y. - Fort Drum is known, and feared, for its harsh winters that seem to last forever. That is part of the reason Fort Drum was classified as a zone seven (arctic) base in early 2015.
The change opened doors to new extreme cold weather clothing and equipment for Soldiers as well as respect among the arctic community.
It also led to Fort Drum hosting the 2016 Extreme Cold Weather Symposium held Jan. 26-28. The symposium is in its fourth year, typically held at Fort Wainwright, Alaska and focusing on the needs of Soldiers stationed there. Fort Drum was the first to host the symposium in the lower 48 states, and will share the honors with Fort Wainwright, Drum being responsible for even years and Wainwright taking odd years.
John Korcz, the 10th Mountain Division (LI) Force Modernization Chief, spearheaded the team bringing the ECWS to Drum. One of the greatest benefits to hosting the symposium at Fort Drum is its location.
“We were able to double the attendance from the Alaska meetings, mostly because it’s easier to get here,” Korcz said. He listed the participants able to join in the ECWS this year including representatives from the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Army Mountain Warfare School, Special Forces Mountaineering Detachment and artic operations advisors from the Canadian Army.
Bringing these experts together helps improve the training available to all service members across the Department of Defense and our coalition partners, as well as keeping everyone up-to-date on the latest and greatest in gear and sustainability Korcz explained, adding that these events will continue to get better.
“This year Soldiers were able to see the snowmobiles and other over the snow vehicles in action, we’re hoping to expand on the hands-on experience in the future,” Korcz added that he is already in the process of working on the symposium for 2018.
“We’re FORSCOM, and FORSCOM is readiness. We have to be prepared for anything,” the focus for Korcz and the symposium was the Soldier, training, equipping and sustaining them through any extreme winter weather.
A big part of that training comes from the courses available at the 10th Mountain Division Light Fighters School. Staff Sgt. Gary Stancell is the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the Mountain Warfare Course, the primary winter weather course available on Fort Drum.
Stancell and his team offer the MWC as a two week Mobile Training Team course teaching the basics of mountaineering including knot tying, mountain climbing and rappelling, and survival techniques.
Stancell came to the 10th Mountain Division from Alaska, so cold weather training is nothing new to him. The lack of equipment, however, posed a challenge.
“We’re short on skiing supplies, bindings, poles, skis and wax or skins,” Stancell explained adding that their bulky snow shoes could use an update as well.
When Stancell presented at the symposium he highlighted the capabilities of the LFS and its potential, if demand for courses increased.
His bottom line was that all Soldiers should have a working knowledge of cold weather survival techniques, especially since the next major conflict could take us into cold weather environments. To help reach that goal the LFS is developing a Cold Weather Course available to all Soldiers on Fort Drum and drawing much of its content from the Northern Warfare Training Center at Fort Wainwright.
The NWTC offers the Cold Weather Indoctrination Course, training more than 450 Soldiers per year, and the Cold Weather Leaders Course which trains junior leaders to instruct the CWIC at the unit level. These two courses will drive the design of the LFS course, which aims to be ready next winter. Focusing on the mission is a common trait at Fort Drum, and Stancell shares that focus. He hopes the fledgling CWC enables leaders at all levels to empower their Soldiers in artic environments.
“In some of the locations we are deployed to it does snow, so units that come from a place that does not receive cold weather or over snow mobility training could be at a disadvantage on the mission,” he said.
Stancell said he and his team hope to mitigate that.
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2016 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 188040 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 483 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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