Soldiers put their skills to the test during culminating exercise

Photo By Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon | Soldiers acting as a member of the oppositional forces antagonize multinational soldiers during the final training event at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Nov. 4. The exercise was the culmination of several weeks of training and emphasized communication and and team-building. (U.S. Army Photos by Spc. Adeline Witherspoon)  

BY, GERMANY

11.04.2016

Story by Spc. Adeline Witherspoon      

20th Public Affairs Detachment

HOHENFELS, Germany—The plan kicked into action the moment they received the call. There was a riot in one of the villages. The Soldiers of 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division, had spent the past few weeks preparing for just such an event and now their skills would be put to the test.
“We got off the trucks and we were told there was gas so we donned our pro masks and got into formation and moved forward until we could see the barriers,” said Spc. Daniel Espino. “Our commander took control and we pushed forward until we were able to clear the barrier that the crowd made to allow freedom of movement for the rest of the guys.”
Through the thick plumes of colored smoke the Soldiers moved forward as a single entity, their thick plastic riot shields interlocking like scales.
“Hold the line! Hold the line!” cried the commander. The Soldiers echoed the command as the first wave of rioters broke upon their shields.
It wasn’t a real riot, but the Soldiers playing the oppositional forces sure made it feel like one. Dressed as unruly civilians, they set upon their counterparts from 1-33 Cavalry with fists and foam batons.
The exercise was called “Dynamic Manor,” and it was the culminating event of weeks of training lead by observer coach trainers at the United States Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center.
“We all knew it was a big training day so everybody was ready to come out here and give it their all,” said Espino. “We were well rested and we ate our wheaties.”
Dynamic Manor is a type of exercise scenario that combines individual training tasks into a complex dynamic environment that simulates what could possibly occur down-range.
“These troops are going to be heading down range to Kosovo for the next rotation,” said Staff Sgt. William Threadgill, an observer coach trainer for JMRC’s Raptor team. “They need real-world training so that in the event they have to utilize these skill sets that we’re teaching, it won’t be the first time they’ve ever done it.”
In addition to classroom-based training, the Soldiers learned to combat molotov cocktails and practiced crowd-control procedures.
“There’s a crawl, walk, run training method that we utilize here, so we start off with a lot of classroom instruction and then move forward using all the things we’ve taught in the classroom and putting it into practical use during the STX days,” said Threadgill. “Once we get done with that, we bring them out and have these guys utilize the skills they have been practicing in a real-life environment and this way we can make sure they’re getting it right before we ship them out of here.”
The hands-on training focused on building communication skills and allowed commanders to identify areas that may need improvement.
“Each soldier has an individual purpose,” said Threadgill. “They need to be able to expect the unexpected and to figure out how to come together as a team.”
The Soldiers from 1-33 Cavalry will be attached to the the Ohio National Guard’s 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during their upcoming deployment to Kosovo in support of Kosovo Force 22.

• Date Taken: 11.04.2016
• Date Posted: 11.06.2016 03:44
• Story ID: 213929
• Location: BY, DE