Providers conduct Leader Stakes exercise

Photo By Spc. Alexandria Seekings | Sgt. 1st Class Aaron C. Cook (left), a combat engineer who serves as the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, helps Capt. Vernita D. Handsborough, Marne Reception Center Commander prepare a small block of C4 plastic explosive at a demolitions range on Fort Stewart, Ga., March 22. The Soldiers were conducting Provider Leader Stakes, a quarterly training event which takes company and higher command teams within the sustainment brigade out of the office and puts them in the field to build camaraderie and train on skills they don’t often get to practice. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alex Seekings)  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

03.22.2017

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Ben Navratil 

3rd Division Sustainment Brigade

Officer and enlisted leaders within the 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade engaged in a training exercise called Leader Stakes at Fort Stewart March 21-22.
The quarterly exercise is a chance for the command teams to work together and get out of the office to work on tactical training they may not get to do very often.
1st Lt. Devin Meadows, executive assistant to the brigade commander, planned the training alongside Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Cook, a combat engineer who serves as the sustainment brigade’s Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.
“This was an opportunity for the sustainment brigade to train on some things we don’t always get to train on,” said Meadows.
The first day was a familiarization day. Cook and several engineers from the 530th Engineer Company, 92nd Engineer Battalion went over demolish procedures and safety precautions for the equipment they’d be working on, including C-4, claymores and grenades.
“Sometimes when you get a lot of senior leaders, one or two may stay off to the side and not get engaged,” said Cook, “but I appreciate that here, everybody was very involved. A lot of good questions came out of it.”
The second day started well before sunrise, with a formation at about 5 a.m., where the Soldiers crowded onto a team of helicopters and were flown into the remote training areas to start their day.
Following a ruck march, the Soldiers immediately went to work on the first task of the day, setting up detonation cord and plastic explosives. In combat, this technique is often used to eliminate an obstacle.
Following that, they practiced firing AT-4 anti-tank weapons on practice equipment that fires a 9mm tracer round, and three Soldiers got to fire the real thing.
After a brief break for lunch, the leaders moved on to another range, where they threw hand grenades and set up and detonated claymore mines.
By the end of the day, the Soldiers were tired, dirty and sweaty; but Meadows hoped they also came away with a better understanding of what the sustainment brigade’s capabilities are.
“I think the most important thing about this training is it gave these Soldiers a broader scope on what we can do,” said Meadows.

• Date Taken: 03.22.2017
• Date Posted: 03.24.2017 18:34
• Story ID: 228044
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US