2nd BCT, 1st AD participates in urban warfare training

Photo By Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Tarr | OROGRANDE, New Mexico--A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division prepares to fire a M240B machine gun during urban warfare training, May 22 at the training site here. The Soldiers are participating in Iron Focus 17, which is a brigade level training exercise that allows commanders to exercise their systems and processes, as well as battle tracking and forward support distribution. It also allows them to gauge the status of their readiness and validate processes to ensure they are prepared for worldwide operations. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Tarr)  

OROGRANDE, TX, UNITED STATES

05.25.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Tarr 

24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

OROGRANDE, New Mexico—Soldiers assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division conducted urban warfare training during Iron Focus 17, May 18-May 24 at the training site here.

Iron Focus 17 is a brigade level training exercise that allows commanders to exercise their systems and processes, as well as battle tracking and forward support distribution. It also allows them to gauge the status of their readiness and validate processes to ensure they are prepared for worldwide operations.

The training consisted of Soldiers strategically maneuvering through villages that contained insurgents and effectively removing them from the area, while ensuring the safety of the local populace.

“This training tested both of our systems, not just our infantrymen and their ability to clear urban areas and destroy an aggressor but also being conscious of collateral damage of civilians in the battlefield,” said Maj. Matthew St. Pierre, S3 operations officer in charge for 2nd Brigade.

Soldiers assigned to various units throughout the division provided support to 2nd Brigade by playing the role of the opposing force and were able to receive training from a different perspective.

“There are going to be real civilians in the combat zone and it’s important for our Soldiers to be able to see the bigger picture,” said Pfc. Zak Zimmerman, an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. “It is important to be as accurate as possible when it comes to real life situations and that’s what the opposing force provides.”

The “Iron Brigade” has recently returned to U.S. Forces Command operational status as the 1st Armored Division’s second available armored brigade combat team capable of deploying worldwide as directed by the Army today. For the last five years 2nd BCT, 1st AD, has been the unit that performed the Army’s Network Integration Evaluation mission for the Brigade Modernization Command (BMC).

Over the past 18 months, Lt. Col. Dave Wright, commander of the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Division said he pushed his cavalry troopers, NCOs, and officers harder than many of them expected to improve their readiness and lethality.

“Not only did they live up to the expectations of the veterans of the Squadron, but they also solidified a reputation in the brigade and across the 1st Armored Division as a highly effective and disciplined reconnaissance and security formation,” he said.

Iron Focus 17 was the final home station training event to certify the brigade for its upcoming training rotation at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California this summer.

“Iron Focus was a very intense event that helped to acclimate our Soldiers and prepare them for the challenges at NTC,” said St. Pierre. “I’m confident that our Soldiers are prepared and equipped to handle any situation that may arise.”

• Date Taken: 05.25.2017
• Date Posted: 05.25.2017 13:45
• Story ID: 235285
• Location: OROGRANDE, TX, US