THE RETURN TO EXPEDITIONARY COMBAT: 841 EN BN TRAINS FOR THE NEXT ERA OF MODERN WARFARE

Photo By Canadian Forces 2Lt Derek Speir | Soldiers from the 841 EN BN, HHC clear a building located on their FOB site as a part of their quartering party operations during the Battalion's Castle IRC event. Soldiers cleared various hard structures on the FOB site they were occupying in order to secure the site. After the area was cleared, the company's CBRN NCO was able to clear the area for CBRN threats. However, since the room clearings occur before the area is cleared for CBRN, the rooms must be cleared wearing the protective gas masks.  

FORT DIX, NJ, UNITED STATES

06.13.2017

Story by Canadian Forces 2Lt Derek Speir 

841st Engineer Battalion

The 841st EN BN practiced this new warfare style during the FTX portion of their ECT rotation at Fort Dix known as Castle IRC. 841 EN BN dispersed its 10 companies across 6 bivouac sites, forcing each company (including their HHC and FSC elements) to self-sustain while in enemy terrain, providing their own security and tactical movement capabilities. As part of this movement, 841 EN BN companies (collectively known as TF Hurricane), conducted Quartering Party Operations, a term which many Soldiers likely haven’t heard for well over a decade. These Quartering Parties moved ahead of the main body in order to clear their respective Assembly Areas for enemy forces, traps, obstacles, and CBRN threats.

This operation is conducted while in MOPP 4, which illustrates another fundamental change in the expeditionary style of warfare: a renewed emphasis on CBRN. With future threats being both varied and unknown, units have been training again against possible chemical and radiological threats while in combat. TF Hurricane readied its troops for this new CBRN threat by conducting clearing operations in MOPP 4, and running Soldiers through the NBC gas chambers at Fort Dix, a long neglected training site that most Soldiers only ever experience during basic training.

In addition to the focus on battling CBRN threats, the 841st EN BN centered its attention on engaging in more force-on-force defense and offense missions. Intelligence analysis and war gaming by the higher echelons of the US Military suggests that America’s next big engagement may not be fought against an insurgent force, but rather a “near peer” competitor. To simulate this OPFOR, the 841st EN BN allowed its unit nearly carte blanche to engage in force on force attacks against the other units in the Battalion without warning. A FOB became overrun when its guidon was stolen, and CS gas canisters and artillery simulators could be deployed to introduce a dynamic threat to any attack. Units were forced to work with each other to attack and defend while under this persistent and unpredictable threat that their sister units were providing. This multi-echelon, combined arms exercise allowed the 841st Engineer Battalion to effectively train its downtrace units on the combat scenarios they may encounter in the United States’ next engagement.

In addition, the 841st also conducted 11 different qualification and training ranges concurrently with the FTX. These ranges included a M320 grenade launcher familiarization, MK19 familiarization, M2 .50 Cal qualification, demo range, practice mine sweeping lane, and a driver’s training course.

• Date Taken: 06.13.2017
• Date Posted: 08.08.2017 13:18
• Story ID: 240564
• Location: FORT DIX, NJ, US