Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, and 141st Brigade Support Battalion, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, conducted annual training exercises at Camp Umatilla and Yakima Training Center, Wash., July 12 through28, 2017.
During this time the Soldiers trained in weaponry drills and live-fire exercises, medical care and instruction, and logistics.
“We are here to meet training requirements and standards,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Geoffrey Miotke, senior enlisted advisor, 1st Inf. Bn., 186th Inf. Regt. “The more specialty training we do, the better we become.,
For citizen Soldiers, readiness is all about training. Soldiers participated in 24-hour operations including mortar and sniper ranges in Yakima, as well as short-range marksmanship on the ranges at Umatilla.
“We are conducting ambush and raid training,” said Staff Sgt. Steven Luthi, an infantryman., “We trained on individual and squad tactics throughout the year and are working at the platoon-level and team-level with live-fire and blanks while on the firing range.”
Leaders demonstrated the series of react-to-contact scenarios for Soldiers to work through to improve familiarity with specific various types of shooting postures and obstacles.
“Team cohesion and communication is the focus of this drill,” said Spc. Dustin Hagglund, and infantryman also with 1st Inf. Bn. “We are conducting short-range marksmanship and communicating what we are doing while moving, bounding from behind cover and in the open.”
Using live fire while moving and reacting to fire with occasional weapon jams, reloading, suppressing fire, and communicating clearly are issues that arise increasing the tension and anxiety of a fighting environment.
“It is the reinforcement of infantry tactics of using live fire and the stress that is connected with it,” said Capt. Jeremy Wellman, physician’s assistant with Company H, 141st Bde. Spt. Bn. “We have 16 medics on the ground divided between Yakima and Umatilla to facilitate training and support.,” he said. “We supported the Chinook flights to Yakima. We supported the live fire ranges and conducted combat lifesaver classes there and in Umatilla.”
Medics not only instructed other Soldiers on field medical care, but they also trained to refresh and retain their medic skills.
During the training, mechanics maintained all the vehicles, providing needed services and repairs.
“Right now, we are looking for the source of a leak on a truck,” said Spc. Amar Prinzlow, a wheeled vehicle mechanic, with Co. H. “We have been doing lots of services and technical inspections.”
Military training and maintaining vehicles requires maintaining Soldiers as well. Culinary specialists provided the nourishment Soldiers need to be able to complete the tasks assigned, setting up a self-contained field kitchen to serve meals made from scratch, hot off the stove.
“We are serving about 300 Soldiers during this AT,” said Spc. Matthew Stallcop, a culinary specialist with Co. H.
Mobile field kitchens have the ability to provide fresh meals for up to 800 Soldiers, a brigade-sized element, and provide support to units every other drill weekend and at the brigade-level training rotations such as Fort Irwin and Camp Roberts, Calif.
Camaraderie, working together and cross training are common denominators during annual training. Cooks satisfy hunger pangs. Medics provide combat lifesaver classes, with mechanics stepping in and becoming casualties for the medics to practice on.
Training can’t happen without Soldiers.
“For the success of training, the mission, and readiness for combat, a battalion requires Soldiers,” said Miotke. “World-class training keeps world-class Soldiers.”
| Date Taken: |
07.25.2017 |
| Date Posted: |
09.10.2017 02:37 |
| Story ID: |
247619 |
| Location: |
UMATILLA, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: |
142 |
| Downloads: |
2 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, National Guard Infantry conduct contact, cohesion, communication training, by SFC Anita Stratton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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