Photo By Spc. Ethan Valetski | Soldiers from the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division...... read more read more
Subscribe
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. – Dozens of Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Artillery, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, participated in a deployment readiness exercise, Oct. 16-18, in preparation for an upcoming deployment to the Republic of Korea.
The purpose of the exercise was to stress unit and installation deployment systems and processes to ensure the readiness of the 2ID DIVARTY early entry command post.
“A large part of the challenge is making sure everyone is on the right page,” said Maj. Dana Norris, the air defense artillery manager and brigade aviation element chief at 2ID DIVARTY. “Not only are we making sure our Soldiers are prepared to deploy in little to no notice, we’re cross coordinating with the Air Force to make sure our transportation and equipment is taken care on the way to our destination and back.”
The HHB DIVARTY received a no notice alert to deploy the EECP within 96 hours.
Within that timeline, the unit conducted necessary pre-deployment tasks and prepared essential personnel and equipment for a deployment to a forward location.
Everyone has a role to play in this exercise, said Sgt. Matthew Boisclaire, an air defense battle management system operator and team leader at 2ID DIVARTY. The Soldiers participating are performing essential tasks like making sure our vehicles are ready to move out, communications are up and running, as well as the equipment brought has been well maintained and ready to be put to use.
With assistance from the 62nd Airlift Wing, 2ID DIVARTY Soldiers and equipment were loaded on to a C-17 Globemaster, a military transport aircraft, and deployed from JBLM to the Moses Lake International Airport located in Grant County, Wash.
Col. Stephen Snelson, the 62nd Airlift Wing vice commander and one of the pilots for the exercise, said conducting joint training of this nature is important because it provides his crews the opportunity to conduct loading inspections and aerial maneuvers with a real combat load of personnel and equipment.
Once on ground at Moses Lake, the DIVARTY team established its mission command systems and executed critical Force Field Artillery tasks.
This exercise is the second time 2ID DIVARTY has conducted a no notice deployment readiness procedure in the last year. Exercises like these are a critical part of the unit’s preparations to support operations in Korea as part of 2ID.
“What we have done here is create a proof of concept,” said Norris. “These types exercises let us know how prepared we are as Soldiers, if we’re told we need to fight tonight.”
| Date Taken: | 10.20.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2017 17:25 |
| Story ID: | 252513 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 277 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 2ID DIVARTY conducts training as part of deployment readiness exercise, by SPC Ethan Valetski, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT