Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Dennis | M2A3 Bradley Crews from 2nd Battalion, 5th Cav. Reg., 1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div. convoy...... read more read more
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As the early November chill creeps into the air and the signs of fall start to sidle into everyone’s awareness, Soldiers from Ironhorse Brigade are already at work before the sun starts to crest the horizon, preparing their equipment and vehicles for movement.
The mission to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, is the culmination of the training 1st Brigade Combat Team “Ironhorse,” 1st Cavalry Division has done up to this point to show that they stand ready for any mission the United States needs it for.
For the Soldiers of Ironhorse, it is the final certification that they are ready to do their mission in just about any location around the world.
“A rotation to NTC means we have been assessed, we have been trained, this is our final certification and we would do well in an operation or a combat deployment,” said Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gutierrez, a combat engineer from Company A, 91st Engineering Battalion, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div.
Over the past year, Ironhorse’s battalions conducted training at all levels, beginning with squad, company and battalions training up for Ironhorse Inferno this past July. This in turn prepared the brigade for the Pegasus Forge II exercise, held last September.
That is only the surface of what readiness looks like though. To be prepared for any situation, the U.S. Army may need 1st BCT to respond to, it takes more than just field training, it takes continuous maintenance and preparation that is both physical and mental.
“Me being a squad leader, I make sure my NCOs are on top of their Soldiers for maintaining the vehicles,” Gutierrez said, “and that all of my vehicles are at 100 percent by conducting proper preventative maintenance checks and ensuring that my vehicles are getting their proper maintenance.”
Without preserving Ironhorse’s combat power through a constant and persistent maintenance schedule, the brigade’s M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, M2A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and other equipment wouldn’t be able to do their missions.
“We had three Bradleys dead lined,” Gutierrez said. “But by working with my mechanics, we were able to make them all operational and ready to go to NTC.”
Vehicles and equipment aren’t the only things to be maintained and ready to go when called upon, the individual Soldiers as well need to be physically prepared.
“I run to prepare and be ready for duty,” said Spc. Joshua Pruitt an infantryman from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, “As a leader, in infantry, it requires a lot of physical training. A lot of physical things you have to do and if you can’t make it to the fight, then you can’t lead Soldiers.”
For a Soldier, there is also the mental half that needs to be ready as well – the Family back home needs to be prepared for when the Soldier is away.
“To prepare isn’t all physical, there is also a lot of mental things, like being away from the Family,” Pruitt said. “Usually, before I leave for a mission, I talk to my wife and daughter to let them know what’s going on and that everything is going to be OK.”
With all these different parts to being prepared and ready to fight, it can be a challenge to maintain that capability, but it must all come together to ensure Ironhorse is ready to fight wherever the country needs them.
“Be ready to fight, be ready to train and be ready to execute whenever called upon. Obviously, it all ties together, in order to be successful and achieve whatever the mission is going to be,” Gutierrez said.
| Date Taken: | 11.09.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.09.2017 12:47 |
| Story ID: | 254795 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 118 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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