Photo By Chuck Cannon | Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. — On Oct. 5, Soldiers with 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, teamed up with fellow Soldiers from the 317th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd BCT, 10th Mtn Div and the Louisiana National Guard to work on Mission Essential Task List (METL) tasks that dealt with conducting gun raids. The METL are tasks a unit must accomplish to achieve its objectives.
“We worked on sling loading two M119A3 howitzers in two different configurations to validate sling load practices for the battery to better support the 3rd Brigade Combat Team’s mission,” 1st Sgt. Sean M. Willis, B Battery, 5th Bn, 25th FA Reg, 3rd BCT, 10th Mtn Div, said. “We used two different configurations: Static discharge line and reach pendant.”
Willis said being proficient at sling load operations is important for his battery.
“With the brigade’s mission in a decisive action conflict, to move the guns to keep up with the brigade or to help facilitate an assault, we could be called in to air assault these howitzers into a forward location and provide supporting fire for the maneuver elements,” Willis said.
While some of his Soldiers have conducted sling load operations in the past, Willis said it always helps to have refresher training.
“A lot of the Soldiers that are out here today conducted sling load operations in support of Inherent Resolve,” Willis said. “We also conducted sling load operations from Iraq into Syria for some Special Operations Forces that were there. So, the Soldiers are not unfamiliar with sling load operations. We do have some new Soldiers that have not conducted sling load operations and this will be a good opportunity for them to understand how you do it and to go through the step action drills to conduct those operations.”
Having the Louisiana National Guard provide two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters for air support during the training was beneficial for all concerned, Willis said.
“This allows them (LNG Soldiers) to certify sling operations also,” Willis said. “The partnership achieves objectives for both the National Guard and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.”
In addition to sling load operations, the 3rd BCT Soldiers also worked on rappelling from the helicopters. Willis said rappelling is one of the Soldiers’ common tasks.
“Being able to rappel on the walls at the air assault compound on Fort Polk is good, but today being able to actually do it out of an aircraft takes that training to the next level,” Willis said. “Training like this allows us to potentially rappel an advanced party for the guns into an area where helicopters might not be able to land.”
Willis said having the 317th BEB join the training helps foster the close working relationships the two units have.
“Working with the 317th Brigade Engineer Battalion has provided us with a lot of good training opportunities,” he said. “They provided rappel masters and some of the equipment to achieve today’s training objectives. It also strengthens our relationship with them so that when we go into combat or other training environments we know each other and are able to work with each other more efficiently.”
Willis said it pays to have a close relationship with the engineers.
“There are some additional tasks that may be required if we drop into an austere firing point, which would include clearing trees to be able to shoot,” he said. “The engineers would be key to getting that done. The relationship with 317th BEB is really important to us.”
Willis said the key takeaways from the training are to develop the partnership between his unit and the National Guard, achieving the METL tasks, and the relationship with the 317th BEB.
“If we can develop those relationships and achieve those tasks then the training will definitely be a success,” he said.
Sgt. 1st Class Alan Carroll, Bravo Company, 317th BEB, 3rd BCT, 10th Mtn Div, said its important to train with other units in the 3rd BCT.
“The major objective is to build rapport with our sister battalions, build better relationships that foster esprit de corps; to prepare for future training and conduct cross training,” Carroll said. “I know a lot of the 5/25 guys want to learn demo and a lot of engineers want to understand how field artillery works. We have a plan to train together in the future. This is block one of the steps we need to take. We plan to do a partnership operation where engineers will rappel into a drop zone and clear out the area to allow sling load operations for 5/25 to drop guns in to engage the enemy.”
Carroll said this was the first time he had worked with a National Guard unit.
“So far, it’s been pretty good,” he said. “We went to them and explained the objectives we wanted to achieve. They were extremely excited and definitely want to support us. It will enhance the training by having them on the ground, allowing cross-talk with them to ensure we are all on the same page. This is the first time training together for both of us.”
Carroll said training with other units and components increases the war fighting capability of the 317th BEB.
“As a part of the 10th Mountain Division, we are a light infantry force and we do a lot of air insertions and assault operations when the air assets allow,” he said. “It’s going to give the Soldiers a better understanding of skills like approaching an aircraft, exiting an aircraft and, if needed, how to rappel from an aircraft.
Training with other units also allows Soldiers to gain a better understanding of equipment they don’t normally see on a day-to-day basis, Carroll said.
“It advances operational capability by us understanding what the howitzers and other equipment our companion battalions have so we can better incorporate that into our mission plans,” he said.
“Also, if we had to maneuver to and from an objective and we have to do demolition, the field artillery guys would have a better understanding of the effects of each block of demolition and how much explosive to calculate to achieve the desired objective. If for some reason we are short on engineers, it will allow the FA guys to jump in and take over some demo operations like helping us clear lanes so we get where we need to go in a timely manner.”
Capt. Mike Permenter is the commander of the Louisiana National Guard’s Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 244th Assault Helicopter Brigade, based in Pineville, Louisiana. He said his unit enjoys working with active-Army units.
“We’ve come over here several times to help facilitate their training for the Air Assault School and their rappelling, sling loads or whatever they need to do,” he said. “We try to do that to keep up relations between the National Guard and the active duty Army. We’ve done it before and enjoy it.”
Permenter said the training was, “awesome. We get iterations in for sling loads, with rappelling … these are things we don’t get to do on a regular basis so when we get the chance to come over and help (Fort Polk) out with their training it helps us with ours as well. It’s always as much of a positive experience for us from a training standpoint as it is for them.”
Permenter said the type of training involving two sister active-Army battalions and a National Guard unit improves relationships and creates a more-productive war-fighting machine.
“I definitely think the more often we can do things like this, the better the relationship is between the different components,” he said. “We all wear the same uniform so when we can come together and train together it’s better for the fighting force over all. You have the entire fighting force on the same page. They are doing the same amount of training, the same kind of training and working with each other. Ultimately, we’re all going to deploy together anyway so it helps the mission out.”
Pfc. Josh Seman is a cannon crewmember in B Company, 5th Bn, 25th FA Reg. He said working with the 317th BEB and Louisiana National Guard gave him a better understanding of the importance of units training and working together.
“In any given scenario, you could be teamed up with anyone,” he said. “Training together gives me confidence that the other guy knows what to do. If I see them down range, I’ll know they are competent because we trained together and we’re on the same page.”
Seman said the training helped him overcome his fear of heights.
“When I got here, I was jittery but my peers calmed me down telling me it was going to be OK,” he said.
“I went up and faced my fear and beat it by rappelling down. I can’t believe I did it. That’s what I’ll take away. If you don’t try, you never know what you can do.”
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.11.2018 17:18 |
| Story ID: | 296092 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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