416th TEC Goes Austere

Photo By Maj. Dan Marchik | IMG_7266 – A Soldier finishes firing the Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher at the 416th TEC’s annual training at Camp Atterbury, IN.  

CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, UNITED STATES

03.21.2019

Story by Maj. Dan Marchik 

416th Theater Engineer Command

416th TEC Goes Austere
By Maj. Dan Marchik
416th Theater Engineer Command Public Affairs

March 22, 2019 – CAMP ATTERBURY, In. Amid howling winds and torrential downpours, the 416th Theater Engineer Command (TEC) conducted their annual training in southern Indiana at Camp Atterbury in March.
The 416th mimicked an austere environment by conducting operations in the field using tents as their work and living spaces for the first part of the exercise. The beginning of the exercise consisted of setting up their area and establishing communications with their rear element.
“Our ability to deploy the 416th TEC headquarters is very important and these types of exercises get us to a much higher state of readiness and allow us to deploy on a quicker cycle,” said Brig. Gen. James Kokaska, 416th TEC Deputy Commanding General of Operations.
Other parts of the exercise included weapons familiarization with crew-served weapons and basic soldier skills like first aid and moving under fire.
The experience put the Soldiers in situations very different from most current overseas operations in the Middle East where units fall into previously established bases.
“In the past 15 years, you show up on a fob (forward operating base), a deviation from what you used to do decades ago with a near-peer threat. So you’ve got an entire generation of institutional knowledge that’s missing, “explained Col. Michelle Link, 416th TEC Chief of Staff.
The exercise strives to get 416th Soldiers practiced in basic skills, lethal warrior tasks, and ready for a more austere deployment.
“An austere environment lends itself to field craft, which is a perishable skill. Training in an austere environment is part and parcel to what we do as Soldiers, kind of going back over those skills,” said Link.
The 416th has engineering responsibilities throughout the world including Europe, and part of the exercise included awareness and familiarization with threats in their assigned areas of responsibility.
The 416th also conducted a “jump TOC” which moves the command center of the 416th to another location while still maintaining a fully operational capability. They moved to a building on Camp Atterbury where they continued to conduct operations meant to integrate the command and staff, working on various scenarios they might encounter on a deployment.
In addition to Soldier skills and real world exercises, the 416th TEC continued their emphasis on the physical health of Soldiers. Soldiers conducted a variety of physical training activities including a unit run, strength training and agility exercises.
Overall the successful exercise increased the unit’s readiness and ability to apply their skills to real world scenarios in order to complete their mission.

• Date Taken: 03.21.2019
• Date Posted: 03.21.2019 08:46
• Story ID: 315116
• Location: CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US