Photo By Sgt. Matthew Marcellus | A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,...... read more read more
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The scorching sun shimmered against the seemingly endless plains of sand and desert as Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, braved harsh elements while participating in exercise Strike Focus in Orogrande Range Camp, N.M., April 8, 2019.
“We’re here to conduct a brigade-level training exercise and to certify our company teams,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Lowery of 1-37 AR. “We’re doing some situational training exercises, and we’re building our readiness to execute whatever mission our nation calls us to do.”
Strike Focus is a comprehensive training exercise improving the readiness, lethality and deployability of the 2ABCT, testing Soldiers and units through real world scenarios and simulations over an approximately two-week period.
“We’re improving our lethality by putting Soldiers in tough and realistic situations that will test their ability to execute their job-specific skills,” said Lowery. “The medics are doing medical evacuation training; we have infantry Soldiers assaulting objectives and we have our tankers and supply honing their skills.”
Readiness is a vital component for 1-37 AR, as they train to advance their skills on a company level while ensuring that they are always capable to excel as an armor regiment at a moment’s notice.
“Strike Focus improves readiness because we’re actually applying what we do,” said Lt. Col. Kristopher Howell, the battalion commander for 1-37 AR. “This is the first time we’re doing this at the company level, we’re having company commanders go through the different procedures and processes at their level.”
Strike Focus provides an opportunity for 1-37 AR to improve their fighting capabilities as well as ensure that continued cohesiveness between the various facets of the regiment remains strong and unbreakable.
“The big thing with Strike Focus is that it is on the ground reps and iterations that we don’t always get,” said Howell. “We have to have a true fighting mentality, and, out here, fighting on this terrain while understanding and integrating tactics is all about our lethality."
The opportunity to increase and demonstrate the readiness, lethality and deployability of 1-37 AR is paramount throughout the exercise, however, Strike Focus also presents the opportunity for Soldiers to practice and prepare for what their job in the U.S. Army entails.
“Soldiers expect to do what they raised their right hand to do, they joined the military to serve their country and to do a certain job,” said Lowery. “Putting them in this type of situation and allowing them to improve on what they do I think improves morale immensely… this is what they joined the military to do.”
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2019 21:15 |
| Story ID: | 317814 |
| Location: | OROGRANDE, NM, US |
| Web Views: | 430 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Always Lethal, Always Ready! 1-37 AR participates in Strike Focus, by SGT Matthew Marcellus, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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