Photo By Maj. Daniel Parker | Spc. Billy Ziong, an infantryman assigned to Company A., 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. – The 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team ‘Raider’, 4th Infantry Division trained and tested its units, Soldiers and capabilities during Operation Ray Flash, June 9-17.
The exercise served as a culminating training event for Raider Brigade as it prepares to train at the National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California, in August.
“The training was designed for multiple lines of operations,” said Maj. William (Bill) Yang, field artillery officer and executive officer, 1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div.
Ray Flash included company situational tactical exercises (STX), engagement area development, sustainment operations, medical operations, command post training, a company live fire exercise and multiple other collective tasks.
“All this is keyed in to prepare us for the unexpected at NTC,” said Yang. “The idea is if we make it strenuous and intense enough now, our Soldiers will be conditioned to be successful at NTC.”
Yang and his staff were not the only Soldiers and leaders who benefited from Ray Flash. Individual Soldiers also benefited from the quality training.
At the brigade support area, the central location for brigade sustainment, Soldiers provided critical sustainment and medical support to the brigade’s operations.
“This is the first time that a lot of us medics have gotten real hands-on training with our (field litter ambulances),” said Spc. Jacob Caldwell, combat medic, assigned to Charlie Company., 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div.
Caldwell also acknowledged that Ray Flash served to prepare him for the upcoming rotation to NTC.
“It can prepare us for NTC in a lot of ways,” said Caldwell. “Not being in our comfort zone with the Strykers, having to utilize these FLAs, I think a lot of that will go a long way to preparing us for NTC.”
Another Soldier also discussed how Ray Flash prepared him for his platoon’s upcoming NTC rotation.
“We are working out kinks in our system and the way we operate, which is going to help us support other units when we do get to NTC,” said Spc. Jeffrey Diaz, an unmanned aircraft systems repairer assigned to Delta Company., 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div.
Operation Ray Flash was the final brigade-level training exercise prior to Raider Brigade’s upcoming rotation to NTC in August.
“I can’t wait to really get this going and do missions at NTC,” said Diaz.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2020 22:23 |
| Story ID: | 372426 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Hometown: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 274 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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