Simulated detention center adds to realistic training experience at Hohenfels

Photo By Spc. Ravenne Eschbach | Pfc. Wyatt Sumner assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment is held at the Hohenfels Training Area as a simulated POW on Sept. 25, 2020. Combined Resolve XIV is a Headquarters Department of the Army directed Multinational exercise designed to build 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division's readiness and enhance interoperability with allied forces to fight and win against any adversary. (Photo by Spc. Ravenne Eschbach)  

HOHENFELS, BY, GERMANY

09.28.2020

Courtesy Story

Joint Multinational Readiness Center

HOHENFELS, Germany- The Hohenfels Training Area is used to simulate many kinds of combat training and real-world situations. During training exercises such as Combined Resolve XIV, soldiers have their skills tested and built upon to ensure their mission readiness for deployments and other combat scenarios. One aspect of the simulation is being “captured” by OPFOR, and held in a detention area.

"Soldiers can get captured due to not pulling security, falling asleep while pulling security, walking around where you are not supposed to or not paying attention to your surroundings." Said Sgt. Zackery Orcutt assigned to the Regimental Tactical Operations Center, RTOC, which is a part of the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment.

The purpose behind capturing and holding soldiers is to demonstrate what it would be like to be captured in a real life combat scenario and show soldiers the importance of situational awareness. It also aids soldiers in understanding what to do and what might happen if they became a prisoner of war (POW) in an actual combat environment.

When soldiers get captured they are taken to a detention holding area by the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment barracks on base at Hohenfels. Their vehicles, equipment and personal belongings are taken and logged along with their names, ranks, location where they were captured and time they were captured by opposing forces.

"As soldiers arrive we confiscate all equipment and vehicles they have with them and contact the RTOC so they can come search the belongings for useful or important information,” said Spc. Kolby Blackmon who was a guard for the detention holding area assigned to Bravo Company with the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment.

Orcutt added that upon capture, the POWs’ belongings are confiscated in order to find any useful information for OPFOR, making the consequence of capture a true-to-life experience for the soldiers involved.

"You are not only putting yourself and your fellow soldiers in danger if you get captured but you are also endangering any crucial information you have that you should have disposed of."

Orcutt said that the opposing forces can use that information to locate other counterparts of a unit and find where they are set up or where that unit is holding equipment. These situations in a training environment teach soldiers how crucial it is that they take care of sensitive information properly and understand the risks if they do not.

"This also helps with Operational Security training." Said Sgt. Euchari Murray who is a communications specialist for the RTOC.

"Some soldiers will get captured and not properly zero their radios, disable their communications equipment properly or get rid of documents that say “For Official Use Only,” which allows us to access this information and exploit it for our unit and use it against the enemy." Murray said.

Murray said this part of the training teaches soldiers the value of keeping information safe and keeping track of equipment. It also keeps units accountable in making sure they keep track of their personnel at all times; if a company loses personnel and does not notice for a long period of time, this alerts training coaches that leaders are not properly tracking their soldiers.

Captured soldiers are kept in the holding area until their unit realizes they are missing, and alert the Observer Coach Trainer (OC/T) in charge of their training to pick them up and return them to the training area. The captured soldiers continue to train even when captured, occasionally undergoing formations or questioning by guards or RTOC personnel.

"These procedures are not intended to be cruel or mean, it is to put these soldiers on edge and to make them really acknowledge the importance of everything,” said Orcutt. "There are real world consequences to this training as well. If you give up information that is crucial to your unit you might face a Uniform Code of Military Justice issued by your unit."

He explained that they do this to make sure their soldiers are actually prepared to be in that situation when on deployment or in combat.

"This might be training, but if you fail to protect your fellow soldiers in training it goes against the trust in you to protect them in a real world scenario,” said Orcutt.

• Date Taken: 09.28.2020
• Date Posted: 10.19.2020 05:32
• Story ID: 378813
• Location: HOHENFELS, BY, DE