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    Ditching the classroom in favor of innovative training

    Ditching the classroom in favor of innovative training

    Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Spence | 4th Cavalry Multi-Functional Training Brigade, 4-410th Brigade Support Battalion...... read more read more

    RADCLIFF, KY, UNITED STATES

    10.02.2020

    Story by Staff Sgt. Kevin Spence 

    First Army

    RADCLIFF, Ky. — With autumn comes cooler temperatures, beautiful fall colors and, if you look into the sky, the occasional V-formation of migrating birds. These things don’t typically change from one year to the next, but this year one thing is: training.

    As part of that change, Soldiers from 4-410th Brigade Support Battalion recently took advantage of the changing weather to go on a hike through the trails of Saunders Springs Nature Preserve here.

    It was part of a larger initiative launched by 4th Cavalry Multi-Functional Training Brigade to break away from the approach of the traditional methods the unit has used to train and lead discussions of their Soldiers and leaders on topics like Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Prevention and Equal Opportunity.

    “For our inaugural Foundational Day, we chose to focus on the topics that are hot right now in the Army, but even more so this was an opportunity for us to build connections within our formations,” said Lt. Col. Stirling Popejoy, 4-410th BSB commander.

    “If we continue to work on building connections through open group discussions, the informality of it is going to pay off in regards to not only enabling us to talk about the difficult subjects that we are dealing with as an Army if not a nation, but also just coming together closer as a team as we get to know one another better,” Popejoy said.

    In an effort to dig deeper and take the conversations farther, the Warhorse Battalion wanted to move the conversation from the classrooms and PowerPoint to outdoors while obeying social distance protocols.

    “Foundational Day is different than death by PowerPoint, because you’re engaging with one another within a group setting, you get that face to face and you’re interacting with their stories and experiences versus someone showing you a bunch of slides that you can’t really relate your experiences to,” said Staff Sgt. Michelle Mataban, 4-410th BSB S4 Observer Coach/Trainer. “It’s different when you hear someone share their stories and experiences.”

    During Foundational Day, 4-410th BSB S1, Sgt. First Class Ashley Henning, shared her experience with toxic leadership and sexual harassment in a previous unit, nearly stopping her career in its tracks. She said it was difficult to put herself out there and tell her truth.

    “It was hard for me to tell my story at the beginning, but once I started telling it, it became easier for me to tell the rest of my story,” said Henning. “I think personal experience brings more depth to the conversation rather than just facts and figures.

    Foundational Day is a new monthly initiative that 4th Cav. MFTB implemented in the hopes of fostering esprit-de-corps, inclusiveness, cohesion, and resiliency.

    “The biggest take away has to be awareness, not only within your job or your responsibilities as an OC/T, but outside of work as well,” said Mataban. “It’s important that people know exactly what to do and who to talk to about sharing their different experiences and issues that they struggle with.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.02.2020
    Date Posted: 10.05.2020 15:19
    Story ID: 380266
    Location: RADCLIFF, KY, US
    Hometown: FORT KNOX, KY, US
    Hometown: RADCLIFF, KY, US

    Web Views: 147
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN