Photo By Tech. Sgt. Nicole Manzanares | Members of the Colorado Army National Guard, 147th Brigade Support Battalion, attend...... read more read more
FORT MCCOY, Wis. — The Soldiers of the 147th Brigade Support Battalion headed off to Wisconsin to support Operation Global Patriot for their annual training.
Patriot is unlike any other exercise as it allows all participating units to coordinate and plan scenarios and events to meet and exceed their training requirements. The units are not told how they will participate in the exercise, but will build the exercise to meet their training needs.
A national planning staff is provided for the exercise to incorporate and execute the scenarios.
Patriot planners continuously put forth new ideas to execute training that is congruent, practical and interesting, incorporating combat operations and homeland defense scenarios. The first week focuses on unit and individual training events (ancillary and common tasks training) while the second week focuses on combat training, such as combat convoy training, tactical communications integration, consolidated Personnel Support for Contingency Operations training, consolidated logistics and services support.
"This is a unique opportunity for the 147th BSB to participate in Operation Global Patriot,"said Sgt. 1st Class Darrell Monreal. "In my experience this is the first time a newly-formed battalion participated in a training exercise to this scale."
The overall mission of the 147th BSB is to mobilize with the necessary equipment and personnel to provide sustainment, achieving full proficiency in sustainment and replenishment planning, re-deployment and the conduct of operations in support of homeland defense.
The battalion is a multifunctional unit that provide supplies, maintenance and repair to the units assigned and attached to the 169th Fires Brigade during all phases of operations. The BSB's subordinate units include a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Detachment 1-Company A (distribution), Company B (field maintenance). Attached to the BSB is the 540th Network Signal Support Company.
Company A provides all classes of supply for units assigned or attached to the 169th FiB. It has three functional platoons: Transportation Platoon, Fuel and Water Support Platoon and the Supply Support Platoon.
Company B provides common maintenance support — excluding medical and automation — for the 169th and its assigned and attached units, as well as on an area basis to other units that do not have common maintenance support. The company also has a recovery section with the capability to repair automotive, armament, communications and power generation equipment.
Patriot is an immensely large exercise that integrates Army and Air National Guard as well as coalition forces.
The National Guard Bureau hosts the event at a Combat Readiness Training Center and employs annual training days, which makes for a cost effective training exercise. This helps the 147th BSB and all units that attend this exercise to fully maximize their training so they will be prepared for real-world deployments.
(Chapter 2) Global Patriot training: Digital advanced GPS training
The week began with Soldiers of the 147th Brigade Support Battalion engaged in digital advanced global positioning receiver defense training in the early morning. Picture multiple companies walking around in the brush either in daylight or the dark of night with handheld GPSes trying to find their way to multiple objectives. Soldiers also used the GPS as a mounted land navigation system on their humvees in a separate exercise.
DAGR is a Navstar GPS space-based navigation and timing system made up of multiple satellites, a ground control system, and any number of navigation sets. It collects and processes satellite signals to provide position, velocity and time information, along with position reporting and navigation capabilities.
As well as being portable and versatile, the DAGR provides precision guidance capabilities for vehicles, hand-held, sensor, and gun laying applications.
Army 1st Lt. Shari Scmzyk demonstrated how the DAGR is used as either a handheld or a vehicle mounted GPS tracking device. Scmzyk said the use of the DAGR was part of the Blue Force Tracker — a computerized map that tracks real time graphic representation of the battlefield — that is used as a plug-in to antenna.
"But you need to use your map skills," said Scmzyk, reminding the troops that at times the DAGR can be five to 10 meters off, so as a precaution she stressed, "Don't forget your training."
After the morning training was completed the 147th BSB split into their companies and went into the field to test their knowledge with the DAGRs and performed land navigation (handheld) as well as mounted land navigation (vehicle).
Some Soldiers faired quite well in the training exercise and found their objectives with relative ease. Others couldn't find their way out of a wet paper bag if presented with the situation and stumbled around the woods without a clue to their whereabouts.
In the end though, the Soldiers of the 147th walked away with a clearer understanding of the DAGR and had the opportunity to utilize some invaluable training.
(Chapter 3) Confidence course driver's training
Like something out of a monster truck rally for military vehicles, Soldiers of the 147th Brigade Support Battalion conducted humvee driver's training as part of their annual training on a sunny, warm mid-July day.
The training course is for members to test their skills behind the wheel while driving on arduous desert-type terrain. The landscape and layout of the course is designed to give Soldiers a feel of terrain similar to that which they might experience in Iraq or Afghanistan. The training also helps familiarize Soldiers with the capabilities and limitations of the humvees.
"This is a great way for us to familiarize ourselves with the humvee," said Sgt. Turhan May, Company B. "The training has been beneficial for the new Soldiers. They need to get out there and see what they will have to face when they are deployed in an environment similar to this."
From medium to extremely difficult grades, the course terrain consists of deep sand, steep inclines, hills, mud and dirt. Chances are, someone gets stuck somewhere along the course.
The training was also geared toward maintenance technique training and procedures for Company B. Shortly after it started, the Soldiers found themselves working on vehicles in the motor pool. humvees in need of maintenance served as a real-world mission as well as a training opportunity.
After an initial classroom presentation that went over the safety rules and regulations of the course, Soldiers navigated their humvees over the many hills and obstacles that the course threw their way. At one point, a humvee bogged down in the deep sand on a particularly steep incline and two others broke down under the strenuous conditions on the track.
Soldiers, as many as four to a vehicle, served as passengers and coaches for each driver. Backseat drivers were in full-force.
Humvees are the primary service and patrol vehicle for the Army. Throughout the week more than 200 Soldiers of the 147th took turns driving three to four humvees per chalk. All Soldiers of the 147th, to include the 540th Network Signal Support Company, took part in driver's training.
(Chapter 4) Soldiers train for battlefield scenarios
Our military members confront enemies every day overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.
An improvised explosive device has proven to be the most unrelenting enemy of all.
Knowing what to expect in hostile territory is vital to survival and the soldiers of the 147th Brigade Support Battalion, Company B conduct scenarios that are designed to be as realistic as possible to ensure their survival. The training helps the Soldiers identify hazards they will encounter downrange and how to defeat their enemies so they can work as a team and come back, from whatever mission they're on, alive.
Company B convoyed around Fort McCoy's training area looking for anything suspicious. One particular scenario saw a convoy made up of six vehicles rolling through the Wisconsin forest at approximately 30 to 35 miles an hour. Two members of the 147th BSB Headquarters Company hid out in bushes on the side of the road with improvised IEDs made up of flour wrapped in tin foil. The convoy was passing through one of the Soldiers in the bushes threw one of the "flour bombs" and hit the third vehicle, a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), on the driver's side door. A wounded soldier simulation now presented itself.
Numerous Soldiers dismounted and quickly set-up a defensive perimeter, cordoning off the area as they took care of the simulated wounded Soldier. They stood guard waiting and watching to see if any other further dangers evolved. In a deployed environment where the worst can happen at the drop of a hat, Soldiers are told to be ready for the worst and to not let complacency set in.
The training was new to most of the members of Company B, and they thought they handled it well. They successfully attended to the injured Soldier by dressing his wounds and carrying out the necessary steps to evacuate him to safety, while calling in for additional backup and help.
"My experience with the IED training at Fort McCoy was perfect in every way, shape, or form from start to finish. It covered many aspects of a real world situation and prepared my abilities to react to IEDs" said Spc Jesus Chavez. "I think this type of training should be done more often to become more aware of the potential hazards of IEDs. Also to get familiar with SOP (standard operating procedures), understanding what to do and not to do are critical to survival in a combat environment."
(Chapter 5) Fueling with engines operating (hot refueling)
Members of the 147th Brigade Support Battalion, Company A, displayed confidence when they fueled up UH-60 Black Hawks while the helicopters engines were running (hot refueling) during Operation Global Patriot.
For the past couple of days they had been practicing every move and every step needed to fill up their helicopters.
Hot refueling a Black Hawk happens when the helicopter engines are running while stationary on the ground. It is performed only when operations require rapid turnaround of aircraft and is significantly dangerous, due to the heat of the engine and any sort of electrical spark that could cause combustion of the fuel. A minimum of three ground crew personnel are required for each hot refuel.
Teams of three were selected to hot refuel four Black Hawks. Many of the members of Company A had never performed a hot refuel before.
"We want to put the new guys out there, to experience and get the training," said Army Sgt. Jaysen Nakano, a petroleum supply specialist. "We want to show them how to operate the vehicle, how the equipment comes out and why the system is set up the way it is."
"As for safety concerns we obviously don't like static. Personal safety is paramount," said Nakano. "Stay aware of your surroundings and don't get tired."
Four separate Black Hawks touched down to hot refuel with their rotors cutting the air and their engines hot. Nakano said average turnaround time for hot refuels can range from two minutes to 10, depending on crew experience.
Great clouds of dust swirled as helicopter after helicopter landed, refueled and took off.
A nozzle operator on the ground fills the Black Hawk with fuel while a station operator observes and monitors the entire process. A fuel crewman mans a fire extinguisher a few feet away and chocks the wheels of the aircraft.
It's a process that's new to most of the company, but one that is learned quickly, and like the majority of a Soldier's training, will most likely come in handy during a real-world scenario.
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2009 16:13 |
| Story ID: | 38807 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 373 |
| Downloads: | 143 |
This work, Colorado Soldiers become 'Global Patriots', by TSgt Nicole Manzanares, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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