Clearing the roads: 'Ready First' brigade engineers team up with Talon robot at NTC

Photo By Lt. Col. Deanna Bague | Capt. Joe Sahl, commander for C Company, Special Troops Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, shakes hands with the Talon robot at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif.  

FORT IRWIN, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

09.24.2009

Story by Maj. Deanna Bague 

Fort Bliss Public Affairs Office

FORT IRWIN NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER, Calif. — Members of C Company, an engineer unit under Special Troops Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division teamed up with the Talon robot to perform route clearing missions at the National Training Center here.

During their training phase on any given day, the engineer company is sent out on tasks in which they must ensure the roads are clear of improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance, said Capt. Micheal Kieser, the brigade engineer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st HBCT, 1st Armored Div.

C Company is comprises about 150 Soldiers and among them are those who are trained to operate the Talon robot.

"The robot can get a visual on the possible IED," said Sgt.1st Class Jason Jenschke, the platoon sergeant for C Company. "Depending on its size and possible number [of IEDs], the unit has the authority to blow it up in place by using the robot."

Sgt. Bobby Boswell, also from C Company, said he observed the robot as one of the operators maneuvered it during a route-clearing scenario in which his unit had to clear passageways so that simulated Iraqi forces and Soldiers from a 1st HBCT dismount team could secure the simulated town. The route they cleared was identified within the situational training exercise as having ambushes and rocket-propelled grenades, therefore, the Talon robot was used.

"The robot was traveling in the right direction and blew up the explosively formed projectile on site," said Boswell. "I'd rather have a robot go down than a Soldier."

Another engineer unit, the 584th Engineer Company, 20th Eng. Battalion, also used the robot during their contact-to-movement and blow-in-place missions. The 20th Eng. Bn. is providing general support to 1st HBCT while both units are here training. Spc. Angel Santiago from the 584th Eng. Company said the use of the robotics helps avoid casualties and the loss of life.

"That's the main reason we use robots instead of placing a Soldier on the scene," said Santiago. "You never know if that device is an explosive or if there is a trigger man close by."

Capt. Joe Sahl, the commander for C Company, STB, 1st HBCT, said the robot is not limited to just locating and neutralizing IEDs. The robot is capable of delivering ammo to a Soldier in the battlefield, Sahl added.

"Say a Soldier is pinned down by sniper fire and we're unable to get to him, we can set the robot up with the proper ammo and move the robot in, to supply that Soldier with the ammo that he needs to protect himself," said Jenschke.

• Date Taken: 09.24.2009
• Date Posted: 09.28.2009 09:17
• Story ID: 39357
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CALIFORNIA, US