Go to Simulated War, Drink Water, Repeat: Soldiers Test Their Resiliency at NTC

Photo By Pfc. Emily White | Soldiers with the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, move through the desert during a live-fire exercise at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, July 24, 2021. Members of the 45th IBCT participated in a live-fire exercise in the mountains of the Mojave Desert with the intention of increasing their proficiency. (Oklahoma Army National Guard photo by Pfc. Emily White)  

FORT IRWIN, CA, UNITED STATES

08.01.2021

Story by Pfc. Emily White  

145th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

FORT IRWIN, Calif.-- Heat radiated through the Mojave Desert as Soldiers assigned to the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard mobilized to the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California to participate in a simulated combat exercise July 2021. Oklahoma’s light infantry forces tested their skills at NTC as they fought the heat and their mock enemies during their month-long annual training in the desert.

“I think it’s significant that our light infantry forces attend NTC because we can train and see where we are lacking when fighting in the field," said Capt. Michael Smith, Company Commander, Civil Affairs Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard. “If there ever was a fight where we had to use light infantry, I think that this is a good training area to highlight any needs training wise our forces could have.”

While at NTC, Soldiers participated in simulated combat in several mock cities including Razish and Ujen located around the Mojave Desert in Fort Irwin.

“I think the first time that a young sergeant or lieutenant is in combat shouldn’t be for real,” said Brig. Gen. Tommy Mancino, Assistant Adjunct General, Oklahoma Army National Guard. “This gives them the chance to experience the chaos of battle and learn command and control and other techniques that they only can do during a simulation like this.”

Opposition forces on the Fort Irwin post are Soldiers trained year round to mimic organizations that Army forces could encounter on a deployment. Oklahoma National Guard Soldiers maneuvered through buildings guarded by opposition forces during simulated battles with the intention of taking mock cities as they would in a real life combat scenario.

“As the OPFOR, we more or less play the enemy as an organized militia and it creates a realistic training environment so if Guardsmen go on deployment they can react to the same kind of organization that we are trying to replicate,” said Cpl. Kylan Moore, OPFOR, 1st platoon, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin. “They’ll be better prepared and more experienced when the time comes to save their battle buddy’s life.”

Capt. John Puckett, 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, said the Fort Irwin desert creates a unique training opportunity for Soldiers to work through problems in unfamiliar dry heat conditions.

“We have lots of ice, dunk tanks and ice sheets to make sure everybody has resources to prevent heat casualties as we get acclimated to the temperatures," said Puckett.

The desolate open deserts provided by the NTC are meant to resemble something similar to a deployment that doesn’t have everyday conveniences like cell phones.

“It's good to practice because when else do we get to go out in the middle of nowhere without cell phones and normal comforts,” said Puckett.
“I think it's a great training opportunity in that aspect where we have to use our systems and cannot bypass them in other ways.”

While a standard annual training for the National Guard is two weeks in the summer, the NTC provides a nearly month-long opportunity for Soldiers to practice their skills.

"This increases readiness in general, when else do we get this much time to practice," said Puckett. "It's a golden opportunity to practice artillery and hone our craft."

NTC offers the Soldiers that attend a chance to evaluate their own mental and physical abilities to become more proficient warriors.

“Achieving a mission, completing a job and coming together as a team to increase our craft is always going to build the unit up," said Smith. "Nothing is ever going to be perfect, there is always going to be hard times, but I think having a positive attitude and just focusing on what you can control will go a long way.”

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• Date Taken: 08.01.2021
• Date Posted: 08.02.2021 12:04
• Story ID: 402196
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CA, US