Photo By Sgt. Salvador Castro | Soldiers with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (April 4, 2025) – On a cold, early spring morning, Soldiers from Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, began their situational training exercise at Fort Drum, New York, on April 2, 2025.
The exercise, part of a week-long training event occurring from April 2-8, will lead into a combined arms live-fire exercise. The company will use it to enhance Soldiers' combat readiness, enhancing overall lethality and warfighting capabilities for upcoming missions.
“We hope to find out the flaws we have within our organization and systems, to identify our weaknesses so we can improve on them before going to our Joint Readiness Training Center rotation and deployment, so we can be 100 percent ready when our nation calls,” said 1st Sgt. Eduardo Villanueva, the senior enlisted advisor for Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI).
A STX is used to evaluate a company’s proficiency by having them participate in mission-oriented scenarios and complete objectives. The scenarios simulate real-world operations and test Soldiers' mental fortitude and resilience, focusing on teamwork that allows companies to bond through a shared struggle.
“It builds cohesion with the team while building camaraderie in order to be better,” said Staff Sgt. Taylor Slider, a weapons squad leader with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI). “It allows you to figure out what works and what doesn’t so you can go back and continue to test out what works best for your company.”
The STX began with Charlie Company Soldiers performing a simulated air assault drop-off to the training area. On the first day of the exercise, Soldiers marched to their objective through the woodline, watching for enemy opposition and contact. Cold weather and rain presented additional challenges for the Soldiers and provided a moment to showcase the resiliency of the company.
“We bend, we don’t break; no weather is going to make us stop training,” said Villanueva.
This exercise stayed true to Charlie Company’s motto, “On the Warpath, No Limits,” because it forced Soldiers to rely on their skills and continue to move forward. Soldiers had the opportunity to learn and observe how fire teams and squads maneuver in real-time.
“When it comes to deployment, we usually do things as a company when we are out there. This exercise is the biggest thing for newer Soldiers to learn how different platoons operate in an area,” said Cpl. Logan Rudolph, an anti-tank team leader with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI). “I just think it’s really good for them to learn it now instead of later.”
The conclusion of the exercise will feature a combined arms live-fire exercise, where Soldiers will apply lessons learned from the STX. A CALFX uses live ammunition to further to simulate a combat scenario in a controlled training environment. As Mountain Peak quickly approaches, along with JRTC and, one day deployment, the company tries to train as often as possible, starting from the lowest level.
“We try to train once a week at the company and battalion levels, but for an exercise this big, we do this about two to three times a year,” said Villanueva.
The various training events give Soldiers an opportunity to grow and learn, ensuring they are ready for anything. Leaders from the company want Soldiers to know that exercises like the STX will give them the confidence to tackle any future conflict.
“They can trust their equipment to do its primary job, seize and attack an objective, so they can defeat the enemy and continue the mission,” said Villanueva.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2025 09:55 |
| Story ID: | 494690 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Preparing for Conflict: Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment Enhances Combat Readiness, by SGT Salvador Castro, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
