SOUTHWEST ASIA – Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, participated in a force protection class led by Air Force personnel on Dec. 17 in Southwest Asia.
When the idea of training with the Air Force was put on the table, many soldiers wanted to give it a try. It didn’t take more than one day before they realized that they were about to endure the toughest two weeks of their lives.
Being trained by six Air Force non-commissioned officers, a group of soldiers and their fellow airmen learned everything from searching a detainee to room clearing techniques. Local host nation forces were involved with the training as well.
"The language barrier posed an initial problem,” Spc. James Howard, a PATRIOT fire control enhanced operator in B Battery, 3-2 ADA, said, “but it didn’t take long before it wasn’t an issue anymore.”
From sun up to sun down, the soldiers learned first-hand what force protection was all about. While many of the soldiers were doing standard physical training in the morning, they were low-crawling with their weapons as fast as they could in the afternoon as well.
“I achieved muscle failure on the first day,” Howard said while explaining how they held their weapon straight in front of them until their arms couldn’t carry it anymore.
“I am so sore,” were the only words that Spc. Samantha Montanez, a generator mechanic from B Battery, 3-2 ADA, had to describe how the class was.
Along with pushing themselves physically, the soldiers are becoming mentally stronger in the art of combat. Learning teamwork is important when going up against a strong force such as a group of insurgents or a public riot. Controlling a riot seemed to be a highlight for the soldiers who made it through the course.
Although the course is intense, the soldiers seem to really enjoy the challenge. Living on the Air Force turf, it’s nice to be engaged in friendly competition once in a while.
The class is offered every month, and there is a waiting list a mile long. One Team, One Fight!
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2011 07:56 |
| Story ID: | 63174 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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