Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Alejandro Sias | Capt. John Brimley, center, 2nd Battalion, 363rd Combat Support Regiment, “Black...... read more read more
Subscribe
McGREGOR RANGE, N.M - Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 363rd Combat Support Regiment, “Black Scorpion,” 5th Armored Brigade, brought a touch of reality here Aug. 6-11 during the culminating training event for two Army Reserve units deploying to Guantanamo Bay.
“The soldiers mostly played roles that would affect the personnel, operations and command staff sections,” said Patrick Koo, a civilian contractor for 5th Brigade, 75th Battle Command Training Division.
The 363rd soldiers, Army Reservists from Mesa, Ariz., performing Annual Training, served as live role players for various practical missions and situations the 641st Regional Support Group and the 170th Military Police Battalion may face during their year-long deployment at the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay.
The detention facility remains a focal point for several national and international agencies and members of the 363rd gave the deploying units a bird’s eye view of what they may face when interfacing with congressional delegate visits and the International Committee for the Red Cross, an agency designed to monitor health and welfare of detainees in facilities as prisoners of war.
Tough questions and compromising situations are a reality during an ICRC visit, and the 170th, who will serve as the Joint Detention Group, will stand upfront for the visits, said 170th executive officer Maj. John Adams.
Beyond congressional and international agency visits, the press was a part of the exercise.
Sgt. 1st Class Richard Goldstein, 363rd Soldier, did his best Stars and Stripes impression as he interviewed Adams with specifics about the unit’s mission and life at Guantanamo among other questions pertinent to life as a deployed service member.
However, 641st acting commander, Lt. Col. Harold G. Borowiak didn’t enjoy the same comforts of a friendly press interview as Capt. John Brimley, 363rd live role player, peppered Borowiak with tough questions about the relevance of the facility, torture techniques and the release of innocent detainees.
All was not lost on the senior leadership in both deploying units as junior soldiers were faced with physical security threats to secure areas, sexual harassment and assault situations, problematic evaluation reports, suicidal service members and wandering, contractors without security clearance in secure areas.
“It’s an accurate depiction of the scenarios they’d face downrange,” said Koo.
Formerly part of the 402nd Field Artillery Brigade, now realigned under the 5th Armored Brigade, the 363rd has served as role players in the CTEs for several years.
“We always have had positive results from them [363rd],” said Koo. “We’ve been lucky because they bring a lot of realism to the scenarios.”
Capt. Jonie Gaume, 363rd officer-in-charge of the live role players, observed most of the scenarios, and said it gave the units an opportunity to practice how they’d plan and prepare for the events when they get on the ground.
The exercise closed with a final After-Action Review where the units were able to receive feedback from the observer-controller/trainers about its shortcomings and strengths.
In Adams’ final remarks to the training staff and his unit, he thanked his unit for their hard work and diligence through the mission.
However, with a smile and shaking his head side-to-side, Adams congratulated the role players in his southern Georgia accent for a job well done and bringing reality to an otherwise routine culminating exercise.
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2011 17:10 |
| Story ID: | 75447 |
| Location: | MCGREGOR RANGE, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 135 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘Black Scorpion’ role players provide realism for deployers, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT