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by Pfc. Ben Fox
3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. PAO
BAQUBAH, Iraq (October 28, 2006) -- Experience is a valuable asset on the battlefield. Knowing where dangerous places are and what techniques work in an area of operation can essentially save a Soldier's life.
Not every Soldier has experience on the battlefield though. Not every Soldier has seen danger spots and effective methods in an area of operation. Without this prior knowledge, there needs to be a means to prepare Soldiers for their overseas assignments.
Transition is the answer.
When the 3rd "Grey Wolf" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division stepped foot into Iraq, many Soldiers didn't have previous war-time experience and most elements of the war have changed since the brigade's first deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
To gain knowledge of the area and current situations, the 3BCT Soldiers learned from the experiences and procedures of the unit they replaced -- the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division -- during a transition period called right-seat ride and left-seat ride, which began Oct. 21 and will end with the brigade's Transition of Authority ceremony, Nov. 3.
Right-seat ride consists of the incoming unit observing and learning methods from the unit they are replacing. About a week later, the left-seat ride occurs and the incoming unit takes over operations while the outgoing unit watches and helps the new unit fall into its battle rhythm.
Capt. Randall Crowder, the brigade's fire support officer and an Austin, Texas native, said the right- and left-seat rides are important to the incoming brigade's success.
Each year, the insurgents' tactics and leaders change, so even if a Soldier has been to a deployed zone before, everything he knew could possibly be changed, said Crowder.
The process helps the incoming Soldiers become familiar with their surroundings and their enemies, and even the non-kinetic aspects of the war, he said.
"You can only learn that from people who have been here doing it," said Crowder.
Pfc. Jeremy Crocker, Company A, 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, just returned from his first mission and agreed with Crowder.
"The only way to do it is with guys who have been doing it for a year," said Crocker, a native of St. Louis, Missouri.
Crocker, who went on a mission with Soldiers from 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd HBCT, 4th ID on a right-seat ride, said the ride was helpful to him because he had never been in an actual combat situation before.
Without the other unit there, Crocker said it would have been more chaotic and confusing, but thanks to the 1-68 CAB Soldiers, he was able to keep his wits and understand how to react under moments of intense stress.
"I'm a lot better off (with the right-seat ride) than I would have been just jumping in here," said Pfc. Joshua Taylor, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment.
Taylor, native to Fort Lupton, Colo., is a radar operator who tracks incoming indirect fire. The ride is invaluable to him and his team because they can't afford to get things wrong, he said.
"People's lives depend on us," said Taylor.
When he took the right-seat ride, Taylor said his counterparts gave him a sheet of helpful notes, which he will keep in his pocket the whole year.
The transitional exercise is particularly helpful because the war being fought in Iraq differs from many previous wars the military has been involved in, said Crowder.
"Each unit has its wins, and each new unit learns from the old's losses," said Crowder.
Having a plan of action before an incident occurs gives strength to a combat unit and the exercise helps to give that strength, he said.
"It sets us up to be proactive and not reactive," said Crowder.
Instead of having to learn everything from scratch, the brigade now has a head start on gaining intelligence and producing a battle rhythm, said Crowder.
For members of the outgoing unit, right- and left-seat rides are equally important so their successes can be built upon.
"Without right-seat ride, your entity would come in completely blind and not be able to take advantage of lessons learned – because those lessons learned save lives," said 1st Sgt. Jason Mosher, the first sergeant of the Police Transition Team at the Provincial Level from Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd HBCT, 4th ID.
The right-seat ride process allows the incoming unit to learn tasks such as reaction drills, the meaning of reaction codes and how to conduct guard – redefined procedures the outgoing unit has massaged to help set the incoming unit up for success, said Mosher.
"In the cloud of war, it's real easy to get confused, so that's why we do these drills," Mosher said. "We do everything we can to mitigate those risks."
| Date Taken: | 11.03.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2006 19:27 |
| Story ID: | 8207 |
| Location: | BAQUBAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 265 |
| Downloads: | 72 |
This work, Cav Soldiers Take a Right-Seat Ride, by SPC Benjamin Fox, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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