'Rehearsals and practice: a successful strategy for the Army Reserve'

Photo By Sgt. Phillip Scaringi | Sgt. Dubois, a convoy team leader from the 367th Engineer Company, conducts battle drill procedures with his soldiers at the Combat Support training Exercise (CSTX) at Fort McCoy, Wis. Dubois understands the importance of repetition for effective training and will take every available opportunity to make sure the soldiers are ready and prepared. The 367th is being evaluated and organized by the 78th Training Division based out of Fort Dix, N.J.  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

08.05.2012

Story by Capt. Sean Casey, Spc. Michael McDevitt and Spc. Phillip Scaringi

78th Training Division

Fort McCoy, Wis. – A last-minute walk through can make all the difference. Planning, preparation, and rehearsals are all required for a successful mission. However, a review of the plan, the actions being performed, and the procedures to follow prior to moving out, can make the difference between mission success and a long, hard day.

Soldiers from the 376th Engineer Company, an Army Reserve unit based out of Portland, Ore., conducted pre-mission checks and rehearsals prior to heading out on their mission during their unit’s Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX) at Fort McCoy, Wis.

Today’s mission for the 376th involved a site assessment of a designated location to determine if it would be able to support the construction of a bridge which would be built during a later mission. The engineers were confident in their ability to complete the construction of the bridge, but getting to the site itself posed the largest challenge for their unit.

Engineering units, like the 376th, specialize in various construction missions from carpentry, and electrical engineering, to bridge construction. With the nature of present day combat environments, where units are immersed amongst the enemy, units such as the 376th must not only be able to do their primary jobs but also be able to do them in a hostile environment where there’s a possible threat around every corner.

“We all want to get to the mission site, we gotta be able to use infantry tactics so we can get there and complete the mission,” explained Sgt. Dubois, a convoy team leader from the 367th Engineer Company, as he continued to go over battle drill procedures with his soldiers.

The rehearsals of how each individual soldier is to react in the event of an enemy ambush, a vehicle accident, or breakdown are done right up until the unit rolls out of the gate. Many of the soldiers within the 376th are combat veterans who possess a wealth of real life experiences in combat zones along with years of training. Leaders such as Dubois understand the importance of repetition for effective training and will take every available moment to make sure their soldiers are ready and prepared.

The CSTX that the 367th is a part of at Fort McCoy is being evaluated and organized by the 78th Training Division based out of Joint Bae McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

• Date Taken: 08.05.2012
• Date Posted: 08.06.2012 16:43
• Story ID: 92738
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US