FORT IRWIN, Calif. - The last unit to train at Fort Irwin was 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, which concluded their training at the beginning of March 2013.
Since that time, sequestration has gone into effect, and one of the casualties of budget reduction deal was training at the Army’s premier site, the National Training Center.
Soldiers at NTC’s 1,000-square-mile site had a lot of room to maneuver against opposing forces and conduct wide-area security missions. Helicopters, tanks and weapons fire reverberated across the desert, echoing between the mountains.
Now, “the box” as that area is called, is silent and empty, until further notice.