WEDRZYN, Poland - Over the last few months, U.S. Soldiers of P Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment have been working to build cohesive and responsive teams that are able to perform their duties of scouting ahead for the main body of a U.S. or allied force.
This hard work was put to the test during a section live fire exercise held here Aug. 31.
These scout platoons – mounted and dismounted Soldiers who serve as the eyes and ears of the Army – were faced with a scenario in which they had to quickly position their Stryker reconnaissance vehicles to observe enemy activity. They engaged targets along the way and used their dismounted U.S. and Polish soldiers to advance to an observation post (OP).
U.S. Army Pfc. Lane Murphy, a Soldier assigned to P Troop, led the U.S.-Polish dismount team to the OP, where he and the other soldiers took positions where they could observe enemy activity and call for mortar fire if required.
“After leaving the Stryker, we made our way to the OP in a wedge formation, while integrating the Polish soldiers,” said Murphy. “Once we got to the OP, it became a little bit of a challenge to the guys because some of them don't speak English, but once we got everything figured out we established a better SOP [standard operating procedure] for them to understand how we work.”
Murphy credits the combined training they've done with soldiers from Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade in the past with being able to quickly and effectively integrate them into their training.
“I really think that all the training that we've done has helped me get a better perspective on how the Polish army works, and it's also helped these guys to see that we're here to train with them instead of training them,” said Murphy.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gregory Hill, a section sergeant for P Troop, said this exercise has demonstrated the improvements his teams have made during their time training here.
“I've seen a lot of improved drivers, with their ability to handle both on and off road conditions, and I've also seen a vast improvement with our gunners' ability to see and engage targets,” said Hill.
Hill said the relationship between the mounted and dismounted Soldiers is very close because of the added asset the dismounts provide.
“It's up to the Stryker crew to maneuver through the terrain in a fast and stealthy manner in order to get the dismounts to a proper location,” said Hill. “The dismounts are able to clear through thick vegetation and urban areas, as well as provide close security from anti-tank weapons, and are a very mobile set of eyes on the battlefield.”
U.S. Army Pvt. Skyler Blaine, the newest member of P Troop's dismounted team, has only been in Poland for three weeks and feels this exercise has been an opportunity for him to learn and grow as a Soldier.
“I definitely think I've been learning a lot, because I get to watch and learn from the other Soldiers who have been here a while,” said Blaine. “When I've made mistakes, they've shown me the way to do things better.”
Getting better, whether the newest or most seasoned member of the team, is what this training is all about, according to Hill.
“My hope is that, because of this training, we'll be able to refine our SOP to where each team member understands the role of Soldiers two levels above,” said Hill. “It also allows for the U.S. and Polish soldiers to better work together in order to learn everyone's SOPs”.
Hill said because of these training exercises he feels like the alliance between Poland and the U.S. is made stronger.
“The best thing we've had is the integration of Polish forces, proving we can train together on another front we're not used to,” said Hill. “So far I think we've been very successful, and the future of U.S. and Polish soldiers working together is a bright one.”