Training kicks off at Rapid Trident 16

114th Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Whitney Hughes

Date: 06.30.2016
Posted: 06.30.2016 06:34
News ID: 202827
Traffic control point at Rapid Trident 16

YAVORIV, Ukraine - His fingers wove together as he clasped his hands behind his head kneeling in the dirt road, the scene of the crime. The soldier crouched down, meeting him eye-to-eye, delivering a stream of questions in Ukrainian with the intensity and tempo of a seasoned interrogator. The evidence, ammunition and explosives lay beside them, and the truck that was supposed to detonate rested idly behind them.

Although the scene had the intensity of a life or death situation, this was a training scenario designed to test the skills of the Ukraine Armed Forces at a Traffic Control Point. This training scenario was just one of many that were conducted International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Yavoriv, Ukraine June 26 and will continue until July 1. The scenarios are part of Exercise Rapid Trident 16, a multinational exercise designed to support military cooperation among Ukraine, U.S., and Allied and partner nations and validate training at the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine.

“Learning how they conduct business has been the biggest take-away,” said Capt. Ian Morris, an Observer Controller with the Joint Multinational Readiness Center and a lead OC for Rapid Trident 2016. “The biggest thing is learning how they operate so that in the future if we do have to work together in a real-life scenario we know what to expect, and they know what to expect from us.”

Working in tune with the U.S. Army’s crawl, walk, run training concept the first phase of the exercise began with situational training, like the Ukrainian commander and his soldiers who detained the man with the explosives in the truck. During these training scenarios the Ukrainian commanders lead their soldiers, while Ukrainian OCs provide instruction on how to improve their tactics. Meanwhile, the U.S. OCs help guide the Ukrainian OCs to become better instructors.

“We’re just here to advise and assist them, and they’re taking the lead role in evaluating the Ukrainian units as they come through,” said Morris.
In addition to the TCP training, the other training scenarios included movement to contact, area security, counter improvised explosive device, attack, and advanced medical training scenarios.

During the advanced medical training, part of the larger JMTG-U rotation, began with three days of classroom instruction. However, the next day they had to put their skills to the test in the field by carrying live casualties and actually inserting a needle into their vein to start an IV while under simulated enemy fire.

“I would definitely recommend this course because it is very important for each and every soldier to know how to do self-aid, buddy aid, and save lives,” said Ukrainian Army Combat Medic Victoria Pryshchepina.

As Exercise Rapid Trident 16 continues and the multinational forces finish the crawl phases of training, they will move into the walk and run phases. In a few days instead of blank rounds and electronic simulators they will move on to using live rounds and demonstrating their skills at combat speed.