(Story by Staff Sgt. Zachery Jockel)
FORT DRUM, N.Y.— U.S. Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard's 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division conducted their annual training at Fort Drum, New York, June 1-16, 2026,
The training sharpened combat readiness through a series of squad and platoon live-fire exercises designed to replicate modern battlefield conditions. Throughout the training event, infantry squads and platoons refined tactical proficiency and maneuver techniques in a realistic and demanding environment.
The culminating event was a platoon live-fire exercise that required Soldiers to execute a coordinated assault to seize a fortified enemy objective while integrating multiple battlefield assets. The scenario challenged platoon leaders to synchronize maneuver forces with supporting effects, including a mobile support-by-fire element, simulated 60mm mortar fires, first-person-view drone reconnaissance and targeting capabilities, and the Army Tactical Assault Kit system.
The integration of these assets allowed Soldiers to practice the coordination and communication required in contemporary combat operations.
As the assault force advanced toward the objective, Soldiers maneuvered under the protection of supporting fires and leveraged real-time situational awareness provided through ATAK and drone platforms. Upon reaching the objective, the platoon conducted a deliberate trench-clearing operation, engaging targets and clearing enemy positions through disciplined small-unit tactics.
The exercise concluded with the emplacement and detonation of a Claymore mine to secure the far end of the trench system and deny enemy movement. After successfully seizing and consolidating the objective, Soldiers executed a tactical exfiltration aboard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters operated by the 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th ID, demonstrating the battalion’s ability to integrate ground and aviation assets during combat operations.
The training at Fort Drum provided Soldiers with an opportunity to rehearse complex battlefield tasks in a realistic operational environment while enhancing interoperability across warfighting functions. By incorporating emerging technologies such as FPV drones and digital mission command systems alongside traditional infantry tactics, the 1-109th Infantry Battalion continues to prepare Soldiers to meet the challenges of future combat operations.
Annual training events such as this ensure the battalion remains ready to deploy, fight, and win in support of state and federal missions, while maintaining the high standards of readiness expected of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.