FORT BLISS, Texas - A squad rushes a hill, crawls through trenches and races through tunnels while taking enemy fire during a training exercise at the Individual Readiness Training facilities.
Soldiers from 47th Transportation Company, 142nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, endured eight days of the IRT course here. IRT is a combination of classroom tasks and warrior drills which will help sharpen their combat readiness skills before departing to Afghanistan.
“There is no easy day in combat; you never know what is going to happen when you step outside the box,” said Sgt. 1st Class Adam Wilson, noncommissioned officer in charge of the ITR lanes. “The best way to be prepared for combat is to challenge the soldiers.”
Soldiers who went through the IRT course trained at the same intense pace that many soldiers experience in a deployed environment. The training is intended to challenge each soldier physically and mentally while enhancing their combat skills, to prepare them for what they may face downrange.
“The IRT lanes are a good reminder of our Warrior Battle Drills,” said 2nd Lt. Daniel Teberg, platoon leader, 47th Trans. Company, 142nd CSSB, 15th SB. “When we go downrange, we will be better prepared because of the training done at combat speed.”
The soldiers took on each obstacle as a team, tactically maneuvering over, under and across open terrain through smoke grenades and enemy fire, simulated by the IRT instructors.
“We presented the soldiers with challenges to make the training harder, to make the soldiers overcome the obstacles and face adversity on a daily basis throughout the training,” said Wilson. “This type of training improves the soldiers’ skill set and makes them more resilient to the challenges.”
The instructions given to soldiers throughout IRT will help better prepare them for combat. It will challenge their physical readiness and mental state of mind while arming them with the necessary training to adapt in a deployed environment.