DAGGER DETAILS
SHARPEN THE EDGE
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Commander COL Raymond L. Lamb Command Sergeant Major CSM Ricky W. Buchanan Public Affairs OIC 1LT Patrick Fry
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Public Affairs NCOIC SSG Alyn-Michael MacLeod
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Photojournalist SSG Lisa M. Litchfield Journalist SGT Zachary Shumway
The DAGGER DETAILS is an authorized unofficial Army newspaper published monthly under provisions of AR 360-1 . Views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army. Contributions from readers are solicited, but publication depends on judgment of the editor. No payment will be made for contributions. Submissions made by the 10th of the month will be added to the next issue. Any questions or comments email alyn-michael.macleod@usar.army.mil Published by the Dagger Public Affairs Office
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Commanders Corner We have had an extremely busy end to 2007 and are well on our way to a productive 2008. We have made a successful transition of the Fort Bliss training mission. We are constantly moving forward and improving what we do well – training Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and foreign forces such as the Canadian Forces. We are a premier training unit at a premier training site for training troops deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. As we move into 2008, we will train several thousand troops that rely on our tough, realistic, hands-on training that is theater specific and teaches current combat procedures. I thank all of you – The Families – for making this training possible. Not enough can be said about each and every Soldier’s hard work and initiative. We are a dynamic team made up of Active, Reserve, and National Guard Soldiers – working together to get the job done. I believe this is what gives us our strength and durability to meet every mission head-on. I cannot express how professional everyone has been during the transition and training surge. We have, in good Army fashion, brought together the 5th Armored Brigade, 402nd Field Artillery Brigade, Operational Warrior Trainer volunteers, Department of the Army civilians and the Team Bliss folks while successfully executing training for 4500 troops since our transition to this mission. You should all be proud of what you do. I can’t talk about the past without addressing the future. First Army will, in the next several months, determine which brigade will be permanent at Fort Bliss. They will also determine a plan for moving Soldiers and Families to Fort Bliss to support this ongoing mission. We will also have another Brigade Combat Team to train in the summer. I know that this mission has taken away from quality family time and that is why I am encouraging Soldiers to plan time to spend with their Families in May and recharge for the upcoming BCT. Just to let you know, each Task Force is planning their block leave periods in April-May, so plan on having your Soldier home for two weeks soon. Finally, I want to thank all the volunteers that have given so much of their time and effort improving their battalion, our brigade and the community. The brigade will recognize FRG leaders and exceptional volunteers in May. Thank you all again for your love and support.
CSM Corner I hope this message finds you all well and enjoying the New Year. I also hope you had a great Christmas. I know last year was busy and this year promises to be the same as we continue with our mission of preparing Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen for combat. As we start off the New Year, I want to take a minute to thank you and your Families for what you do everyday and what you’ve done for the brigade and the Army in 2007. As we all know, the Army lifestyle is very demanding. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in what we’re doing that we forget to say “Thank You,” so I want to make sure you all know that I appreciate the work you put in everyday, and the sacrifices that you and your Families endure for our mission. We kicked off the New Year finishing up with the 45th BCT. They deployed trained, confident and ready to perform their mission thanks to you. But, as I said earlier, we stay busy with other Joint Warfighters prepping to deploy. It won’t be long until the summer and our next big surge. That’s alright though because I know you all can handle it. You are good at what you do, and the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen you train are better for what you teach them. Keep up the great work. I’m not a big writer, so I’ll close by telling you all thanks again for what you do. I am amazed everyday by the sacrifices you endure and the motivation and initiative you display. Stay safe and I’ll see ya’ around. Sharpen the Edge!! Dagger 07
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WE WILL NEVER FORGET th 5 Armored Says Goodbye Article by: Staff Sgt. Lisa M. Litchfield, 5 Armored Brigade, First Army th
FORT BLISS, TEXAS - Eyes lowered, faces somber, members of the 5th Armored Brigade said goodbye to one of their own in a remembrance service for Maj. Andrew J. Olmsted at McGregor chapel Tuesday afternoon. Olmsted served with 5th Armored Brigade as an Observer-Controller/Trainer Detachment Commander, Brigade Adjutant, Brigade Personnel Officer and Executive Officer of the “Red Hawk” 1st Battalion, 361st Engineer Regiment prior to volunteering for a return to active duty and a tour in Iraq. “We are gathered here to do the toughest and finest things as Soldiers we are asked to do and that is to pay tribute and honor to a fallen comrade,” said Lt. Col. James McArdle, 5th Armored Brigade Deputy Commander. “Maj. Andrew Olmstead has done the greatest thing anyone can ask from another human being and that is to give his life for others.” Gen. George S. Patton is quoted as saying, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." Olmstead didn’t want people to waste time in mourning. His final blog, published posthumously by his friend Hilary Bok on the Obsidian Wings website, explained. “What I don't want this to be is a chance for me, or anyone else, to be maudlin. I'm dead. That sucks, at least for me and my family and friends. But all the tears in the world aren't going to bring me back, so I would prefer that people remember the good things about me rather than mourning my loss,” Olmsted wrote. “We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was.” Speaking at the memorial service, Soldiers described themselves as fortunate to have known Olmsted, to have worked for him, to have learned from him. “Maj. Olmstead was a professional Soldier, a tanker, a brother, a son, a leader and a warrior. His family and friends will miss him; I will miss him…at heart and deed he was an American warrior,” said McArdle. First Sgt. Arthur Lopez recalled numerous hours of conversations with Olmsted about the mission, people and politics of Iraq. He explained how Olmsted “believed he had a part to play in Iraq and was needed there.” Lopez also noted how Olmsted cared deeply for his Soldiers and lived his life a reflection of his beliefs. “He believed in the Army Values, the Soldiers Creed and the Warrior Ethos,” Lopez said. Noted Irish statesman Edmund Burke once stated, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Olmsted was not one to do nothing. According to his comrades, Olmsted held an unparallel dedication to ensure the success of his Soldiers through support and mentorship. “His mission was to ensure that all Soldiers became the best leaders they could be,” said Sgt. First Class Robert Officer, Observer-Controller/Trainer for 5th Armored. Officer went on to thank Olmsted for teaching him to be a better leader. “His wisdom and caring qualities and principles were there without hesitation. All that I learned will always be instituted in all that I do. This is now my farewell to you, Sir, thank you very much.” In his final post, Olmsted quoted a line from The Cowboys which said, “Well, it’s not how you’re buried, it’s how you’re remember.” Sir, you are remembered well. Editor’s note: Maj. Olmsted’s personal musing; blog entries and final post can be found at www.andrewolmsted.com.
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Change of Command “Redball” Welcomes New Commander
Article by: Staff Sgt. Lisa M. Litchfield, 5th Armored Brigade, First Army Division West
FORT BLISS, TEXAS - The 2nd Battalion, 356th Regiment, Logistical Support Battalion, changed command in a ceremony here at McGregor Range on January 19. Maj. Trenton H. Loucks received the battalion colors from Col. William M. Derrick who is assuming a position at U.S. Strategic Command. Col. Francis V. Sherman, Jr., commander of 5th Armored Brigade, First Army Division West, presided over the ceremony. “I have come to learn that Col. Derrick enjoys his work and cares deeply for his Soldiers and all the Soldiers he meets,” Sherman said. “As a commander, he developed and nurtured a positive command while demanding a lot from his team. Col. Derrick set clear standard and led by example. This commander has built a team that Soldiers want to join and don’t want to leave.” “When I look for greatness in our Army, my eyes go to the NCO leadership. To all the NCOs and Soldiers who make this unit great, I tell you this has been the best job I have had in the Army,” Derrick said. “When you have been a part of the US military for 26 years, you get a clear and definitive sense of what works and what doesn’t. Redball, you look right and you work right. It has been my privilege to serve with you.” Loucks leaves the position of Brigade Operations Officer, 5th Armored Brigade, First Army Division West to assume command for 2-356th Regiment. “A fact of Army life is that when one person leaves command, another steps up and takes over. Major Trent Loucks is ready to take the battalion and run with it,” Sherman said. “He has a good amount of experience to draw from and will, undoubtedly carry on great leadership and care for Soldiers.” “Col. Sherman, I thank you for this opportunity to lead this fine battalion,” Loucks said. “The LSBn will continue to provide the high standard of training and support the Brigade has come to know, and I assure you that the welfare of these Soldiers and their Families are in excellent hands.” Louck’s previous assignments include Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer in the 2/12 Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, assistant Logistics Officer with the 43rd Area Support Group, and Battalion Logistics Officer for the 10th Combat Support Hospital. Following a transition to the United States Army Reserves, Loucks was assigned as an Observer-Controller/Trainer with the 2nd Brigade, 91st Division; and in November of the same year assumed command of the newly activated Echo Company, 1st battalion, 360th Infantry Regiment (Training Support) at Fort Carson, Colo. and mobilized that company in January of 2003. He has also served in various staff positions to include his most recent assignment as Brigade Operations Officer for the 5th Armored Brigade. Loucks is pursuing his Master’s Degree in military studies (Unconventional Warfare) from Boston American Military University. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Infantry and Quartermaster Officers Advanced Courses, and the US Army Intermediate-Level Education. During his distinguished service, Loucks has earned the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Expert Infantryman Badge.
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Words from the FRG
5th Armored Brigade… who? By: Anna Sherman, 5th Armored Brigade FRG
FORT CARSON, Colo. – I am constantly asked, ”Who is the 5th Armored Brigade?” or “What kind of brigade is it?” I pleasantly smile and tell them who we are. Why don’t others know about us? So, from a wife’s perspective here is my answer of who we are so others may share in my respect for the Soldiers and the Families of the old 2/91st Training Support Brigade, now the 5th Armored Brigade - We are the Dagger Brigade. Made up of Active, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers and their families, an AC/RC unit, we are a training brigade. Our mission is to train deploying Reserve and National Guard units after they mobilize. Our Soldiers don’t get a lot of publicity, but they make it up in the training they provide so that others can stay alive while deployed. Working 24 hours, 7 days a week - there is no rest for the weary. Many of our Soldiers have been deployed at least once if not more. Some have been shot at, wounded, and now put their experiences to work training others so they may be safe and successful on the battlefield. A lot of people tend to think working in 5th Armored Bde is an easy job because of the way Reserve and National Guard Soldiers are perceived as “weekend warriors”. It’s a different story to see new Soldiers come into this fine establishment and see their passion and commitment to put in the long hours needed to impart their training and experience to others. They are all Soldiers of this wonderful country we live in, and all are heroes in my book. Whether Active, Reserve or National Guard, they work together and know how to get the job done. It is hard, but in the end is very rewarding. I am happy to say the 5th Armored Brigade is one of the most respected training brigades in First Army Division West and one of the most sought after across the country. It is ironic since in the beginning of this story I mentioned that a lot of people didn’t know who we are. In front of my house, the brigade colors bear a torch which is symbolic of education and enlightenment. The first of two V-shaped chevrons suggests the number of the brigade, and the second chevron illustrates the basic tenet that all learning is accomplished through repetition. As for the Families of the brigade, we are unique in itself. We have families spread out across more than five states. They have their own lives, communities, and their own families. They are strong, and take pride in their spouse’s work. The Soldiers and Families of the 5th Armored Brigade work hard, but we also know how to play hard! This is who we are. So if you ever see a car with the old 2/91st sticker, know that it is driven by a proud spouse. In the future, when asked what the 5th Armored Brigade is, I will just have to smile and say, “A highly respected training brigade.” Sharpen the Edge!
Sgt. Emily Mitzel, 5th Armored Brigade, Division West, coaches Soldiers of Detachment Two, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 120th Engineer Battalion, 45th Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma National Guard, as they participate in the Combat Lifesaver STX lane at Camp McGregor, New Mexico. (Photo by: Staff Sgt. Lisa M. Litchfield)
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Soldier Exemplifies Selfless Service
Article by: Staff Sgt. Lisa M. Litchfield, 5th Armored Brigade, First Army Division West
FORT BLISS, TEXAS - Like most casualty role players, Spec. Kisha Makerney lies on the ground, covered in fake blood and screaming in apparent trauma. The difference is that while most role-players have simulated injuries, Makerney is a real life amputee with a prosthetic limb which must be recovered in this scenario. Makerney, a National Guard Soldier in Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, lost her leg in a motorcycle accident in June of 2005, four months after returning from her first rotation to Iraq. Recently completing training at Fort Bliss, Texas, Makerney has mobilized for her second rotation, her first with the prosthetic limb. “I’m not handicapped,” Makerney states emphatically. “It’s never really made a difference; this leg has never made a difference. I just had to get out there and do the exact same thing I did before I lost my leg and that pretty much proved it.” Perception of weakness was an issue that Makerney struggled with internally during her recovery. “It would get me down because I would think that they [other Soldiers] probably thought that I didn’t deserve to be here if I couldn’t do something,” she explained. Makerney’s unwavering commitment to recovery and her motivated outlook have carried her far. “I have worked really hard to prove myself, but I think they’ve got it,” she smiled. On the training lanes, Makerney has definitely made a positive impression. “Spec. Makerney is actually one of the most high-speed, outstanding motivated Soldiers that I have ever seen,” said Sgt. Jason Matus, Observer-Controller/Trainer for Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion 356th Regiment, 5th Armored Brigade, First Army Division West. “To lose a limb and then turn around and prove to the army, in just a short few months, that she can still ambulate, move, carry out mission, and show that her limb does not affect her in any way… I’ve never seen anyone with more guts, ever.” Matus was especially impressed with Makerney’s dedication to make training as realistic as possible for her fellow Soldiers. “She just took her limb off and set it to the side, and said, ‘I’m going to be an amputee for real,’” he explained. Combat lifesaver skills are critical in theater, and Matus stressed realism as a benefit for the Soldiers training. “I can’t think of anything better than a real life situation,” he said. “I mean to actually be faced with the fact that there is not a limb there…I can’t think of anything more real world.” Makerney was excited to be able to use her real life experience to enhance training for her fellow Soldiers. “It makes a pretty good injury! It’s more realistic and it kind of wakes everyone up,” she enthused. “It’s not just some glue that they stuck on you with some fake blood on it, it’s real and it helps them better prepare for it, what it will really look like.” Although acting as an amputee brought back memories of the accident and subsequent amputation, Makerney knew it was
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vital for her unit to experience this type of trauma in a training environment. “It was good training for my battle buddies and my unit, it was more realistic for them,” she said. Although it was difficult to relive the scenario, Makerney handled it with her usual positive attitude. “You just have to brush it off, joke about it… it helps.” Makerney gives the full and immediate credit for that positive attitude to God. “He gives me strength. It was so hard [the accident] but I’ve got a great unit at home, the 120th Engineers, they backed me up when I was wounded… they were there for me, I have my home, my family, and my battle buddies here are great… God gives me strength to do it,” she concluded. During recovery, Makerney set goals for herself. She explained that she wanted “to walk, play basketball, dance, all that good fun stuff like that.” She also set long term goals that focused on her military service. “I’d like to be a first sergeant, maybe even a sergeant major. I like leading troops.” Makerney currently serves as a team leader for two Soldiers in her unit. “They’re great,” she said. “There have been some formations that I couldn’t keep up in… they would both just fall out with me, they wouldn’t leave me. They’re a pretty amazing couple of guys.” Makerney is determined to not let anyone see her as anything less than perfectly qualified to do her job. “I’m more determined with my training now since I have, not really something to prove to others, but maybe something to prove to myself… I feel like just another Soldier.” Although Makerney had previously been to Iraq and understood the tactics, techniques and procedures being taught at McGregor, she still found the training provided by 5th Armored to be a significant benefit to her and fellow Soldiers. “The training here is a lot more realistic, especially being in New Mexico with the desert, in Fort Sill it’s a lot more forest…everything is a lot more updated and realistic, and we’re actually training for our specific job, detainee ops….they [5th AR] set us up for success.” Makerney was especially impressed with the CLS that she role played as a casualty in. “The benefits are awesome,” she enthused. “They sent 40 people from my company to CLS training. If anything happens over there we have more people prepared, and they know what to do.” According to Makerny, the realism on the lanes was especially beneficial to her and her fellow Soldiers. “It will help to prepare them more for the stressful environment [in Iraq].” This second rotation to Iraq is something that Makerney looks forward to as part of her long-term goals. “I’ve loved the military all my life,” she explained. “I’ve always wanted to join; it was one of my biggest goals. As soon as I was old enough, I did.” Makerney’s first rotation to Iraq was especially fulfilling for her. “We went to Iraq and I just loved what I did for my country. I felt I was part of something that was worth fighting for.
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When I came back and lost it [my leg] I didn’t want that to just kick me out.” The road to retention in the Army was a difficult one, but one that Makerney was fully prepared to traverse. “I really wanted it,” she said. “It was hard, I had to pass physical training tests, I went through combatives, and there were letters to be written, boards to pass.” The Oklahoma National Guard worked with Makerney to ensure that she had the necessary paperwork, letters of support and offered her every opportunity to succeed. “I am a level one instructor [for combatives],” explained Makerney. She was even slotted to join the National Guard’s OC/T program before volunteering for her second Iraq tour. “My Grandpa was in the Infantry during the Berlin Crisis, and my Poppa was in the Air Force. I grew up with them telling me all these crazy stories, and I wanted to be a part of it,” she said. Makerney explained that when the Soldiers around her started preparing to go to Iraq, she just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go back to Iraq. “I like playing war games, so might as well play in real life,” she concluded. The 45th Brigade Combat Team deployed in late January for a nine month rotation to Iraq. Against all odds, Makerney will once again, be part of something she feels is “worth fighting for.”
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Daggers in the Local News: Feb 16, 2008
Unit drills for roadside hazards of Afghanistan Article by - El Paso Staff
McGREGOR RANGE, N.M. -- A mound of sand the size of a small loaf of bread blended into a McGregor Range road on Friday, looking to the untrained eye like every other wave and ridge along the well-trodden path. As about 20 soldiers from the Third Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, marched by, boots landed on one side and then the other until one hit directly on it. A loud bang came from the side of the road and a starburst of sparks shot into the sky. In Afghanistan, where the soldiers are headed in September, there would have been casualties, said Sgt. Juan Santana, an instructor with the 5th Armored Brigade, 1st Army Division West, which runs the range's training operations. The simulated roadside bomb was what the Army calls a "victim-operated improvised explosive device." About 3,000 Canadian soldiers with the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group traveled to Fort Bliss and began a month-long training routine on Thursday. The Canadians transported about 500 pieces of equipment, including tanks and light armored vehicles, or LAVs, the rough equivalent of a U.S. Stryker vehicle and the Canadian Army's workhorse. About 2,500 of those soldiers will deploy to Kandahar, where they will form small teams to embed with and train Afghan istan security forces. "IEDs are the biggest problem we have in Afghanistan," said Lt. Andrew Hennessy, the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group spokesman. The bomb's trigger was fashioned from two hacksaw blades separated by thin pieces of wood at each end. Each blade is connected to one lead on a detonator, which is connected to a pipe bomb that would have been filled with explosives. The hacksaw blades were wrapped in a white plastic bag and buried in the sand. The weight of a human easily pushes the blades into contact, detonating the bomb. On Friday, the soldier's misstep creates a harmless, but startling, bang. However, in the "afteraction review," Santana points out that the unit' s leadership was close enough to have been killed or injured by the explosion. He points out the importance of having a plan to regroup in such a case.
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Maj. Alain Carrier, one of a group of Canadian instructors who also traveled to Fort Bliss, tells the soldiers not to get bunched up. "When there are more casualties, there is more work and less boots on the ground," he said. Back home at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, in Ontario, Friday's temperature was minus-40 degrees. The base normally is blanketed by 3 or 4 feet of snow at this time of year, Hennessy said, and is in a heavily forested area. "That's why we come down here," he said. "We can get the big pieces moving around." Pvt. Mike Flood, a light armored vehicle driver, added another reason - learning to drive in the sand. "It's a lot different," he said. "I normally have it in four-wheel drive, but to get through the deep sand, I had to put it in eightwheel drive." The Canadians are taking advantage of expansions on the Fort Bliss ranges in preparation for the arrival of thousands of 1st Armored Division soldiers as the division relocates from Germany. The training "lanes" have been lengthened, have been made more realistic and always are changing to mirror the ingenuity of coalition enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I stand up in the morning and I look at the mountains and I think I'm in Afghanistan," said Sgt. Maj. Brad Montgomery, a Canadian instructor. As the day progresses, the Canadians find their rhythm. Down the road, in the distance, one soldier notices a 5-ton truck on the side of the road, and asks Santana, "Hey sergeant, is that vehicle in play?" Santana says it is, and the soldiers discover it is wired with artillery shells. They acquire it without detonating it. "Good job, excellent execution," Santana said, adding that the soldier who first spotted it "was looking, not only in front of him, but out to the distance." "What you just found is a diamond," Carrier said, explaining that a military forensics team can find evidence such as fingerprints that would help track down the bomb-makers. "Anytime you find an intact IED, it's like being the hunter instead of the hunted."
A special thanks is send out to the El Paso for this story and photos of our training!
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Daggers in the National News: Feb 27, 2008
U.S. Soldiers Train Canadians for Afghanistan in Texas By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service
FORT BLISS, Texas, Feb. 27, 2008 – More than 3,000 Canadian soldiers preparing for a rotation in Afghanistan are wrapping up a pre-deployment training exercise here this week that included U.S.-led instruction in countering improvised explosive devices. The three-week 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group exercise, dubbed Exercise Southern Bear, concludes Feb. 28. Soldiers from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, in Ontario, arrived here Feb. 7 to train for their deployment to Kandahar in September, Lt. Andrew Hennessy, the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group spokesman, told American Forces Press Service. Once deployed, the soldiers will serve with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team and as observer mentor liaison teams that embed with and train Afghan soldiers and national police. About 80 percent of the troops will be deploying to Afghanistan for the first time, but they’re no strangers to tough missions far from home in Bosnia, Haiti, Eritrea and other hot spots, Hennessey said. “They’ve had lots of experience in lots of places,” he said. Exercise Southern Bear, spread over a massive area that includes not just Fort Bliss, but also the McGregor Range and White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, is giving the Canadians the opportunity to train for operations with both friendly and hostile civilians, enemy insurgents, media and Afghan national security forces. Although Canadian trainers are leading the gunnery, convoy live fire, first aid and most other training blocks, they’ve looked to U.S. soldiers to help prepare them to face improvised explosive devices, Hennessey said. The U.S. 5th Armored “Dagger” Brigade, 1st Army Division West -- a hybrid of active, reserve and National Guard troops deployed here from Fort Carson, Colo., since July as trainers -- is offering that assistance. About 1,300 of the Canadian troops have gone through the “IED-defeat” training so far, and about 150 more are scheduled each day for the remainder of the exercise, said Army Col. Frank Sherman, who commands 5th Armored Brigade. The training begins with about an hour and a half of classroom instruction. After that, students get exposed to an “IED petting zoo,” where Sherman said they get to put their hands on several types of IEDs to see what they look like. From there, students learn to take scraps of metal to build their own IEDs. “We have them do that because we want them to understand what these things are and how they’re built,” Sherman said. This practice helps ensures that when soldiers encounter an IED component in the combat theater, they recognize what it is. “If they know the pieces and the components that go into making them, it’s going to be easier for them to recognize an IED,” Sherman said. With that training under their belts, the troops traverse two IED-defeat lanes set up at McGregor Range. In the first lane, for dismounted operations, soldiers spend about three hours moving as a squad. Along a mile-long stretch of New Mexico desert, they encounter six different types of IEDs, Sherman said. Next soldiers move to their vehicles -- mostly six-wheeled light armored vehicles and eight wheeled Coyote reconnaissance vehicles -- to navigate a mounted IED course where they’re exposed to five or six IEDs. Sherman said the length of the course -- 7 miles -- gives soldiers enough time Canadian army Pvt. William Burgess, of Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, attempts to locate an enemy insurgent moments after dismounted soldiers in his unit were engaged during a convoy-training exercise at Fort Bliss, Texas, and McGregor Range, N.M., in preparation for a deployment to Afghanistan. Canadian army photo
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From the American Forces Press Service
between IED events to test their vigilance. “They learn that, as they continue to move, they have to keep scanning areas and being watchful,” he said. “We don’t want them to become complacent. You can never let your guard down.” That’s critical, he said, as more IEDs begin to appear in Afghanistan. “The enemy’s adapting,” he said. “They’re learning from the other theater (Iraq) how effective they are, and they are migrating.” “IEDs are one of -- if not the -- biggest threats we will face in Afghanistan,” Hennessey agreed. He said the training Sherman’s troops are providing are a way for deploying soldiers to learn new skills that will help give them a leg up on insurgents who might use IED against them. “This is an opportunity to learn from the American military and gain from their experiences in both Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. Sherman’s trainers strive to make the training realistic and meaningful. They continually institute changes, “incorporating the latest tactics, techniques and procedures the Taliban is using,” he said. The trainers use the latest training aids, including a simulator that can be detonated wirelessly, with an infrared beam, or by a “victim” who unwittingly walks or drives on it. When the device goes off, it “throws off a big cloud and shoots off a starburst,” Sherman said. “It really does get your attention.” Meanwhile, the high-desert training environment closely resembles Kandahar itself, he said. McGregor Range stands at 4,400 feet altitude, just a few hundred feet short of Kandahar. It’s a sandy, arid area without much vegetation and similar fields of observation to those in Afghanistan. “Fort Bliss at this time of year looks a lot like Kandahar,” Hennessey agreed. Conditions here are a far cry from those at the Canadian soldiers’ home base, currently buried under 3 feet of snow with temperatures in the -20s degrees Fahrenheit. “Trying to train in conditions like that is pretty difficult,” Sherman said. With the training about to wrap up, Sherman said, he’s impressed by the way the soldiers have taken the lessons learned here to heart. “They’ve gained a lot of situational awareness, and they’re a lot more in tune to their surroundings,” he said. “They have learned how to scan the environment.” Just as importantly, he said, they’ve come to realize that defeating IEDs is everyone’s job. “It’s a team effort, and everyone understands they have a piece of it,” he said. Hennessey said the Canadian troops will reinforce the training gained here when they return home, particularly during a confirmatory exercise in May designed to certify their readiness to deploy. Sherman said he and his troops get gratification training the Canadians for their upcoming deployment. “If it saves one soldier’s life, it was well worth the time and effort,” he said. “You’ll never really know if what you taught them here saved a life, but you know in your heart that you’ve made a difference.”
A convoy of Canadian army light armored vehicles negotiates an improvised explosive device-training lane during Exercise Southern Bear on Fort Bliss, Texas, and McGregor Range, N.M. Although the Canadians are conducting almost all the training in preparation for a deployment to Afghanistan, the U.S. soldiers are leading the IED-defeat training. Canadian army photo
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