Photo By Staff Sgt. Ian Kummer | California Army National Guard soldiers in the 235th Engineer Company, 579th Engineer...... read more read more
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CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. - A staggered column of soldiers in full combat gear carefully patrols down a dirt road. They are moving slowly, cautiously, inch by inch, scanning for even the slightest hint of enemy movement, or worse, an improvised explosive device.
Suddenly a cry rings out, “Contact right!” Members of the patrol’s forward element dart to the berm at the edge of the road, readying their weapons to return fire against the enemy. The team at the rear of the column moves out across a grassy field, protected by the covering fire of their fellow soldiers, creating a flanking movement against the opposing force and pinning them with devastating rifle and light machine gun fire from two sides.
The “firefight” ends as abruptly as it began, and an instructor calls the troops to gather around for an after-action report. This was only a training exercise, but that doesn’t make the lessons learned any less important, for these soldiers may soon be repeating these movements in Afghanistan, in combat, with live ammunition, against an all-too-real enemy.
The soldiers of the Petaluma-based 235th Engineer Company (Sappers), 579th Engineer Battalion, arrived at Camp Roberts, Calif., on Feb. 1 to begin training with Task Force Warrior, a team of instructors assigned to teach the soldiering skills needed in combat to deploying National Guard units from across the country.
This was the 235th Sappers’ time to once again prove themselves as an effective military unit and prepare for a scheduled deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“Overall we are meshing more and more in our team dynamics,” said 1st Lt. Andrew Smith, the executive officer for the 235th. “We’re defining each area of responsibility for each task and just bonding as a team.”
There is a wide range of experience levels among the Soldiers of the 235th, making training and unit cohesion all the more important.
“We’re focusing right now on the nametape level - just evaluating and monitoring our younger guys, making sure they’re grasping these basic skills they’re learning here,” said Staff Sgt. Daniel Caddy. “That way, we can build platoon (standard operating procedures), company SOPs and go from there.”
The junior members of the 235th also found the training events with Task Force Warrior to be good team-building experience.
“It’s like basic (training) without the drill sergeants,” said Spc. West Boyer, a member of the 235th Headquarters Platoon. “It’s nice to get to know the guys you’re going to deploy with.”
While the Task Force Warrior instructors strive for soldiers to get the most out of their training events, in the end it is the responsibility of company leadership to use their time at Camp Roberts wisely.
“We train even when we move between training sites: We do patrolling exercises, practicing IED strikes along the way,” Smith said. “We (train on physical fitness) every morning, operational briefs every night, five days out.”
Both senior leaders and junior members of the 235th expressed a sense of pride and team spirit during the 17-day training period with Task Force Warrior.
“Let me tell you about the sappers; we are a very ‘hooah’ unit,” said Spc. Stephan Sandoval of Headquarters Platoon. “The 235th are, in my opinion, the best trained unit in the National Guard.”
A well-rounded and adaptive fighting force, the 235th left its training with Task Force Warrior stronger than when it arrived. The unit’s clearly evident team spirit and quick learning will both be critical elements of success in the Afghanistan theater.
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 02.15.2013 17:28 |
| Story ID: | 102097 |
| Location: | CAMP ROBERTS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 633 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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