British soldiers train at Camp Buehring

Courtesy Photo | British troops watch the perimeter as a building is checked during Military Operations in Urban Terrain training at the Training Village in Camp Buehring, Kuwait.  

06.06.2007

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Central   

By Pvt. Christopher T. Grammer
Desert Voice Staff Writer

KUWAIT—Tying tan scarves over their faces, British soldiers of the 1st Mechanized Brigade prepare to train in Military Operations in Urban Terrain during a dust storm at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

British army Cpls. Paul Davenport and Scott Hodgekinson, both MOUT instructors, offer last minute instruction as weapons and body armor are readied in preparation for the last training exercise in the seven-day training program.

The training is broken down into three stations, including Humvee Egress Assistance Training, Improvised Explosive Device training and MOUT training. They also learn basic vehicle maintenance and acclimate to the desert environment, said British army Sgt. Garry Bradshaw, instructor on acclimatization for the 1st Mech. Bde.

"It's definitely well worth doing," Bradshaw said about the training.

Bradshaw and the other instructors provide the vital training to the British soldiers who come through Camp Buehring on their way to Iraq. The soldiers need this training to prepare them for operations in Iraq.

"It's pretty good," British army Pvt. Matthew Reynolds said about the IED training. "It has opened my eyes to how sophisticated the IED attacks are."

The troops are split up into infantry sections, two four-man teams armed with two SA80A2 Individual Weapons one with Underslung Grenade Launcher, 5.56mm Light Machine Gun and an SA80A2 Light Support Weapon, Bradshaw said.

Stacked outside a door in the training village, the British soldiers prepare to clear the building of mock insurgents.

A foot smashes into the door, flinging it open, allowing the soldiers to file into the building. Sounds of gunshots explode into the air as dummies dressed as insurgents are apprehended.

"Clear!" is shouted out, breaking the silence following the skirmish.

• Date Taken: 06.06.2007
• Date Posted: 06.15.2007 12:47
• Story ID: 10837