Photo By Spc. Christopher Grammer | Spc. Louis Johnson, a finance specialist with 126th Finance, C Detachment, mans the...... read more read more
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By Pvt. Christopher Grammer
50th Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- Clouds of dust are kicked up as a long string of Humvees roll down the long desert road. A smoke grenade sets off with a quick bang, vehicle one has been hit.
"It woke a lot of people up to the threats of IEDs," said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Murdorf, a finance specialist with Charlie Detachment, 126th Finance Company.
Soldiers of the 82nd Financial Management Company are performing convoy improvised explosive device training outside Forward Operating Base Dagger before heading to Iraq.
The IED range was operated and run by Third Army/U.S. Army Central personnel. It is one of the ranges offered in the Third Army's area of operation for units bound for Iraq.
During the training, smoke grenades simulating IEDs are strewn along a stretch of road which the convoy must navigate using convoy movement tactics to minimize damage while accomplishing the mission.
The course is broken down into five checkpoints in which various situations are presented to challenge the Soldiers to react to dangers they may face in the war zone. Before the training begins, the units participating are given intelligence about the area and its history, giving the unit an idea of what to expect on the course and a chance to form a plan of action.
Keeping civilian traffic out of the convoy is a problem they may face in Iraq and it is also the first challenge they face as a part of the training. Civilian vehicles trying to enter the convoy must be prevented from doing so.
The next checkpoint is at an overpass that has been rigged with an IED in the middle of the two-way highway. The idea of this challenge is for the convoy to react to the first IED, if they spot it, by backing off into another IED that lays in wait behind them. In the second story of a building nearby are a camera and a trigger for the device.
Third are a series of IEDs made from artillery simulators that the convoy must avoid to move on and continue the mission. The fourth check point has multiple IEDs together in a daisy chain and cars blocking the road to channel the convoy where the insurgents would want them to go.
At the fifth and final checkpoint the convoy is informed of a car wreck blocking the road in front of them, forcing them to communicate with the Iraqi police to work out the situation and get around the road block.
The instructors monitor radio chatter and observe how the Soldiers perform during the exercise. Afterwards, they get the unit together for an after action review.
What sets this training apart from the training available in the United States is its proximity to the real thing.
Soldiers and service members perform the training in an atmosphere closer to that of Iraq where the heat is intense and the people, and customs are unfamiliar, said Spc. Seth Loftin, communications specialist with the 82nd FMC.
"You can train all day in the states but it won't be anything like Iraq," Loftin said.
Though the 82nd FMC is made up of Soldiers whose mission is not on the front lines, that doesn't mean they are immune to the dangers of the war zone, Loftin said. Without this training, service members may find themselves in a situation they cannot get out of or avoid. Preparation for dangerous situations whether they happen or not can save the lives of war fighters down range.
"Everyone goes on missions and you need to be prepared," Loftin said. "The training made me more aware of the appearance and placement of IEDs."
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2007 13:59 |
| Story ID: | 11305 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 283 |
| Downloads: | 184 |
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