Photo By Sgt. Kimberly Browne | A squad with Company B, 3rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team,...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas – More than 15 soldiers stand crowded against each other beneath a concrete bunker squinting their eyes with anticipation, using their fingers to plug their ears …waiting.
“Fire in the hole,” loudly echoes from within the bunker. Three seconds later a compression wave shakes the bunker, and a massive explosion rattles each soldier.
Pieces of metal fence posts, mud and wire thud and pop as they fall all around and over the bunker. Moments later an ”all clear” verbal signal is given, and the soldiers rush out of the bunker to check their controlled destruction.
This was the experience of soldiers with Company B, 3rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conducting engineer qualifications tables V through VIII, at a demolition range here.
The soldiers began their qualifications with table V, which is designed to train the squad on fire control and offensive and defensive actions. Within table V the squads had to perform tasks, such as reacting to ambush, reacting to an improvised explosive device, and evacuating a casualty.
Table VI engaged the squads with Sapper tasks, such as conducting reconnaissance, clearing obstacles using demolitions, and breaching a passageway into a building.
“These are common tasks for combat engineers,” said Sgt. 1st Class David Melendez, platoon sergeant in Company B.
Once the soldiers were trained up on Tables V and VI, they were then evaluated on Tables VII and VIII.
These two tables are the same as Tables V and VI but they are set to a tactical scenario. Table VII allowed for the troopers to practice with blank ammunition, simulated demolition and inert munitions before being evaluated and qualified as a squad in Table VIII with live munitions.
“Everyone has been trained to standard and all the squads have performed really well despite the cold and battling the elements,” said 1st Lt. Zack Bloom, a platoon leader in Company B. “They sucked it up and got through it.”
These EQTs are held within engineer battalions and companies at least twice a year and with each squad competing against each other.
The engineers emerged from the rain and cold to the sun shining and a light breeze, to conduct their Table VIII.
“It’s been good training,” said Pvt. Jose Esquivel, an engineer with B Company and Memphis native. “I’m actually really happy we’re doing this, because I feel more prepared than I was before … definitely, definitely good training.”
The company’s completed training with a 12-mile foot march back to their battalion, with the march being the competitive tiebreaker, if one was needed.
“We’re all competitive with each other,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Avilla, platoon sergeant in B Company. “Something about the engineers, and especially the Sappers, is that bragging rights go a long way.”
| Date Taken: | 01.14.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 01.23.2014 11:55 |
| Story ID: | 119546 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 321 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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