Photo By Capt. Eric-James Estrada | U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Bunch with Blackfoot Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Paratroopers with the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, along with various units and enablers from across Alaska worked together to demonstrate their unique ability to carry out combat, as well as safety and security operations while operating in an Arctic environment during their winter field training exercise Jan. 28 through Feb. 5, 2014, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
More than 3,000 service members participated in the event. It all started with a forced entry, airborne insertion on Jan. 28.
Situational Training Exercises (STX), to include mounted and dismounted live fire action and gunneries, along with Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) surveillance of the battlefield, 105mm howitzer artillery crew certifications and firings, air assaults, and mounted and dismounted security patrols were some of the skills paratroopers executed during the event.
Due to regular deployment rotations in support of the Global War on Terrorism, the winter FTX was a first for the Spartan Brigade since its inception in 2008.
The Spartan paratroopers received invaluable training while planning and executing missions, further validating the unit’s abilities to respond to contingencies and humanitarian relief efforts in the Asia-Pacific Theater. In addition, the FTX helps ready the Spartan Brigade as they prepare for their upcoming rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, La.
Battalion commanders were pleased with their units’ accomplishments and with the support of the outside enabling units that contributed to the training’s success.
“I am real proud of how we, as a squadron, as a troop, all the way down to the platoon, at the section, and squad level have performed up to this point,” said Lt. Col. Richard Scott, commander of the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment. “The guys on the ground performed the way that I expected recon scouts to perform; dismounted recon scouts. I think there is a level of discipline that you need to come into an environment like this, and to this point we have had no issues.”
The commander of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, Lt. Col. Patrick Altenburg, said, “This is the first big Arctic FTX the brigade has ever done since it stood up, and dealing with the Arctic cold, and how to operate.
“I think it is going really well. I think the key is the planning and rehearsing, and when they plan and rehearse, it all comes together, so, each day they are getting better.”
Working together internally and externally with outside enablers was a key piece of the training.
“This is great training. The best part of the training for us though, is the enabler support that we’ve had, both from our brothers up at Fort Wainwright, and 6-17 Cav. We had the 'Sugar Bear' element … and then today from the Alaska National Guard providing support with the UH-60s, and then our own brigade enabler support with the 'Shadows,' MPs, and human contact teams,” said Lt. Col. Tobin Magsig, commander of the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment.
Flexibility is essential for military units as they conduct operations in today’s world, said Magsig.
“We’re focusing on how the battalion is able to seamlessly transition and react and operate in a permissive, semi-permissive and non-permissive environment,” said Magsig. “Our ability to rapidly transition between those three operating environments is really what we are getting after during the last week and a half and into the end of this week.”
Lt. Col. Christopher Ward, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, said his artillerymen benefited from the tough Arctic conditions.
“We’ve trained pretty hard in all of the core artillery proficiency tasks that we have, here last summer and the fall, but now we are doing those same skill sets in an Arctic environment. It just increases the level of difficulty,” said Ward. “Obviously, colder weather, having more gear on, the mobility is not the same. So just being able to maintain that level of proficiency that we had several months ago in a different environment is always a challenge, and our guys are doing a great job of getting after it!”
Combat support and combat service support elements of the brigade played essential key roles during the FTX.
Lt. Col. Peter Crandall, the commander of the 725th Brigade Support Battalion, said, “I believe this is an outstanding event. It’s the first time the brigade as a BCT has come to the field. So, as a support battalion, with co-locating all of the FSCs (forward support companies) here with us, and integrating them into synching logistics for the brigade, we’ve never done this before, so I think going forward, for any exercise, be it Fort Polk, or we deploy to any other country in the PACOM AOR (Pacific Command Area of Responsibility) will greatly enhance the TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) that we have.”
In all, the FTX was a success and integrated systems not often seen and experienced, such as the incorporation of battlefield surveillance provided by one of the brigade’s newest assets, the RQ7 “Shadow” Unmanned Aircraft System.
The paratroopers gained proficiency and knowledge while operating in the Arctic conditions, and they will carry that experience forward as they continue to train and execute orders handed down to them.
“When push comes to shove, what we’re doing, they’re (Spartan paratroopers) really excited to do, and it’s a challenge,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Perera, the commander of the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion. “They have distinct pride in the fact that nobody else in the Army comes and hangs out in the field and does combat training like this, in, you know, seven degrees!”
In addition to the upcoming rotation to JRTC, the Spartan Brigade continues to train and conduct missions across the Pacific region with recent operations in Australia for the Talisman Saber 2013 mission and the upcoming mission to the Kingdom of Thailand for Exercise Cobra Gold 2014.
| Date Taken: | 02.06.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2014 19:35 |
| Story ID: | 120233 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 212 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Spartans hone Arctic warrior skills during winter FTX, by SFC Jeffrey Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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