Photo By Spc. Billie Harr | Members of Alpha Company, 777th Aviation Support Battalion, 90th Troop Command,...... read more read more
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Apprehension and excitement ran through members of Alpha Company, 777th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB), 90th Troop Command, Oklahoma Army National Guard as they conducted training at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, this month. The ASB is scheduled to deploy to the Middle East this summer and is undergoing basic Soldier skill training in order to perform their year-long mission.
The ASB is headquartered in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and consists of Soldiers trained as petroleum supply specialists, warehouse personnel, transportation personnel, and ammunition specialists. The unit also has a water purification section, which will not be deploying.
“We have a lot of new Soldiers who have never been deployed,” said Alpha Company 1st Sgt. Gerry Poe of Midwest City, Oklahoma. “They are excited but also a little nervous.”
“We are in the right mindset,” said Poe, “and are continuing to work on fine tuning.”
In this case, the "fine tuning" comes in the form of rigorous pre-mobilization training (PMT) which includes a host of individual warrior skills, small-team tactical exercises and situation based training designed to test the units ability to receive a mission and work as a team. The warrior skills training received at Camp Gruber include reacting to direct and indirect fire, navigating difficult terrain using a map and compass or GPS, responding to Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), weapons qualification, and interacting with both hostile and friendly foreign nationals.
Camp Gruber’s Liberty Village training site enables units to create scenarios combining all the elements of their training into a challenging exercise designed to prepare Soldiers for possible real-world missions. Soldiers learn to react quickly in tough situations. Surrounded by thick forests and creeks, the training site consists of multiple cinderblock buildings of differing heights and layouts, providing a variety of physical obstacles and cover. Soldiers build their confidence and basic Soldier skills by patrolling the village, clearing buildings, interacting with civilians and taking and returning fire from training participants playing hostile forces. They also help their “wounded” comrades in order to practice their first aid skills under the stress and dynamic conditions of a simulated fire fight.
Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Elliott of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, and his squad had just finished a walk-through of Liberty Village, on this humid day.
“We are Soldiers first, no matter what our job responsibilities,” said Elliot. “We can always be tasked to do anything and so this is very important for all Soldiers to learn.”
Soldiers also trained on the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT) which is a mock Humvee developed to simulate a role over situation. The Humvee body is placed on a mechanism that rolls the vehicle over in a controlled environment. Once the Soldiers are inside, HEAT operators run the vehicle through a variety of scenarios. Soldiers then practice exiting the vehicle quickly and safely through various exit points while wearing approximately 40 pounds of the same equipment they will wear while on deployment. The Soldiers must leave the vehicle together while maintaining a safe perimeter and securing all sensitive items. The HEAT is a requirement of their pre-deployment training.
“They need to be ready for the worst case scenario,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Hamilton, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, company commander. “You always hope for the best but you have to plan for the worst, so that’s what we try to do with them in order to keep their heads in the game.”
“We always hope we don’t have to use the things we learn here,” added Hamilton, “because we don’t want to have to engage the enemy. Our biggest goal is to make sure that all these Soldiers will make it back safe in every way—mentally, physically, spiritually.”
| Date Taken: | 05.25.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2016 09:48 |
| Story ID: | 199062 |
| Location: | CAMP GRUBER, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | BROKEN ARROW, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | CUSHING, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | MIDWEST CITY, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | TECUMSEH, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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