Paratroopers fine tune war fighting skills - "82nd Airborne Division sets its sights on Baghdad"

Photo By Sgt. Maj. Alejandro Licea | Paratroopers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division enter a room looking for simulated enemy insurgents during a training exercise, Dec. 12, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Paratroopers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division are in Kuwait conducting combat training events as they prepare to head to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT

12.12.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Alejandro Licea 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

By Staff Sgt. Alex Licea
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - When it comes to training for an urban environment its all about building muscle memory in the mind of Sgt.1st Class Milton Terrell.

For his paratroopers, assigned to 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, training on close quarters combat skills became a day long affair going well into the evening hours.

The training suited what these troops will likely expect; conducting combat operations in a congested area. Using makeshift houses called 'glasshouses', the training focused on close quarters marksmanship, room searching and clearing techniques. Urban combat operations such as in Baghdad tend make this training a must.

"It's about continuing to build the confidence on these troopers and getting them accustom to working with one another as a team," said Terrell, a platoon sergeant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-505 PIR.

Unit leaders also focused on the importance of judgment and distinguishing a hostile force from an innocent bystander. Many paratroopers know this an important element of the training.

"You need to take a pause, look for the hostile intent and make smart decisions," said Pfc. Erik Hilbert, a native of Brewster, Mass. "Being here [Kuwait] is a great training environment for us because we know Iraq is not to far away. It makes it more real."

Despite a sharp decline in violence in Iraq made by Iraqi security forces and coalition forces, senior military leaders continue to stress the security gains made after the troop surge are fragile.

Recent high-scale bombings in the cities of Baghdad and Kirkuk have brought back the fact that Iraq is still a very volatile nation and these paratroopers trained like it.

"This training is vital going into a combat zone," said Terrell. "We can't stress it enough."

• Date Taken: 12.12.2008
• Date Posted: 12.12.2008 10:28
• Story ID: 27580
• Location: CAMP BUEHRING, KW