Photo By Sgt. Benjamin Watson | Sgt. Michael Santos of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Deep in pine forests on the outer reaches of Fort Bragg, paratroopers on March 24, entered the early phases of squad training exercises geared toward helping the Iraqi army secure its home country.
One battalion of paratroopers played the well-known part of the American army, while another battalion played the role of the host nation's army and its citizens.
The emphasis of the day's training rested squarely on the American's shoulders, represented by the "White Devils" of the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
For Staff Sgt. Nathan Teixeira, platoon sergeant with Company D, 2nd Bn., 504th PIR, the focus of the exercise was for his troops to prepare for their mission of supporting soldiers in the Iraqi army.
"The goal today is for our guys to build a strong relationship with the Iraqi army," said the Assonet, N.J. native.
"We're trying to partner with them to secure the country," he said.
Tuesday's exercise took convoys of paratroopers down a route through the woods with officers and senior noncommissioned officers observing the action in the lanes. The training focused on a small number of troopers per iteration, and is known as a squad training exercise, or simply "STX lanes."
Spc. Adam D. Leppert, a paratrooper in Co. D, expressed excitement at the exercise's realism.
"It reflects more of what's going on over there," said Leppert, a native of Indianapolis.
Leppert's last deployment with the "White Devils" took him to Basra and Nasiriyah, Iraq, along with fellow paratrooper, Spc. Cody A. Ricks.
"This is definitely more realistic," said Ricks, a native of Fredericksburg, Va.
"We're dealing with [improvised explosive devices], vehicle recovery, using tow bars and sling sets," he said. "I didn't do much of that before our last deployment."
Winding along dirt roads and firebreaks which eventually led to a mock-village of painted plywood and concrete, the "White Devils" spent their time in the lane escorting elements of the Iraqi army while also looking out for and reacting to terrorist threats.
Paratroopers from 3rd Bn., 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 1st BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., or the "Gun Devils," played the part of the Iraqis and the terrorists. How these "Iraqis" were treated and questioned – either with patience or with abandon and haste – determined whether they assisted or harmed the Iraqi army and the paratroopers.
Some "Iraqis," like Pvt. Alberto Rayes of Alexandria, Va., played more than one role – both neutral citizen and terrorist – during the exercise.
"I'm playing the enemy," Rayes said, "and it's always good to have both perspectives because of all the unexpected stuff that can happen in any given situation."
Pfc. Matthew C. Purdy played the part of a village elder. He was encouraged by the STX lane training, despite working long days.
"It's for a good cause," said Purdy, a Boise, Idaho native. "Getting out in the field is fun. And as we get better at it, it gets better for everybody."
Capt. Donald J. Dangler, company commander for Co. D, 2nd Bn., 504th PIR, said Tuesday's exercise was the first time his paratroopers have worked together at the platoon level.
As his paratroopers traveled along the STX lane, Dangler stayed close and watched his men adapt to the stresses of training for a deployed environment.
Before Tuesday, Dangler said his troops had been focused on crew drills involving the recovery of damaged vehicles, evaluating and evacuating casualties, as well as basic battle drills while in a convoy.
A native of Morristown, N.J., Dangler said this training was a perfect fit for his paratroopers' upcoming deployment where they will be operating in a partnership role with the Iraqi army.
"The STX lane is teaching the young leaders we have to get the Iraqis involved in the plan, and allowing them the opportunity to execute that plan," he said.
Getting his Soldiers to see that the Iraqis will soon be taking charge is key.
"Just getting them to understand having the Iraqis take the lead on certain operations, I think that's one of the biggest things we're trying to preach on our train-up lanes here."
Judging by Purdy's enthusiasm alone, Dangler's paratroopers were well on their way to meeting those goals. But the training isn't over yet. Additional and more complex operations are scheduled to run through, April 3.
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2009 15:47 |
| Story ID: | 31825 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 649 |
| Downloads: | 476 |
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