Photo By Staff Sgt. Walter Carroll | Pfc. Eric Detwiler (left), financial management technician, 9th FMSU and Pvt. Victor...... read more read more
As a way to hone in on their basic Soldiering tasks and skills, Soldiers from the 9th Financial Management Support Unit, 1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, conducted a field training exercise, Jan. 21-22, at Fort Riley, Kansas.
During the FTX, the Soldiers were faced with the winter weather of Kansas, with temperatures ranging from 8 degrees to a high of 39 degrees, all with a mix of rain, ice, and snow. Regardless of the weather they faced, the Soldiers still setup their area of defense and conducted their training.
1st Lt. Johnathan Lait, chief of commercial vendor services, 9th FMSU, was responsible for the planning and execution of the FTX.
"This field training exercise was a way to reintroduce finance into the field environment with realistic scenarios," Lait said. “Finance had not been out to the field for a number of years. Given how we’re changing from COIN (counter insurgency) to large scale combat operations, we saw that there was a need to change the way that we were training as well. This meant that finance would have to go out to the field and assume that they would not be operating in pre-established FOBs (forward operating bases).
Lait gave further details about the overall mission from beginning to end.
“We began with a 6.5 mile ruck march to the training area,” Lait said. “Once at the training area we established a brigade support area. With that area established we set up a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) so we could conduct finance operations using equipment that was organic to the FMSU. From there we setup a defense, which was one of our METTL tasks to reintroduce that finance isn’t necessarily only us doing financial stuff. It may come down to us doing roles that are basic soldiering skills such as defense. From there we proceeded to dig in for the night and sleep in the field overnight."
The next morning the Soldiers were faced with inclement weather as they packed their equipment and rucked back to their home unit.
Even with the weather as it was, Lait didn’t view it as a constraint.
“I think that it helped the exercise because it was just realistic,” Lait said. “It wouldn’t be the ideal sunny walk in the park. The weather started extremely cold and then warmed up and then turned into freezing rain and snow. But it was realistic. We can’t predict the weather but we can do our jobs regardless of the weather.”
During their FTX the Soldiers received a training session from their Signal Soldiers on setting up a VSAT.
Maj. William Adams, commander, 9th FMSU, spoke about the role of the VSAT in financial management support missions.
“When we’re doing any kind of finance mission or pay support in an environment that isn’t already set, i.e. there isn’t already a FOB or hard lines, we can use our VSAT to communicate so that we can send finance data back to the states. Most of the things we do finance wise, are pay support for Soldiers and then we can also do things like commercial vendor services. So for example, if you’re on a FOB in Afghanistan and you’ve got some local nationals who clean the base or empty toilets, those are all local contracts that have to be paid and they need to be paid by a unit like this, which is in support of a higher element. The VSAT allows us to do that real time communication back to the states so that we can process those financial transactions.
Sgt. Xavier Rodriguez-Rios, financial management technician, 9th FMSU shared his views about conducting the FTX.
“For me personally, I like to be out there,” Rodriguez-Rios said. “I like to do rucks. If it can be more (more than 6 miles) I prefer to do more. Being outdoors and sleeping outdoors, I think Soldiers have to have the experience of how it is being out there instead of just being in the office, COF, or motor pool. They have to have the experience just in case something happens.
Additionally, Rodriguez-Rios shared his thoughts on the differences between his team working outdoors versus indoors.
“I mean there’s a lot of differences,” Rodriguez-Rios said. “People are comfortable and people like to be in their comfort zones. Indoors, office A.C., not sweating, having a hot bath, hot chow, I mean it’s a lot different but you have to be able to adjust yourself to that change and be ready."
Lait reflected what he felt his team took from the experience.
“I think it boosted morale,” Lait said. “It’s not often that we get out there and do something altogether. Certainly there were times where it wasn’t ideal like when it was snowing. But the fact that we were all out there, in it together, kind of just built those bonds. I think it also established confidence in our equipment. It’s not often that we take the generators out there, or the tents out there, or the VSAT. Additionally, we brought night vision goggles and we don’t use them that often and now we’re doing hands on use of them, so I think it built their confidence in the equipment and in these systems to do the job.” he added.
| Date Taken: | 01.27.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.28.2020 17:23 |
| Story ID: | 360564 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 212 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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