Soldiers from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, conducted movement to contact and other battle drills at a training area near Williamsport, Pa., on April 9.
“After re-organizing the platoons, we worked through different scenarios in the field to test and train some of our new leaders,” said Staff Sgt. Westley Vanbuskirk, acting platoon sergeant for Bravo Company's 1st Platoon. “We performed several different types of training objectives, like conducting a leader’s recon, movement to contact, react to contact, handling an enemy prisoner of war, and more.”
The Soldiers chose different routes through the training area to conceal their movement while scouting the objective.
“We were briefed an operation order from our platoon leaders, and then we had to break that down to a squad OPORD, and then squad leaders would break it down further to their teams,” Vanbuskirk said.
For some of the Soldiers, it was a great opportunity to work through their ability to plan, lead, and better understand the abilities of their Soldiers.
“This type of training is crucial to Soldier and Leader development,” said Staff Sgt. David Mattox, readiness noncommissioned officer for Bravo Co. “It gives them the ability to think outside the box and use what they have learned to apply it to differing scenarios that help to define mission accomplishment.”
Part of that development meant scenarios would change on the fly and encouraged the Soldiers the ability to learn how to handle situations that may present themselves at a later time and better prepare them for the future; such as transitioning the mission or squad drill during the operation, maintaining squad coherence, and more.
“Overall, I believe the benefits to this type of training are crucial to us as leaders becoming more involved in our Soldiers' lives, and strengthening our Unit as a whole,” said Mattox. “After speaking with a majority of those who took part in the training, I know that they felt it not only bettered the squads and teams that were involved, but also increased morale, esprit de corps and cohesion as a unit.”
Date Taken: | 04.09.2021 |
Date Posted: | 04.15.2021 08:30 |
Story ID: | 393765 |
Location: | WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
Web Views: | 86 |
Downloads: | 1 |
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