Photo By Spc. Princess Alexandria Higgins | A U.S. Army Georgia National Guard route clearance package from the Statesboro-based,...... read more read more
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Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Statesboro-based 177th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted route clearance operations with a focus on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the 48th IBCT's Exportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) Exercise at Fort Stewart, Ga., June 16, 2022.
XCTC is the U.S. Army National Guard's program of record that enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight and win battles worldwide.
This training is critical because 48.7 percent of total military deaths between September 11, 2011, and October 9, 2020, were attributed to IEDs; in Iraq, 52 percent of forces killed died from IEDs, and in Afghanistan, it was 48.2 percent.
"The importance of this training is that it can save lives," said Sgt. Tresden Wilson, a combat engineer assigned to the 177th Brigade Engineer Battalion. "Ensuring our Soldiers can detect, neutralize and safely navigate to the next point is huge in a combat zone."
With the percentage of casualties caused by IEDs, having a solid training plan to combat these issues is paramount.
"I didn't know the IEDs were so adaptable," said Pfc. Demarquez Ross, a combat engineer assigned to the 177th Brigade Engineer Battalion. "My NCOs have told me stories about the differences in the types and locations that IEDs can be, so I'm definitely making sure I take this training to heart."
When lessons learned become lessons taught, the importance of route clearance is simple. It saves lives.
"This training is extremely vital to our readiness," Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Morgan, an operations noncommissioned officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 177th Brigade Engineer Battalion. "We want to ensure our medics understand their role in the mass casualty process."
A mass casualty is when the number of patients exceeds the number of medical and combat lifesaver qualified personnel in a vicinity.
"It's important for everyone to be a part of the mass casualty training," said Morgan. "You never know who may be able to potentially save their battle buddy's life."
Interoperability is essential to the Army because different units can inject and embed themselves within other organizations, creating a unified fighting force capable of winning America's conflicts.
"These types of training events create confidence and trust between us and the units we support," said Morgan. "The better and more efficient we become only ensures other units that when it comes to route clearance, we are practiced and are ready to support them seamlessly."
New soldiers experienced what a route clearance mission looks and feels like with the added experience of a mass causality event. Soldiers were able to interact with other units and gain the confidence to be able to complete missions in the future.
"I never knew that the Army took the time to prepare for things like this," said Ross. "I feel confident in my unit, and if we had to execute a route clearance mission, I feel confident in my training and know we would be successful."
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2022 17:36 |
| Story ID: | 423274 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 212 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 48th IBCT's 177th Brigade Engineer Battalion Conducts Route Clearance Operations, by SPC Princess Alexandria Higgins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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