Photo By Capt. Christina Winters | Lt. Col. Humbles, the commander of the 980th Engineer Battalion, gives guidance after...... read more read more
FORT KNOX, Ky – The U.S. Army Reserve constantly readies itself for the conflicts of today while shaping for the demands of tomorrow. Modernization efforts worldwide constantly shift priorities of work while units adapt their training to meet the demands of today’s battlefield.
Mastering the fundamentals is just the beginning for the 980th Engineer Battalion as they conclude their mission in Operation Hood Strike 22 at Fort Hood, Texas.
The 980th’s battalion commander, Lt. Col. Zachary Humbles, prepared his unit for months with a series of planning and pre-deployment exercises that enabled rapid and cohesive, combined troop movement and mission execution.
“We operate with a set of mission essential tasks designed to prepare Soldiers in the unit to execute contingency missions worldwide and adapt to the demand of the ever-changing landscape of the operational environment,” said Humbles. “Operation Hood Strike allows us to execute the Mission Essential Task List that is vital for building, planning and preparation capability that enhance force projection and readiness.”
The battalion, composed of six companies located across Texas, and two Multi-Role Bridge Companies (MRBC) in Arkansas, and Oklahoma, combined in a collaborated effort to increase their combat skill proficiency at the individual, squad and platoon levels. Soldiers conducted training in convoy operations, weapon familiarization, improvised explosive device detection and limited neutralization, flailing operations, rafting operations and the full enclosure of an improved ribbon bridge (IRB) across Lake Belton.
The IRB benefits military forces by providing the rapid critical transport capabilities for troops and supplies over water when permanent bridges are not available, enabling units to employ and sustain forces worldwide
“We continue to focus on the fundamentals,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Ewing, the 980th Engineer Battalion senior non-commissioned officer-in-charge. “We define our success by showing how we can best perform the tasks we have been given with what we have and by providing solutions to the problems presented before us.”
Other assets, like the M160, benefits Soldiers by providing standoff protection as its high-speed, rotating chained hammers dig and pound the soil, resulting in the detonation or shattering of anti-personnel mines during area clearance operations to support friendly force movement, as well as protect equipment and decrease casualties.
In the event the M160 is unavailable, Soldiers detect and neutralize IEDs the old-fashioned way with hand-held probes. Ensuring that all contingencies are planned and rehearsed, Ewing was pleased with the outcome of the training.
“To the soldiers who participated in HS22, you exceed expectations set on the overall mission goals despite the week of record setting temperatures in Texas,” Ewing. “We dusted off our field craft techniques that will lead us to higher standards during our FY23 field training exercises.”
The 87th Training Divisions 1st Brigade Mission Training Complex (MTC) team stood ready to support and validate training efforts by the 980th with regimental instruction and a collective pool of expertise.
Master Sgt. Danny Cresswell, the exercise senior command post operations non-commissioned officer-in-charge, worked late nights to ensure that training objectives were met.
“Day and night we were out there checking on training and observing both main and supporting lines of effort were in sync during combined unit maneuvers,” said Cresswell. “The conditions and heat index added to the stress for the Soldiers, but they overcame those obstacles to complete their unit and individual objectives.”
Col. Michael Creedon, the team chief for the 1st Bde. MCT, oversaw mission execution while carefully inserting injects to test the 980th’s ability to adapt to mission variables as their proficiency grew.
“The 980th Engineers are extremely capable and displayed an advanced ability to task organize in response to changing conditions that normally is not seen so quickly during an exercise,” said Creedon. “They came to win and showed up with a high degree of confidence, competence, and cohesion. I hope to work with them again on future missions.”
The 980th was committed to a successful Operation Hood Strike with the goal to safely deploy, execute, and re-deploy home every Soldier and piece of equipment they brought safely.
With the conclusion of this mission, they left more trained, more proficient, and more capable for tomorrow’s demands.
“Our success is driven by our ethic and commitment to being the best on the battlefield,” said Humbles. “Training can never be measured simply by a list of metrics alone, but by understanding that operational environments are constantly changing and it’s up to us to be ready and adapt to those changes.”
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.24.2022 13:23 |
| Story ID: | 427957 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 469 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 980th Engineer Battalion Showcases Readiness During Operation Hood Strike, by CPT Christina Winters, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Operational readiness exercise
