Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Klestinski | Florida Army National Guard Soldiers prepare to fire an M58 mine clearing line charge,...... read more read more
The Florida Army National Guard is no stranger to partnerships. Located in hurricane territory, it has collaborated with other states’ National Guard units for several years, either to receive assistance in recovering from a natural disaster, or vice versa – such as in 2005 when the Florida Guard supported Mississippi's efforts after Hurricane Katrina.
The Florida Guard’s most recent example of collaboration takes the form of a new relationship with the Kentucky Guard, and the assistance the Bluegrass State has provided the Florida Guard as it recently began its “MICLIC” journey.
“MICLIC” is the M58 mine clearing line charge, which is delivered by a rocket. Soldiers employ this system to clear a path across a minefield in hostile environments to give military units safe passage. A rocket fires from a trailer, towing a 500-foot line behind it. The first 200 feet of that line from its firing point are inert, but the last 300 feet carry a line of explosive charges designed to destroy any land mines within a space of 300 feet by 46 feet.
“Two minutes after the [rocket’s] fuse is detonated, it pulls 1750 pounds of C4 behind it, so it’s basically a big rope of C4,” said Army Staff Sgt. Michael Newman, training noncommissioned officer (NCO) and recon NCO for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 753rd Brigade Engineering Battalion (BEB).
The 753rd BEB received a set of MICLIC trailers from the 870th Engineer Company in early 2024 but lacked the knowledge or experience to train with or employ them.
When Army Capt. Stephanie Demorest, the 753rd BEB’s S-3 officer, received a call from Army Capt. Tyler Cope of the Kentucky Guard’s 206th Engineer Battalion in February, the organizations saw an opportunity to help each other improve their mission readiness – leading off with the MICLIC platform. The conversations began, and the 753rd BEB sent a team of Soldiers for a week of hands-on training in Kentucky in June.
“[The Kentucky Guard] picked up all the stuff for us, they did all the coordination, and they were really attentive in welcoming the Florida Guard,” Newman said. “They got the MICLIC trailer and the rockets, we went to their range, and they showed us how they shot it. Within that week, their team provided some phenomenal hands-on training.”
In July, the 753rd BEB was among the almost 5,000 Florida Guard Soldiers who mobilized to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, to participate in the Exportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise. XCTC is a major training event that ensures the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s (IBCT) readiness and proficiency to deploy.
One of XCTC’s goals is to prepare the 53rd IBCT for its training package scheduled to occur at the Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC) in Southern California in 2025. According to Demorest, firing a live MICLIC rocket is a critical capability per the 753rd BEB’s modified table of organization and equipment. She went on to explain that achieving this capability provides the 53rd IBCT with mobility across the battlefield, and it will be vital to the unit’s success at NTC next year.
Newman described the MICLIC as “a great asset for maneuver battalions.” Without MICLIC assets to clear minefields, Soldiers must clear dangerous areas with vehicles and equipment that can put them at greater risk by putting them in the minefield they’re trying to clear. With a MICLIC trailer, one rocket safely clears enough space that allows those maneuver elements to convoy through and continue the mission.
“In getting ready for NTC, it’s good for us to understand our partnerships better, especially within the engineer capacity,” Demorest said. “It was a great effort to get so many things together, and the Soldiers were very excited. We’ve had leaps and bounds in knowledge over the last few months that will make us successful next year.”
Newman said that the 753rd BEB will host Kentucky Guard representatives during its September drill when they demonstrate their capabilities and see how the Florida Guard could support the Kentucky Soldiers in areas they are seeking to improve. It is a relationship that he and Demorest hope will further develop in the future and yield mutual benefits.
“That partnership between Florida and Kentucky is really starting to grow, so I hope we keep that partnership up,” Newman said. “When they come in September, I hope we can help them out as they’re helping us out. We’re going to walk them through our horse blanket for the upcoming year, so they’ll… get some face-to-face time with us, look at our future plans, and see if they can assist us, or come learn from us.”
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2024 09:34 |
| Story ID: | 477492 |
| Location: | CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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