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FORT CAVAZOS, TX — Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conducted a live-fire exercise using an Urban Operations Training System (UOTS) for Soldiers to conduct tactical movement drills during a Collective Training Exercise (CTE) at Fort Cavazos, Texas, Oct. 23, 2024.
This exercise is critical in ensuring that troops remain lethal, ready, and able to confront any adversaries in diverse operational settings.
During the training, Soldiers encountered wire obstacles with anti-personnel mines positioned strategically to simulate a real battlefield environment. As they advanced, they engaged with simulated enemy forces before executing the Suppress, Obscure, Secure, Reduce, Assault (SOSRA) method to breach the obstacle.
"By following a structured approach, we enhance our mission readiness," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Racz, a combat engineer with Alpha Company, 3rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. "If I were to compare two years ago to now, it's a night and day difference of improvement."
"We still have a lot of work to do, but I'm more confident in our readiness than ever before."
Racz noted that the exercise followed a "crawl, walk, run" training approach, crucial for building Soldier proficiency.
“By following a structured plan, we can identify friction points and increase the difficulty of training gradually,” he said.
This method helps Soldiers adapt to complex battlefield scenarios while maintaining safety protocols, especially when dealing with explosives.
The Soldiers’ preparations included prior exercises that allowed them to familiarize themselves with dry and blank fire before moving to live ammunition. Racz pointed out that while safety is a top priority, pushing the limits of training is essential.
“We need to instill a sense of urgency and the right mindset in our Soldiers,” he said. “It’s crucial that they understand the reality of combat and maintain a high level of situational awareness.”
Challenges during the exercise included balancing safety and risk acceptance.
"As a leader, the biggest struggle is walking the fine line between being cautious and allowing Soldiers to learn from real scenarios," Racz said.
In addition to technical skills, the exercise aimed to instill a sense of drive and aggression in the Soldiers. Racz emphasized the need for Soldiers to maintain decisive force and situational awareness in training.
“I want to see the Soldiers stay calm, cool, and collected, but you also have to have violence of action,” said Racz. “You have to have common sense. You need to have situational awareness, but you have to have violence of action. If you don't have it, you're gonna fall behind.”
As the unit prepares for upcoming evaluations and exercises, Racz remains optimistic about their trajectory.
"We are definitely on par, if not slightly ahead of other engineering units," he said, underscoring the importance of continuous training and improvement.
With the ongoing commitment to excellence, the Soldiers are poised to meet future challenges head-on, ensuring that they are always mission-ready.
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.26.2024 15:01 |
| Story ID: | 484006 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers Hone Skills in Urban Terrain Exercise, by SGT Ryan Ahmed, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
