Training troops for deployment

Soldiers Magazine, Oct, 2004 by Heike Hasenauer

A CONVOY of Soldiers cautiously approaches a village in Iraq. They've been briefed that the local people are hostile, and to be prepared for attacks.

There's only one way in and out of town--along route Yamaha. Their mission is critical; they must clear the route to the local hospital and police station, to allow follow-on troops to bring in supplies.

Pitfalls in the Village

In the distance, trash burns in rusted barrels by the roadside and spills from the burned-out hulk of an old bus. Even before the lead vehicle in the convoy reaches the perimeter of dilapidated concrete buildings, an improvised explosive device, or IED, detonates. And the Soldiers are distracted by the smoke, the trash and the loud blare of mournful Arabic chants that pour from loudspeakers and permeate the thick afternoon air.

The eeriness is bone chilling.

Within moments, the first vehicle rounds the street corner, and a mob of angry men and women threatens to harm its passengers. The would-be attackers shake signs, warning: "You will die here," and "Go home. We don't want you here."

The Soldiers keep watchful eyes on the crowd, but they must focus on the road ahead, because IEDs could be set up virtually anywhere.

Nerves are further tested as dozens of villagers gather behind the open windows of the two- and three-story buildings, craning their necks to keep the Soldiers in sight. Every shadow is a potential killer toting a rocket-propelled grenade or AK-47 automatic weapon.

The events are not unlike those faced daily by Soldiers in Southwest Asia. The difference is that in Iraq and Afghanistan, Soldiers have little time to sort through options. They must react instinctively, based on skills the Army has taught them.

Training Support Divisions

Training Soldiers to stay alive in hostile environments is the mission of the Army's training support divisions, among them the 75th Division, part of Fifth U.S. Army at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Before reserve-component Soldiers can be considered ready to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, they must undergo four months of mission-specific training geared toward real-world threats, said MAJ Wayne Marotto, the division's public affairs officer.

For the division's trainers, that's meant training some 40,000 reserve-component Soldiers since January 2003, on everything from Abrams tank and Bradley fighting vehicle gunnery to motorized route reconnaissance and convoy operations.

Each day at the St. Elijah MOUT (military operations in urban terrain) site at Fort Hood, Texas, the division's Soldier-trainers stage scenarios like those described above.

"We put them through every weapon-training event you can think of," Marotto said. Numerous training scenarios present potential operational problems, such as hostile forces, IEDs and irate civilians.

The role of the division's opposing forces is to wreak havoc on the troops, said SSG Martin Lawrence, a member of the OPFOR who also acts as an observer-controller.

Some 300 Texas residents from the Killeen area, outside Fort Hood, have been hired by the Army to play the angry locals.

Lessons Learned

"We incorporate training events based on lessons learned and real-time reports coming in from Iraq and Afghanistan," Marotto said. "The Iraqis recently put an IED in an animal carcass. So now we simulate that in our training."

Another lesson learned in Iraq is that "Iraqis saw our combat service support guys as 'soft' targets in unprotected Humvees," said LTC John Siggelow, deputy commander of the division's 2nd Brigade. "For a long time, these CSS Soldiers weren't taught aggressive tactics. We've learned that if they're aggressive when they're approached by hostile Iraqis, the Iraqis will back off."

LTC Steve Williamson, a battalion commander in the division's 2nd Bde., said: "Training lanes are constantly changing, based on the most up-to-date information we receive. Today we might teach one way. Three weeks from now, we'll teach another way.

"Today, the enemy is using dummy IEDs," he said. "They'll watch us react and then hit us with sniper fire. So, in training, the Soldiers are taught to look up."

When the Iraqis started using cell phones and ignition systems to ignite IEDs, the British and Australians used localized jammers to jam the radio or telephone transmissions that the Iraqis were using to ignite the IEDs, Williamson said.

"The Iraqis have figured that out," Williamson said. "That's the difficulty we're facing; they're always changing their methods."

"After the first Gulf war, Congressional legislation created Training Support XXI, to ensure reserve-component Soldiers would be ready to deploy to combat if needed," said BG Walter Zink, 75th Div. assistant division commander.

"Today, we have a more robust training plan for reserve-component Soldiers than we did during the first Gulf war," Zink said. "Even before National Guard and Reserve Soldiers are called to active duty, their proficiency is higher than it was then."

The TSDs' Responsibilities

Once the TSD is called up, it provides specialized training to units within its jurisdiction, based on the unit's mission, Zink said.