Training troops for deployment

Soldiers Magazine, Oct, 2004 by Heike Hasenauer

Two training support divisions within Fifth U.S. Army--the 75th Div., from Texas, and the 91st Div., located near Sacramento, Calif.--are responsible for training reserve-component units located west of the Mississippi River.

First U.S. Army's 78th TSD is responsible for training Reserve and National Guard units east of the Mississippi River.

The 75th Div., composed of some 4,000 active and reserve-component Soldiers, was activated in January 2003 to train Soldiers for combat, said Zink.

Training Focuses

Ever since Soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Battalion were ambushed in Iraq, training has focused on preparing every Soldier to be a rifleman first, whatever his or her MOS might be, Zink said. "We've also enhanced training in the law of war and the Geneva Conventions for all Soldiers."

Additionally, the 75th Div. trains Soldiers scheduled to deploy to the Balkans, Sinai and other locations.

Ensuring the Best Training

Each of the four brigades within the 75th Div. is responsible for a specific portion of the training. And each Soldier in each brigade is considered a subject-matter expert in his field, Marotto said.

In fact, the observer-controllers, who follow practically every action and every response Soldiers make in training, must undergo proficiency tests and be validated as O/Cs by a board within the 75th Div. Ultimately, every trainer, in every training lane, is O/ C-qualified in either combat or CSS missions, Marotto added.

To further ensure Soldiers get the best training, the division's active-duty Soldiers typically provide the training for combat-arms Soldiers, and its reservists train CSS Soldiers in preparation for deployment.

LaARNG Training Challenges

Recently, Soldiers from the Louisiana Army National Guard's 256th Brigade Combat Team, which will deploy to Iraq this fall, underwent the rigorous training program at Fort Hood.

Typically a heavy mechanized brigade with Abrams tanks and Bradleys, the 256th will function as a motorized brigade in Iraq, "so they had to learn a whole new set of skills and be validated on those," said Siggelow.

"The unit not only had to switch from tanks and Bradleys to Humvees, but they had to undergo a massive reorganization," he said. "The weapons training alone was substantial, because they'll be using crew-served weapons mounted on their Humvees in Iraq." They have never used those before.

"And, the unit had to become 'digitized' so it could interface with the 1st Cavalry and 3rd Infantry divisions," Siggelow said. That requires entirely new thought processes.

While digitization isn't new to the Army, it is new to some reserve-component units that have not had the advantage of using the latest equipment, said COL Al Dochnal, commander of the 75th Div.'s 2nd Bde.

Trainers Also Far From Home

"We plan, schedule and conduct the training," said Siggelow, "and ensure all the training resources are available when units get here."

The trainers have themselves been on active duty--away from home, loved ones and regular full-time jobs--for as long as 18 months, Siggelow said.