Black Hawk Down.......for truckers

I am on the right


Okay so the ARMY in its infinite wisdom has no real idea of how to training each type of unit that deploys so it employs the strategy of lets train them all like "door kickers" or what most would understand as infantry. Yes even us truckers have to train for the worst. If anyone reading this remembers the Matt Maupin story... well that is why we train. If you don't know his story just Google his name. Anyway we have spent about the last 7 or so days doing infantry tactic training. We worked on individual movement and squad movement. We worked on mounted"in Humvee" IED defeat training and also dismounted IED defeat training. We also worked on MOUNT training. Now mounted and MOUNT training are different. Mounted is training while using vehicles. MOUNT training is urban warfare training. Its kicking in doors, room clearing, searching detainee's and all the extras that come with it. This training is the stuff in the commercials. Its the stuff younger soldiers join the ARMY for. Its the stuff that wears down the older NCO's as its very physically demanding. Well i had planned to get more pictures but i spent most of the time during the training employing my squad and killing the enemy. Yes my squad did the best i could have ever expected.

For being truckers at heart my soldiers surprised me beyond my wildest expectations. They responded to orders without question or hesitation. They were able to communicate through the fog of war. They pushed past their preconceived limits and found a sense of teamwork i didn't think would be achieved stateside. I was in charge of my squad of people plus 4 soldiers from my platoons 3rd squad. These soldiers also performed beyond belief. They were integrated to our squad and we all never missed a beat.

Keep in mind all of this training is in full battle rattle. Full body armor full gear, mask, magazines for our weapon, elbow pads, knee pads, helmet, weapon and buttpack with food, wet weather gear, full camelbak, gloves, ballistic glasses. If you add all that up you easily have an additional 70-80 pounds onto the average soldier. Now imagine carrying that weight as you run, jump, crawl, go up stairs, spin, maneuver,and communicate all at the same time as pulling security, searching a house, throwing a smoke grenade and shooting.

The MOUNT training was the best. My team did two "lanes" one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The lanes consisted of patrolling a street, clearing houses, searching the locals, dealing with unruly locals, killing the enemy and taking some prisoner. basically walking down a city street and handling anything that comes at you. I was able to shout and move my soldiers up the street and they killed the enemy. I did a little Rambo maneuver with another soldier but that's okay.

The second day my whole platoon had a rescue "mission". If you imagine black hawk down the movie but mostly the beginning. My squad had performed so well the first day of training that we were commended by our first Sargent and even the Observer trainers that taught the training. Because of that performance my group of 10 soldiers were picked as the assault element of my platoons mission. 1st platoon was to find a high value individual and rescue him, then escape with him to the landing zone. All inside this hostile town. Well my team did great, we had a battering ram for the front door, two search teams and a combat lifesaver team. We killed or captured all the enemy inside the target house, we got the HVI and we got out all within the 30 in time limit the platoon was given. The whole platoon did great. Our security force outside did a great job handing anyone outside the building. We all were commended for our tactics and handing of the ever changing situation. I was mentioned again by the OC's( teachers ) and by my company commander as someone who went above and beyond during the training. I don't want to toot my horn but i felt i found a new part of myself out there during that small simulated battle. I was able to maintain my bearings during the fog of war. I felt good about my decisions and my ability to direct traffic during a hectic stressfull situation.

Its amazing how the training that is so far from our actual job can teach us the most about ourselves. I thought this training would be a great way to get a good evaluation of my squad i never expected to be able to evaluate myself. I do feel that sometimes i might need to reign myself in from the inner push to handle any and every situation that "I" feel isn't going right. Though i did understand that the voice inside me that tells me to take charge is appreciated by those who fall victim to the fog of war, or in civilian terms cant handle stress.
Again far right.