Page 12 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior 5-6-16

High Desert Warrior www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin

12 May 6, 2016

The 82nd comes a-knockin’
Story and photos by Gustavo Bahena e company conducted blank ammo and live- re itera- the night live- re exercise.”
tions in the day – all in preparation for exercises in the dark e company has performed recent rigorous training for
Public A airs O ce of night.
team, squad, platoon and battalion levels in di erent ranges
For paratroopers of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Divi- e 1-508th INF REG commander, Lt. Col. Justin Reese, at Fort Stewart, Ga., Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Polk, La. e
sion, a locked door is no obstacle. said several repetitions are conducted to make adjustments focus is about being ready and supporting the global response
and improvements that builds B Company paratroopers’ capability of the 82nd ABN DIV, said Reese.
To be more speci c, when Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 508th con dence in themselves and the supporting systems that
Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, bring combat power to the ght. “It’s about achieving a high level of readiness and that level
82nd ABN DIV, need to gain entry, they breach doors with of readiness includes for us, in a global response mission, the
explosives and the old fashion way – with a good, hard kick. “Success is their con dence in their systems and in each ability to respond on short notice. So, that’s weaved into our
other,” Reese said. “ at’s what we’re really getting after with de nition of readiness,” the battalion commander said.
e 1-508th PIR did just that and plenty more during
training at a live- re area here in late April. Four companies
of the battalion arrived between rotations to take advantage
of ranges that allowed the units to conduct company com-
bined arms live- re exercises with artillery, mortars, AT-4
rockets, .50-caliber machine guns, M240 machine guns,
and the expertise and maneuver pro ciency of the American
paratrooper.

During one live- re training iteration, Soldiers of B
Co., 1-508th INF REG mobilized on foot from forward
operating base Reno to the training village Zayeb as 155mm
artillery rounds red by a supporting battery, miles away,
impacted hills above the village. After the airborne Soldiers
gained positions on a hill, they opened up with machine
guns, mortars and sniper re on targets adjacent the town.

ey continued maneuvering to the village perimeter, where
engineers breached concertina wire with detonating cord.
Soon, the paratroopers had entered the compound, going
from building to building, room to room, while conducting
clearing operations.

Paratroopers operated in squads. Leaders shouted com-
mands and communicated with radios. e Soldiers observed,
listened, rushed, bounded, assaulted, established support by

re, shifted re, pulled security, utilized smoke grenades, and
set up hasty defenses. ey kicked doors open, shot targets
and provided care to their “casualties.”

Capt. Daniel Newell, commander of B Company,
1-508th, said many of the individual tasks are easy, but
combining them all into one movement is the challenge.

“It’s just great training for these guys to see all the moving
pieces,” Newell said. “[It’s] great training for me as a leader
to control that, command that, and then a great opportunity
for my platoon leaders to really just have to communicate to
each other throughout the process.”

A paratrooper kicks open a door at Zayeb here, April 27.

For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil