Missile defense unit goes all out for field training exercise

By Army Sgt. Benjamin Crane, 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-based Midcourse Defense) Public Affairs

Colorado Army National Guard Capt. Robert Waddington of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-Based Midcourse Defense) shovels dirt onto a burning tree limb during the his unit’s field training exercise Sept. 23, 2010, at Fort Carson, Colo. The fire was a result of a pyrotechnic spark and was quickly put out with the help of all unit members. FTX events included land navigation, Humvee egress training, building clearing and even this impromptu firefighting. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Benjamin Crane, Colorado National Guard/RELEASED)

FORT CARSON, Colo. (9/23/10) – The Soldiers of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground Based Mid-course Defense) practiced their soldiering skills during the brigade’s annual field training exercise.

From getting classes on how to, to actually getting hands on, the 100th walked through some of the most important skills every Soldier, regardless of military occupational specialty, needs to know.

“We needed to make training as real as possible. That’s why we had all the different ranges, like range 8 and range 157 (at Fort Carson, Colo.),” said 1st. Sgt. William Ray. “We’re not just sitting behind a computer.”

The first event was land navigation. The unit was divided into five groups and each group was issued a Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR). Soldiers learned how to operate the DAGR and then the groups were given ten points to find in an hour and 30 minutes.

After that, another class was given on the Army’s HMMWV (Humvee) Egress Assistance Trainer, which simulates a real-life Humvee rollover. The trainer offers a safe way to practice getting out of a vehicle that’s on its side or completely turned over.

But even getting tossed around in a spinning shell of a Humvee didn’t quell the Soldiers’ motivation.

They moved on to learning how to clear a building properly. Despite an hour-long trip to the urban training site, the Soldiers were ready to take on the simulated Middle Eastern village. Teams of four were instructed to stack on a wall (line up near a doorway), breach the opening and enter rooms according to the path of least resistance. They first worked on clearing a training house, then moved to a village with simulated bad guys (played by the unit’s top leaders) armed with ammunition (M4 blanks) and smoke grenades to increase the realism.

“(Noncommissioned officers) have to get real-world experience with troop leading procedures,” said Capt. George Lambos, 100th MDB(GMD) Headquarters and Headquarters Battery commander. “Overall this exercise was a success.”

Only shouts of “fire” stopped this exercise as some pyrotechnics caught two patches of land on fire. The fires were put out with the combined efforts of the Soldiers as they stomped out and shoveled dirt on the flames.

“It unquestionably was not a deliberate event,” said Lambos, “but it was intentionally planned for. We had conducted a thorough risk assessment and delivered a detailed safety brief regarding fire hazards prior to training. When the fires started, all the Soldiers reacted quickly and efficiently. The fires were quickly under control and extinguished.”

“This incident speaks volumes to the teamwork and professionalism of the members of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade. It also gave us a real world example that Composite Risk Management works,” said Lambos.

11/19/2010