CAMP CASEY, South Korea -- While Soldiers are standing by for their missions, suddenly voices echo "fire mission!" inside the building. Soon, Soldiers are busy focusing on radios and sending out messages.
Soldiers from 210th Fires Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, and Republic of Korea Army 75th Brigade, 26th Division conducted Live Virtual Constructive Training early October on Camp Casey.
Seven ROK Soldiers from 3rd Company, 125th Battalion, 75th Brigade joined Battery C, 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 210th Fires Brigade for simulation training that focused on improving the units' readiness for a go-to-war scenario.
"From this training, Soldiers will know their strengths, weaknesses, and things they need to improve on," said Staff Sgt. Oliver Arado, from Escondido, Calif., a fire direction center section chief for Battery C. "They can maximize their performance and basically get a better grasp of their job."
This training is to ensure mission readiness and that all personnel, both U.S and ROKA, understand what their tasks are, how to execute fire missions, and prepare for convoys, Arado continued.
"It helps the ROK Army understand how they are going to support us if we actually have to go to war," said 2nd Lt. Julian Woodhouse, from Minneapolis, Minn., 2nd platoon leader of Battery C. "It helps us to be able to communicate with them. It also helps them get more familiar with our SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and allows us get more familiarized with their SOPs."
The ROK Soldiers' mission was to conduct convoy security for the battery to an off-post location, emplace a perimeter defense, and provide area security to retain decisive terrain.
"It has been great to get to know some of our close ROK units," said 2nd Lt. Luke Hillebrand, from Bark River, Mich., an ammunition support platoon leader for Battery C. "We are able to practice what has been planned; which is them helping secure us."
The training was conducted in three different locations: the Close Combat Tactical Trainer, Virtual Battlespace 2, and Story Barracks.
In CCTT, a virtual simulation trainer, the ammunition platoon practiced convoy operations to an off-post ammunition holding area in order to conduct future operations and resupply an ammunition supply point.
"The battery operation center receives missions from battalion and sends all those fire missions to live firing platoons in Story Barracks," said Hillebrand. "The battery administration and logistics operations cell receives ammunition requests from the BOC, sends convoys to the AHA (Ammunition Holding Area), and evaluates battery reporting procedures."
In Virtual Battlespace 2, a computer-based training program, firing platoons conducted convoy operations to off-post artillery positions in order to be in position, ready to fire.
In Story Barracks, the field training area, the ammunition platoon resupplied ammunition supply points to support the firing platoon's missions.
"The purpose of this training is to ensure that all of our crews maximize their training and are proficient at their tasks," said Arado. "We rehearse our reloads and live fires with our actual launchers."
The combined training with ROK counterparts increased the Battery's readiness to respond to any threats to the Republic of Korea.
To download these high-quality photos and others for use in your publication, click on the link to go to this set at the 210th Fires Brigade Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/210fib/sets/72157637141182565/
Related Links:
2nd Infantry Division newspaper online
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