Vanguard soldiers train, mentor West Point cadets

By Sgt. Bob YarbroughJuly 21, 2014

Vanguard soldiers train, mentor West Point cadets
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (From left) Spc. Fedson Marra, Pvt. Richard Rice, Sgt. Denzel Bonner, Sgt. Bradley Desporte, and Sgt. Michael Otidua, from Task Force China, pose for a photograph shortly after graduating from Air Assault school, given by a mobile training team from ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Vanguard soldiers train, mentor West Point cadets
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division's communications section (far right), observe a group of senior cadets giving radio training to a group of freshman cadets at the United Stat... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Vanguard soldiers train, mentor West Point cadets
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Cadets from the United States Military Academy watch a "hip shoot" demonstration given by 1st Platoon, Battery B, 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment in a West Point, N.Y., training area on July 11, 2014. The demonstration shows the cadets h... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Task Force China, a task force comprised of soldiers from throughout 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, has been at Camp Natural Bridge, a training area at the United States Military Academy at West Point for the past few months, assisting with USMA's summer cadet training program.

Task Force China is named for 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th IBCT, 3rd ID, who provide more than half of the soldiers, as well as the command team for the mentoring and training mission. There are also soldiers from 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, and 703rd Brigade Support Battalion providing support and expertise in their fields, not only for the cadets, but also for each other.

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment's communications section participated in training and mentoring brand new cadets as part of cadet basic training. In more of a mentorship role, the soldiers facilitated junior and senior cadets as they gave the freshman cadets classes on basic military communication, from hand and arm signals to setting up and operating radio systems.

Cadet Sgt. Jeremy Schwartz, a senior cadet at USMA, believes that the training is very effective.

"It gives the cadets a really good picture of what life on the other side is like," said Schwartz. "Instead of just theory, and reading about it or hearing about it, you get to actually experience it and get a taste of it for yourself."

The soldiers of the Vanguard Brigade mentored and trained the cadets on many other areas of military operations, ranging from patrolling and marksmanship to calling for fire and operating howitzers and mortar systems. This training is important, because when the cadets graduate and become lieutenants in the Army, some of them will be in command of these specialized platoons.

Schwartz went on to explain his favorite part of the summer training so far, the fire support exercises, where soldiers with 1st Battalion, 76th Artillery Regiment, assist soldiers in calling for artillery or mortar support, and then observe the impact area to see if they hit their target.

"This is very visceral," said Schwartz. "You get to participate in almost everything that goes on here, and you get to see big explosions."

Command Sgt. Maj. Shawn Carns, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment's senior enlisted adviser, feels that the training his soldiers are giving is not only important to the cadets as far as their learning of a skill, but it also gives them confidence in the soldiers they will potentially be leading in the near future.

"We have sergeants out here that are training cadets. We also have cadets that interact with some of our specialists and our PFCs," said Carns. "So when they get out in their unit, they're like, 'Hey, I remember that Pfc. He knows something, so I can entrust in his decision-making process to help out this platoon, and lead them in the right direction."

Task Force China has not only trained the future leaders of the Army, but have also been keeping their own skills sharp whenever possible.

"Task Force China is doing a great job. Doing a great job with the cadets, but then also West Point is doing a great job of supporting Task Force China while being here during our mission." Said Carns.

Vanguard soldiers have also been using USMA's training areas whenever there are not scheduled training events for the cadets.

Among the more interesting training opportunities, Task Force China has had nearly 30 soldiers graduate from Air Assault school this summer, given by a mobile training team from the 18th Airborne Corps' Air Assault School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Task Force China is scheduled to return to Fort Stewart, Georgia, around the same time the cadets resume classes, marking the end of USMA's summer training program.

Related Links:

The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division DVIDS page.

The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart Facebook page.

The official 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Facebook page.

The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart website.