FORT POLK, La. -- Fiscal year 2015 is the first time the "Patriots" from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), had an opportunity to host instructors from the "north." Light Fighters School instructors stationed at Fort Drum provided several training sessions, including the Urban Combat Leaders Course, Machine Gun Leaders Course, Rifle Marksmanship Instructor Course, Pre-Ranger Course and Air Assault Course.
"The primary reason to host LFS at Fort Polk is to build combat capability within the brigade in rifle marksmanship and machine gun marksmanship," said Sgt. Maj. Christopher Lewis, lead coordinating noncommissioned officer for the event. "The second reason is to build those capabilities so we can teach those classes here (within the brigade), so during future courses, instead of having 10 instructors come down for RMIC or MGLC, maybe we only need four."
According to Patriot leaders, the plan is to make these trainings an annual occurrence that will take place from December to March each year -- a time when Fort Drum's weather impacts training the most.
"At (Fort) Drum right now, (there's several) feet of snow, so we can't conduct the (Pre-Ranger) Course, can't do patrols. It's hard to do all the events we're supposed to do," said Sgt. 1st Class Brian Haiku, Pre-Ranger Course noncommissioned officer in charge.
"Because the weather is about 70 degrees (at Fort Polk), the students who go through the course will get to feel what it's like at (Fort Benning), Ga."
Patriot leaders are working with Fort Polk leadership, who support hosting LFS here, to secure permanent facilities to maximize the reach of future training.
"We're planning that each time LFS comes down (to Fort Polk), we'll offer two, if not three, of each course to the Soldiers here at 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division," Lewis said.
The instructors who travelled to Fort Polk agreed that it's important for all of the division's Soldiers to have an opportunity to complete training that was previously only offered to troops stationed at Fort Drum.
Sgt. 1st Class Shane Hankey, Air Assault Course noncommissioned officer in charge, said he looks forward to offering training to 4th BCT Soldiers every year.
Once the annual LFS plan is approved for Fort Polk, courses will be open to 4th BCT Soldiers, as well as installation major support command troops and Air Force personnel who support the installation. Louisiana National Guard Soldiers also may apply to certain courses.
Although the Urban Combat Leaders, Machine Gun Leaders and Rifle Marksmanship Instructor courses also will be offered to other units, the goal of the courses is to increase marksmanship skills within 4th BCT, enhancing the unit's combat capabilities, Lewis explained.
Spc. Bryson Pullins, a linguist with 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion and Pre-Ranger candidate, was happy to have this type of training offered at his first duty assignment.
"One of my goals (when I learned I was coming to Fort Polk) was to try to go some of the Army's high-speed schools while stationed here," he said. "I was really happy to see, as I was in-processing, that opportunities were popping up already.
"Coming out of advanced individual training, I had such a high Army physical fitness training score, I knew I wanted to capitalize on that while I'm still young," Pullins continued.
Pullins also said Fort Polk's LFS program provides Soldiers the flexibility to take part in different training opportunities.
"Having the LFS come here instead of Soldiers going to Fort Drum allows me to finish the Pre-Ranger Course now, and if there is not time or slots before LFS leaves, I can go to another course when it returns," Pullins said. "Air assault is something I've had my eye on also."
Offering the training to the division's 4th BCT Soldiers helps instill the values and training of the 10th Mountain Division, even though 1,500 miles separate them from their fellow Mountaineers.
"We are building and instilling the 10th Mountain Division culture and spirit in our Patriot Brigade Soldiers," Lewis said. "So it is important that the division's Light Fighters School trains our Soldiers, as opposed to outside commands and installations."
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