Cold weather symposium heats up Fort Drum

By Staff Sgt. Kelly Simon, 10th Mountain Division JournalistFebruary 4, 2016

Cold weather symposium
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Feb. 4, 2016) -- Fort Drum is known, and feared, for its often harsh winters. That is part of the reason Fort Drum was classified as a zone seven (arctic) base in early 2015.

The change opened doors to new extreme cold-weather clothing and equipment for Soldiers as well as respect within the arctic community.

It also led to Fort Drum hosting the 2016 Extreme Cold Weather Symposium, Jan. 26-28. The symposium is in its fourth year, typically held at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and focusing on the needs of Soldiers stationed there.

Fort Drum was the first base in the lower 48 states to host the symposium. The two installations will share the honors, with Fort Drum being responsible during even years and Fort Wainwright taking odd years.

John Korcz, 10th Mountain Division (LI) Force Modernization chief, spearheaded the team bringing the ECWS to Fort Drum. One of the greatest benefits of hosting the symposium at Fort Drum is its location.

"We were able to double the attendance from the Alaska meetings, mostly because it's easier to get here," Korcz said.

Participants who were able to join in the ECWS this year included representatives from the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Army Mountain Warfare School, Special Forces Mountaineering Detachment and arctic operations advisers from the Canadian army, Korcz noted.

Bringing these experts together helps to improve the training available to all service members across the Department of Defense and our coalition partners, and it keeps everyone up-to-date on the latest in gear and sustainability, Korcz explained, adding that these events will continue to get better.

"This year Soldiers were able to see the snowmobiles and other over-the-snow vehicles in action. We're hoping to expand on the hands-on experience in the future," he said.

Korcz added that he is already working on the symposium for 2018.

"We're FORSCOM," Korcz said, referring to U.S. Army Forces Command, "and FORSCOM is readiness. We have to be prepared for anything."

Korcz noted that the focus for the symposium was the Soldier -- training, equipping and sustaining them through any extreme winter weather.

A big part of that training comes from courses available at the 10th Mountain Division Light Fighters School. Staff Sgt. Gary Stancell serves as noncommissioned officer in charge of the Mountain Warfare Course, the primary winter weather course available on Fort Drum.

Stancell and his team offer the MWC as a two-week Mobile Training Team course to teach the basics of mountaineering, including knot tying, mountain climbing, rappelling and survival techniques.

Stancell came to the 10th Mountain Division from Alaska, so cold-weather training is nothing new to him. The lack of equipment, however, posed a challenge.

"We're short on skiing supplies, bindings, poles, skis and wax," Stancell explained, adding that their bulky snowshoes could use an update as well.

When Stancell spoke at the symposium, he highlighted the capabilities of the LFS and its potential, if demand for courses increased.

His bottom line was that all Soldiers should have a working knowledge of cold-weather survival techniques, especially since the next major conflict could take us into cold environments. To help reach that goal, the LFS is developing a Cold Weather Course available to all Soldiers on Fort Drum and drawing much of its content from the Northern Warfare Training Center at Fort Wainwright.

The NWTC offers the Cold Weather Indoctrination Course, training more than 450 Soldiers per year, and the Cold Weather Leaders Course, which trains junior leaders to instruct the CWIC at the unit level. These two courses will drive the design of the LFS course, which aims to be ready next winter.

Focusing on the mission is a common trait at Fort Drum, and Stancell shares that focus. He hopes the fledgling CWC enables leaders at all levels to empower their Soldiers in arctic environments.

"In some of the locations we are deployed to it does snow, so units that come from a place that does not receive cold-weather or over-snow mobility training could be at a disadvantage on the mission," he said.

Stancell said he and his team hope to mitigate that.

Related Links:

Army.mil: North America

10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum

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