FORT STEWART, Ga. - More than 20 community representatives from Leadership Waycross visited Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield during a tour of the installation hosted by 5th Squadron, 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment.
Leadership Waycross is part of the state-wide initiative, Leadership Georgia, a tiered education platform to educate and advocate the positive growth of community leaders. The visit was designed to familiarize participants with the installation, Soldiers, and the training mission.
Lieutenant Andrew Kirkland, C Troop, 5/7 Cav, provided a tour of the installation to include stops at Warriors Walk, the Enhanced Skills Trainer, and humvee vehicle roll-over simulator, the Fort Stewart Museum, the Main Post Chapel, and afforded the guests the opportunity to dine with Soldiers at the Spartan Dining Facility.
Walking up to the Engagement Skills Trainer, the guests were able to see Soldiers with 5th Battalion, 7th infantry Regiment training on the humvee roll-over simulator. The simulator was designed to help familiarize Soldiers with the experience of rolling over in a vehicle, and practice the skills needed to help survive the accident, and post-accident recovery process.
Instructors explained that even after the accident, unbuckling your seatbelt could cause additional damage if you are upside down, and not prepared for the fall that may follow.
The guests were afforded the opportunity to try on the personal protection equipment and sit in the simulators to get a feel for the training.
"The training is intense," said Leadership Waycross employee Carolyn Walker as she spoke to her compatriot Joy Newsome. "This is the kind of training even civilians can benefit from. I never realized the extent of the training Soldiers do."
Waycross coordinators Retired Sgt. Maj. Raphael D. Maddox and Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Frank Baugh, noted training has changed since their time in the service, expanding to incorporate the latest technology innovations.
Emphasizing that point, Retired Staff Sgt. Jason Letterman (Retired), a double amputee who lost his legs from an Improvised Explosive Device in Farasiyah, Iraq in May 2008 serving with the 4th IBCT, Third Infantry Division, demonstrated the EST and walked the guest through the M16 weapon simulator.
Dan Quinlan, Supervisor for the Virtual Section of Training Support Center, said the EST simulators were a very cost efficient method of training and afforded a more flexible resource for unit commanders down to the squad level.
Quinlan noted the trainers could be tailored for a great variety of training resources prior to, and after gunnery, and allows Soldiers to main small and crew served weapons skills.
EST trainers have expanded to include sniper avoidance training scenarios, and also have the capability of performing wheeled vehicle gunnery - where uparmored humvee can pull into the EST bays and use the simulators.
Leaders desiring to coordinate the EST trainer should contact their office at 767-7789.
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