189th IN takes safety seriously during training

By Sgt. 1st Class Victor Gardner, 189th Infantry Brigade, Division West, Public AffairsApril 17, 2013

189th IN takes safety seriously during training
Capt. Jack Defabio, left, Staff Sgt. Ike Diaz, center, and Staff Sgt. Cory Goen, trainer/mentors with 2-358th Armor Battalion, 189th Infantry Brigade, Division West, listen to a convoy briefing as the unit they are training begins the first exercise ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. -- Capt. Jack Defabio of Charlie Team, 2-358th Armor Battalion, 189th Infantry Brigade, Division West, is a trainer/mentor who takes his role very seriously.

During the two-month Operation Warrior Protector training exercise here, Defabio's role is not only to train and mentor, it's to make sure the training is safe.

On the eighth day of the exercise, because the training unit had a key piece of equipment break down, Defabio and members of his team decided to conduct training in a motor pool rather than requiring the unit to travel.

"There was no value in driving three hours wasting gas, possibly damaging any of their vehicles further and risking injury of a Soldier, when they've got a very large motor pool here," said Defabio. "These guys have made strides out here from their first day up to today, safety-wise and mission accomplishment-wise."

With all missions and training exercises, pre-planning, including pre-combat checks and pre-combat inspections, is critical to safety and success.

"The unit's PCCs and PCIs have gotten better since day zero," Defabio said. "These things have helped this unit become more efficient and perform better during these tasks."

From everything he has seen of Operation Warrior Protector, Defabio said, the exercise has been conducted safely.

"In terms of safety, we have not had any safety violations, more importantly any injuries," Defabio said. "By and large, what I've seen is very, very good. It has been a very safe operation."

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Fort Hunter Liggett is the largest installation in the Army Reserve, with more than 160,000 acres of mountains, valleys, rivers, plains and forests. It provides ideal maneuver areas and state of the art training facilities.

The 91st Training Division, headquartered at Fort Hunter Liggett, trains and assesses Army Reserve units, and supports training for joint, combined and active Army forces. Thousands of Soldiers and dozens of units from around the country are participating in the April Combat Support Training Exercise, which provides realistic training for military maneuvers and tactics such as base security, convoy operations and battle reaction drills during simulated enemy attacks. The exercise provides realistic training to units to successfully meet the challenges of an extended and integrated battlefield.

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