FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. -- Having only limited time with the Army Reserve units they are training here during the Combat Support Training Exercise means Soldiers in First Army Division West's Task Force Cold Steel must be battle-focused and innovative to maximize the effectiveness of training they provide.
Just one of the ways Task Force Cold Steel has shown innovation in training is "the beach."
"The purpose of the beach is to gather all the resources (items and personnel), based on an engagement matrix of all the events that will happen in a day, in one centralized location," said Master Sgt. Yeffiry Disla, a trainer/mentor with 2-360th Training Support Battalion, 191st Infantry Brigade, Division West. "This is where we can systematically get everything in order for a lane (and) make sure all the equipment is correct for what will be happening on a training lane. We know what each lane needs based on their scenarios, so it's our job to make sure the lanes have exactly what they need."
The area designated as "the beach" for the Combat Support Training Exercise is a large open field with room enough to accommodate five lanes of vehicles. The area was chosen not only for its land, but also for its proximity to all of the lanes being used for training.
Each day, the beach serves as the launch point for all units participating in training lanes; it helps provide fidelity in training by sending all equipment and personnel out to a lane in a timely, efficient manner while minimizing possible confusion and personnel or equipment mix-ups. Soldiers working the beach are tasked with specific training lanes in three regions: Area of Operation North, AO Central and AO South.
"While working the beach, safety is paramount. We deal with the movement of troops into the area, then have to quickly get them out to their mission with the correct equipment and personnel, so safety is our number one priority," said Sgt. 1st Class Showanda Mosley, a trainer/mentor with 2-360th Training Support Battalion. "You have to be prepared to work long, busy days, but, at the end, it is satisfying knowing that the realistic training capabilities we provide here enhance the training Reserve Soldiers are receiving."
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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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