McGREGOR RANGE, N.M. -- The 1st Battalion, 361st Engineer Regiment, Task Force Redhawk, 5th Armored Brigade, Division West, recently held its third annual Dagger Day here, where family members visited to see how their spouses train deploying Soldiers.
The families were also treated to a hot lunch at the newest on-post dining facility, getting a true taste for a day in the life of a Soldier.
Task Force Redhawk set up four stations to include an M1151 High-Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle, a weapons display, the HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer, and a robotics display. Family members moved through the stations on a rotational basis, getting a feel for the training that deploying forces go through as well as seeing how their Soldiers fit into the picture as trainers.
"I wanted the family members to gain a deep appreciation for what their spouses do," said Col. Raul E. Gonzalez, 5th Armored Brigade commander. "It's special what they do on a daily basis and today, we are allowing the family members to come together to experience the training."
As a training unit, TF Redhawk regularly prepares Deployed Expeditionary Force (DEF) units from the Army, Navy, and Air Force to take on the many challenges and tasks required before deploying, such as Counter-Improvised Explosive Device training and a Mounted Combat Patrol Live Fire Exercise. Dagger Day only captured a small portion of the wide spectrum of operations TF Redhawk conducts throughout the year, but it was a good sampling nonetheless.
The event could also be hailed as a successful recruitment tool. Annette Martinez, the spouse of Sgt. 1st Class Edward Martinez, brought her two children as well as three of their friends to Dagger Day.
"It was not only a good opportunity for the children to get a chance to see what their parents do, but to also invite their friends to see what the military life is like," said Annette. "That way, if they like what they see, they might want to pursue the career for themselves in the future."
While TF Redhawk was able to show their Families multiple exhibits, the day wouldn't have been complete without the other 5th Armored Brigade task forces and the Headquarters and Headquarters Company. Other displays included a combat life saver station, a route clearance simulator, the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Egress Trainer, and a combatives demonstration.
Overall, the event was hailed as a success by Soldiers and Families alike and by the end of the day, the children experienced enough roll-overs to last a lifetime, the parents got a decent workout pushing the strollers, and the Soldiers went home happy, knowing their Families have walked a day in their shoes.
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