FORT CARSON, Colo. -- If you were to ask most commanders about the largest danger facing the combat Soldier today, nearly all would say it would be roadside bombs. One Fort Carson unit took to the field this week to refine their ability to detect and destroy today's greatest threat.
The Company A, 4th Special Troop Battalion "Gryphons", 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are designated as the brigade's route clearance patrol element. The company is comprised of two platoons with over a dozen vehicles specifically designed to clear routes for logistical and maneuver convoys. In addition to the vehicles, the Gryphons also use a dismounted team as well as robotics to assist in their search.
On a typical day the elements leave their secure bases and travel some of the most dangerous areas in the world. In order to effectively clear an area the units travel at a snail's pace, sometimes as slow as three miles per hour.
"It's not fun to go that slow but it's what the mission requires," said Spc. Ben Candelora, a combat engineer with Co. A. "The longest mission I've ever been on lasted 28 straight hours."
While missions typically only last a few hours, Soldiers know that when they leave their bases they have to be prepared for anything the enemy may throw at them.
The Soldiers are trained to spot obstructions that normally go unnoticed. That training was displayed when a driver spotted a small obstruction in the gravel at over 200 feet. This find led to the detection of large, notional IED that would, if detonated, have caused massive damage to vehicles and possibly cost the lives of Soldiers traveling along that route.
"It takes a lot of discipline to stay focused out here but that's our job," said Staff Sgt. Michael Smithers, a squad leader for Co. A.
Although the days are long and may seem tedious to some, they realize the importance of their mission.
"It's a lot of long days but I know that every IED I find probably means one less guy loses his leg," said Smithers. "Knowing that it makes all the time we spend out on the road worth it."
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