As a multi-national force emerges from the thick, dense forest, they encounter enemy fire from nearby buildings. They fire back with their squad automatic weapons and carbine rifles as a Singapore army squad rushes to the nearest building to gain a foothold, being supported by American forces. Soldiers with the, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment "Cacti" and 6th Singapore Division forces enter and clear building after building in an ever steady and flowing rhythm inside a mock urban city, taking the fight to the simulated enemy forces during a military exchange in Singapore recently.
With an ever changing and evolving threat to global security, the 25th Infantry Division must be adaptive and continue to be a dynamic and versatile force in order to ensure the stability and security in their areas of operation and national strategic interests within the Pacific Region. Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Inf. Div., had the opportunity to be sponsored by the Singapore army for a physical fitness and urban training exchange called the Murai Urban Training Exchange.
"This is a follow on of [the] Tiger Balm 2014 Exercise, to expand our interoperability between our nations, and building partnership and connections. This is the first time anyone from the 25th Inf. Div. has done this type of exchange in Singapore," said Cpt. Adam Novak, commander, Alpha Company, 2-35th, "Cacti", 3rd BCT. "The first week was us going through their individual physical proficiency test (IPPT), their vocational obstacle course and standardized obstacle course, and we had an 8-man team compete in their Cobra Challenge."
The Singapore fitness test varies slightly compared to the U.S. Army physical fitness test. Their fitness test includes pull-ups, shuttle sprints, standing broad jump, sit-ups and a 2.4km run.
The Cobra Challenge honors the 6th Singapore Division "Cobras'" birthday, October 1, which it shares with the 25th ID. The Cacti Soldiers represented the Tropic Lightning Division and won the challenge with their team consisting of seven male Soldiers and one female.
"500 push-ups, followed by 10 300-meter sprints carrying a dummy 155 mortar round, 600 sit-ups, and finished by 12 300-meter tire pull," said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Hammer, squad leader, 2-35th IR, 3BCT, 25th Inf. Div. and a native of Duncan, Pennsylvania. "It smoked all of us. It was a great culture sharing experience and a chance to see what type of physical fitness the Singapore soldiers conduct."
The second week consisted of military training exchanges, to include an indoor shooting range for familiarization with the Singapore Assault Rifle -- 21st Century (SAR 21), close quarter battle classes, and a culmination of the exercise with a massive urban clearing operation at the Singapore Murai Urban Training Facility (MUTF).
The Multi-Mission Range Complex gave the Cacti Soldiers a chance to learn about and shoot the SAR 21 while receiving immediate feedback through the use of a computer system that allows shooters to see exactly where they were hitting and even where they missed the 100-meter targets.
After the shooting range, Singaporean soldiers gave classes on how they conduct room and building clearing, and shared the equipment they use with a static display. It was also a chance for the instructors to ask Tropic Lightning Soldiers questions on how they cleared buildings.
"It was great to share knowledge and experiences during these CQB classes before we conducted the tactical urban mission. It was nice to see their specialty equipment, like their key hole video system and the remote video system you can throw into a room or hallway," said Hammer.
The final event was the Murai Urban Training Exchange in which a combined platoon, led by Cacti leadership, conducted a raid on a mock city. The final event tested the Cacti on their ability to plan, assess and lead two different forces with different procedures and tactics.
"It was fun and exciting," said Pvt. Benito C. Arizmendez, riflemen, 1st platoon, 2-35th IR, 3BCT. "We cleared the buildings as a team. During the urban assault, it was good to see how the Singaporeans breached doors and cleared rooms with the different size squads and even different types of weapon systems. Everyday I was learning something new," said the native of San Antonio, Texas.
"It was a highly complex urban terrain with two and three story buildings that both Singapore and our troops had to clear. This is what we came here for, for this type of training," said Novak. "Working with the Singaporeans during the Tiger Balm exercise was very helpful, and having that shared knowledge and tactics before going into this final event. They were highly confident, highly capable and very willing to trade hard during this military exchange. There is still a lot that we can learn from each other and share knowledge that will benefit both nations and provide greater partnership."
"This is the first platform to build onto, to share ideas and tactics with the 25th Infantry Division," said Singapore Maj. Daryl Hoo, operations officer with Headquarters, 6th Singapore Division. "We are working together to build larger scale operations and longer engagements. It is important to develop partnerships among our nations as it helps provide greater security and stability in the Pacific. We work very well together as a team, and we look forward to the next military exchange between the two divisions."
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