ELMA, Wash. - The abandoned cooling towers at the Satsop Business Park were the backdrop for an unusual drama played out there, Nov. 12. What started out as a quiet, cold morning heated up when Soldiers moved in and began battling insurgents.
Fortunately, this was a training event and not domestic terrorism.
The scenario: In the fictional country of Atropia, insurgents have established a chemical weapons facility capable of producing sarin and VX nerve gas.
The solution: Seize the facility, capture the insurgents and remove their ability to create weapons of mass destruction.
It was the culminating event of Gryphon Longsword, a collaboration between the Gryphons of 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and the Tomahawks of 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
"This exercise was the first of its kind," said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Fanelli, command sergeant major of the 201st. "We blazed into uncharted territory with this."
A gryphon is a mythical creature with the back legs, body, and tail of a lion and the head, talons and wings of an eagle.
These gryphons don't have wings and had to hitch a ride on CH-47 Chinook helicopters provided by the Washington National Guard.
When the helicopters landed at the site, the Soldiers streamed off and set to their tasks. Soldiers from Cherokee Company, 4/23 Infantry swiftly advanced forward and established security. Machine gun teams watched the roads for enemy reinforcements while squads of infantry cleared the buildings around the chemical weapons plant.
With all buildings around the plant secure, Soldiers from the 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion began collecting intelligence from detainees and the site. Meanwhile, reinforced by more Soldiers from a second lift of helicopters, soldiers from 4/23 entered the chemical weapons plant itself.
As Soldiers from the 555th Engineer Brigade's 110th Chemical Battalion set up a field decontamination point, infantrymen inside the plant fought their way to the chemical weapons labs in the basement. All intelligence gathered from the site, as well as detainees, had to be checked for chemical agents and possibly decontaminated.
"This exercise was an excellent opportunity for everyone to work together and learn what other units can provide for each other on the battlefield," said Capt. Roger Leonhart, the commander of Company C, 4-23 Infantry.
With JBLM focused on the Pacific, the ability of units like the 502nd MI Bn. to eliminate weapons of mass destruction is more important than ever. Events such as the sarin gas attack in a Tokyo subway in the '90s have shown that terrorists in the Pacific have access to WMDs and the will to use them.
This exercise was designed to test the ability of these Soldiers to fight in chemical protective gear and to properly handle the chemical weapon threat.
Aside from training Soldiers on the ground, it was also an opportunity for staff to sharpen their skills with the military decision making process.
"For us, this was a unique opportunity. We didn't get to go there beforehand, so everything we knew prior to landing was what we received from higher headquarters and the [long-range surveillance] we had watching the site," Leonhart said. "It really made us practice the troop leading procedures so even though we were going in blind, everybody knew what to expect."
After the plant was secured, all detainees were searched, and any items of intelligence value were removed from the site, it was time for the Soldiers to get a second helicopter ride home.
"This was really fantastic training," Leonhart said. "The guys did a fantastic job. Every Soldier out there gave 110 percent and it showed."
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