As the 1st Infantry Division celebrated the 98th birthday of the "Big Red One" and the U.S. Army celebrated its 240th birthday, the Soldiers of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div., helped kick things off like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
The "Dagger" brigade conducted a combined-arms live fire exercise June 9 on Fort Riley as part of the Victory Week celebrations. More than 100 area leaders and Fort Riley community partners were present to witness some of the Army's most advanced equipment and highly trained Soldiers as they synchronously maneuvered, engaged and destroyed identified objectives at the post's Range 18 maneuver training area.
"This exercise was a way of showcasing to local partners and America how significant and valuable the training areas and ranges on Fort Riley are for the units stationed here," said Lt. Col. Andy Sanchez, commander for 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd ABCT.
Late last year, the brigade covered more than 75,000 acres of training area as they conducted a two-month situational training exercise and a full-scale combined-arms live fire, which led to a successful combat readiness certification at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, earlier this year.
"You have tanks and Bradley's, close combat air, unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery fire working together in concert with each other," Sanchez said. "The training that is required to get to this point is just invaluable. This is as close to the real thing as it gets."
Weston Graves, a 16-year-old high school student and family member of a Fort Riley Soldier, said the experience was very real for him.
"This was the first time I have experienced anything like this … and my father is in the military," Graves said. "You could feel the guns shooting and hear it all and even with ear plugs my ears are still ringing."
The CALFEX demonstrated that combined-arms units at Fort Riley can safely and effectively conduct training missions, whether small or large, without having to leave Fort Riley, Sanchez said.
"Our units gain very invaluable training at Fort Riley and, because of that, our Soldiers are ready now," the commander said.
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