Fort Drum, N.Y. (Aug. 12, 2015) -- Approximately 30 Soldiers assigned to 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), conducted a platoon-level readiness drill on post July 28-30.
Five platoons from two companies participated in an exercise that tested their adaptability and critical thinking skills by challenging them to overcome last-minute mission changes, vehicle route deviations, weapons and vehicle malfunctions, and a surprise tear gas attack during chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives, or CBRNE, training.
Adding another layer of complexity to their mission, the day and time of their mission, vehicles to be used and the final patrol base site were kept secret until the units were telephonically alerted.
On the receiving end of a 2 a.m. phone call was 1st Lt. Matthew Lahti, 4th Platoon leader, A Company, who rallied his platoon and prepared to "deploy" rapidly to an unknown location.
"Our mission today is to set up a patrol base," he explained. "What we are doing today is preparing to fight a more modern force in the future."
Lahti said that the Army's ability to overpower its enemies often depends on the speed at which it can deploy anywhere in the world. He said the exercise will better condition his platoon to accomplish that task.
"The drills we are conducting will help us improve our speed, making us competitive not only with the other companies, but with other nations that we might be called upon to defend," he said.
While speed remains a critical element in gaining the high ground of any linear battlefield, the exercise also allowed the battalion to cross check their vehicle maintenance fault reporting systems to ensure deficiencies are being reported.
"This (exercise) is really about seeing ourselves and where we can fix deficiencies and where those deficiencies are," said Lt. Col. Jason P. Affolder, 210th BSB commander. "This platoon didn't know which trucks they were supposed to dispatch this morning; they didn't even know they were going to participate today."
Affolder said the vehicles used during Lahti's mission were selected from a weekly report that identified equipment as either being fully or not fully mission capable.
"Ideally, we would have seen every truck on that list we gave this morning, but we didn't," Affolder said. "This indicates that communication could be broken down at the platoon or company level."
Assisted by the maintenance section, Lahti's platoon set forth to correct the vehicle deficiencies that were holding them back from starting their convoy.
"We are working around these issues, but as far as the people we've had present today and for the first time conducting a readiness drill in my memory, I think it has been going pretty well," Lahti said.
Further planned resistance was met when his convoy was issued a fragmentation order that directed them to change their course to circumnavigate enemy troop movement.
"He responded rapidly to the change of mission," said Capt. David Ellington, A Company commander. "Lahti replotted his route in under three minutes, which is the fastest time we have seen thus far."
Arriving at their patrol base, Lahti's platoon established per-imeter security, conducted vehicle recovery drills, and reacted to a surprise tear gas attack -- an event that brought the seriousness of this training event to reality.
"I can't remember the last time we've done CBRNE training," said Sgt. Enrique Goodridge, petroleum supply specialist. "To actually do it and refresh how serious it can be was pretty good."
The drill concluded with an after action review to discuss what went right and what could be improved when operating in a simulated decisive action environment.
"The single most important thing about this event is teaching leaders that you can accomplish a lot in a one-day period -- a wide variety of tasks and checks on systems that can be used to assess yourself and plan future training," Affolder said.
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