FORT BENNING, Ga., (Sept. 9, 2015) -- In the sixth week of Basic Combat Training, Soldiers with D Company, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, practiced Buddy Team Tactics at Malone 3 Range.
"This is the first time they've put together the lethality that they learned on the marksmanship range, with the movement techniques that they've learned at the first two phases of basic training and basic communication on how to move as a buddy team in a tactical environment," said Lt. Col. Mark Huhtanen, commander, 1st Bn., 46th Inf. Regt.
The Buddy Team Tactics instill the skills of learning how to properly engage a target, cross-talking and being aware of where their battle buddy is at all times, said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Blanton, a drill sergeant with D Co. 1st Bn., 46th Inf. Regt.
The Soldiers practiced movement techniques like the commando crawl while moving with their battle buddy to attack the enemy.
"It's really their first real-world look at actually moving to the objective and engaging the enemy, and doing it safely," said Capt. Eric Delong, D Co. commander.
The Soldiers did a dry run and moved to firing blanks while the cadre coached the Soldiers' techniques.
The company then went to live fire and the Soldiers qualified on Buddy Team Tactics.
"Everything we've done up until now has been on the individual Soldier," Blanton said. "Today is the first time we incorporated moving as a team. So, they're kind of relying on learning how to talk across the battlefield with noise."
In each lane, a drill sergeant coached Soldiers on the correct movements. Soldiers began the lane behind a structure's wall, moved down range to another structure, took a knee, locked and loaded their M16 rifle and began their patrol. At that point, Delong said the drill sergeant would initiate contact, informing the Soldier they were being shot at. As the teams of two BCT Soldiers made it to each barrier, they would communicate they either needed cover or that they were covering their battle buddy as they moved to the next barrier.
"Battle buddy, cover me while I move," one Soldier would shout.
"I've got you covered," the Soldier's battle buddy would respond.
Delong said maneuvering one Soldier at a time made for a leap-frog effect up to the end.
Spc. Matt Loudin, D Co., said learning the basics helped build his confidence.
"When you get proper instruction and follow it, you are way more confident and you can rely on your battle buddy," Loudin said.
Pfc. Joshua Schumacher, D Co., said the process of perfecting the most basic tasks before the BTT event allowed him to catch every mistake and tip, as opposed to losing things in the chaos.
He and Loudin said as older Soldiers in the course, learning to work with different people was an obstacle they had to overcome.
"A lot of it is just learning how to work together and coexist," Schumacher said.
The training event was just one aspect in helping to meet the end result of a fully capable Soldier leaving basic combat training, Blanton said.
Huhtanen said the Soldiers should emerge from the exercise with the capability to be more smart, fast, lethal and precise Soldiers, but they should also be more confident in the skills they learned as a result of the training.
Social Sharing