JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- The town was quiet and dark. Hints of sunlight were just barely coming into cognition. The air was cold and moist with the morning humidity. Meanwhile, Stryker vehicles moved into position on the outskirts of the western and northern parts of town.
A U.S. Stryker gunner scanned the area of the town, searching for signs of life. He searched the windows of one of the objectives, a gated building, and he saw an enemy soldier posted up with his weapon.
The enemy soldier looked out over toward the horizon. He thought he heard engines approaching. Then, suddenly, he heard an M2 Machine Gun firing from the west. He called to others in his group and they took position to prepare against the approaching U.S. Soldiers.
Seemingly out of nowhere, U.S. forces had come in from the north and began surrounding the buildings. Within minutes they were already inside. Shots were being fired from both sides. The smell of gunpowder filled the air.
U.S. Soldiers continued stacking up and clearing building after building, until the enemy had been subdued or eliminated.
This was the training scenario Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, played out at the Leschi Town training area located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., March 3, 2016. This training was done as part of their return from their combined arms maneuver live-fire exercise at Yakima Training Center, Wash.
"We moved as a battalion from YTC," said Capt. Michael Bettez, the operations assistant for 1-23 Inf. "They have been driving for approximately eight hours. The first patrol left at 9 p.m. last night and they arrived at the Leschi Town area around 4:30 a.m. this morning."
They are fighting back from the field in this scenario, said Sgt. 1st Class Eric Carbone, an infantryman with 1-23 Inf. Instead of doing an administrative move back to their companies and returning equipment, they will come back and assault Leschi Town as a battalion. Three companies will be hitting the objective simultaneously to kill or capture any of the enemy located at the objective.
The company commanders were given information from the battalion and an intelligence overview of the enemy on the ground, said Bettez. The company commanders planned and synchronize their attack across their battalion en route to Leschi Town. These can be some of the challenges in conducting an operation in which the unit is doing a large scale movement across many kilometers.
"You have to maintain your security and be situationally aware of where all the friendly elements are at all times," said Carbone. "While the companies are moving to their objective, leaders are going through talk-through rehearsals with their Soldiers as well as doing pre-combat checks and inspections."
When they arrive in Leschi Town, they have to maintain 360 degree security all the time, said Carbone. It is a very complex, multidimensional battlefield. The Soldiers need to be cognizant of all of that.
"The size and complexity of Leschi Town helps show Soldiers how big an objective can be," Carbone said. "Here you have three and four-story buildings, with windows everywhere, doors everywhere -- hazards everywhere. The enemy can present himself in many places, so the Soldiers have to make sure they are doing the right things, such as using the right tactical movements, to mitigate those threats."
Their vehicles also play a role in reducing threats, said Bettez. The Stryker vehicles enhance the Soldiers' mobility and have the ability to protect them from small arms fire. The Soldiers can essentially use their Strykers to move all the way into the urban area before dismounting, which will provide them speed and maneuver, and also allow them to keep the initiative and attack. In addition to that, they will be able to use their mounted M2 Machine Guns, Mk 19 grenade launchers, support by fire positions and attack by fire positions to allow ground forces to maneuver.
"When you get down to the lower level of the squad leader, there is a lot of reaction on the ground," said Bettez. "As long as they have their task and purpose, and they know they have been provided good information, than they should be able to execute the mission anywhere and at any time."
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