FORT BENNING, Ga., (April 6 2016) -- Fire team tactics training is a regular event that every Soldier going through basic combat training and advanced individual training must complete. But these standard fundamentals that may seem routine can mean the difference between life and death in combat.
Soldiers in the Infantry one station unit training of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 198th Inf. Brigade, spent two days focusing on these fundamentals during a fire team tactics training event March 30-31.
"Precision, in this context, is the ability to do the fundamentals smoothly and fluidly regardless of the chaotic circumstances, and that is essential for combat," said Capt. Tom Perkins, company commander explaining why this training is essential for Soldiers to succeed in combat.
As part of the training, Soldiers demonstrated their competency moving on their own in a tactical environment and then in buddy teams to understand how to move with another individual. After that they were put into a fire team, a four-person team where one person acts as a fire team leader and used the concepts of fire and maneuver in order to close with and destroy the enemy.
While the course may appear easy to complete, being able to choose the ideal route and movement techniques in order to complete it optimally on the first try, is very difficult, said Perkins.
"Someone who is completely untrained at this could do it and complete the event. Completing the event isn't that big of a deal; doing it well is a big deal and that's really where precision comes in. It's being able to smoothly do the magazine changes, the movement techniques, that's what we're getting at. Anyone can go through it clumsily but to do so precisely is really what all combat comes down to," said Perkins.
Training events such as this help transform civilians into Infantrymen that possess the Army values, fundamental Soldier skills, physical fitness, character, confidence, commitment and the Warrior Ethos to become adaptive and flexible Infantrymen ready to accomplish the mission of the Infantry, the mission of the 2nd Bn., 19th Inf. Regt. according to www.benning.army.mil.
Pvt. Roger Cloutier said that this training is helping the techniques become second nature.
"I think it's helping us develop habits that we need that are essential when we deploy to combat" said Cloutier. "It's getting into the rhythm so that way it's like walking. We do it without thinking about it."
Every cycle of Soldiers must pass this training event in order to graduate the course and continue their training.
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