FORT SILL, Okla. (Oct. 13, 2016) -- Sometimes you have to lose before you learn how to win. That's called training.
A battery of young Soldiers was put to the test in a mock combat exercise as part of basic combat training (BCT), Oct. 5, and not everybody got to win.
But everybody did learn from the outcome, and the losers figured what they needed to do - or not do - next time to be victorious.
BCT FTX - It's the culmination of everything young Soldiers learned in the previous two months. The field training exercise (FTX) is a series of mock battles pitting one platoon against another in the "jungle" of tall grass and cross timbers on East Range. This was the first of several battles that C Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery fought that week, using blank ammunition and concealment tactics.
Capt. John Logan, battery commander, said the leaders usually do "rock, paper, scissors" to determine which platoon is the offensive team, and which is defensive, but 1st Sgt. Daniel Deming volunteered to lead the attackers. Logan stayed with the defenders.
After a safety briefing, blank ammo was handed out and the attacking force (with yellow tags) was loaded into a light mobility tactical vehicle and trucked to their starting point 1.5 kilometers away near Hoyle Bridge, on the other side of Medicine Creek. The blue team marched a half mile up the gravel road and began setting up a perimeter around the objective near the old bayonet assault course.
After about 30 minutes the operation orders were opened and Drill Sgt. (Staff Sgt.) Shawlonda Harris called her team together to tell them a platoon-sized element will try to seize "critical infrastructure and roadway system" near their position. The enemy is traveling by foot and capable of calling for indirect fire, according to the directive, but not for reinforcements.
"They're gonna try to overrun, and we have to defend this area," she said. Then she pointed to two pieces of yarn on the ground and drew lines in the sand, moving around some toy soldiers. "We saw when we came in there's really no way to come in on the river side because it's too steep," she said, pointing to the yarn, then to the "brushy area" on the sand map where they could set up the perimeter.
When the defenders had dispersed, she confided, "Usually drill sergeants try not to take over because we have squad leaders and team leaders assigned, so they execute the training, tactics and techniques that they've learned. I'm one of those that gets into it," she said with a laugh, "but I'm gonna try and pull back and not take over."
Once the defensive team was in place and well hidden in the tall grass or forest shadows, the offensive team slowly advanced toward their position. Crackling branches alerted defenders, who fired M16A2 rifles when the enemy was spotted. Harris, Logan, and Deming monitored the battle and designated those who had been "hit." When combatants clustered too closely together, Logan set off a simulated artillery round, "killing" everyone within its strike zone. Those Soldiers removed their helmets and were out of the game.
The yellow team made solid advances, with machine gunners on both sides firing aggressively. Finally "endex" was called, ending the mock battle, with the yellow team solidly the winner. Harris chided her platoon afterward.
"Our mission was to defend this road, right?" she asked.
"Yes drill sergeant," they answered in unison.
"Did we do that?"
"No, drill sergeant."
The teams met for an after-action review and had MREs (meals, ready to eat) for lunch before the afternoon's battle. Logan said aside from the combat obstacle course and the Basic Physical Fitness Test, this is the last major test before Class No. 78-16 graduates Oct. 21.
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