Ohio Army National Guard's Infantry Regiment tackles combat during training

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind.- Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment trained to maintain their combat readiness over a two-week period this summer at Camp Atterbury Joint Training Center near Edinburgh, Indiana. In a culminating event, the battalion fielded approximately 500 Soldiers who participated in combat and area reconnaissance drills. This training served to greatly enhance the cohesion and battle readiness of the participating companies, growing them into an even more lethal fighting force.

"A lot of the training was designed around just being able to communicate, understanding each other and understanding the aspects of what is needed to be done by each individual," said Lt. Col. Joseph Dickerson, commander of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Walbridge, Ohio. "It was designed to put an emphasis on the communications aspect of what we do to ensure everybody's in synchronization when assigned to the mission."

Over the training period, the Soldiers trained on numerous individual tasks and skills, such as weapons familiarization and movement techniques. Squad- and platoon-level drills, like reacting to enemy contact, as well as route and area reconnaissance, allowed for the Soldiers to forge themselves into a battle-ready force, able to rely on the person to their left and right without hesitation.

"I think the most important part of this (training) that makes us better fighters is the camaraderie it builds," said Sgt. Kevin Deely, a squad leader with Company A, 1-148th in Walbridge. "You can be good on your own, as good as you want, but it all comes down to the guy next to you. You have to work as a unit to survive."

Missions were run both day and night, requiring Soldiers to be prepared to train at all hours. Along with this training, Soldiers lived in a field environment, requiring them to set up camp in the dense woods of Camp Atterbury for days at a time.