YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. - A sense of determination filled the air at Yakima Training Center as the "Outlaws" from 62nd Chemical Company, 23rd Chemical Battalion, donned their battle-rattle.
The purpose of the day's mission was strictly to train, but the Soldiers acted as if they were preparing for battle.
Staff Sgt. Daniel Johnson, 1st Platoon's acting platoon sergeant, said that they must be prepared for any situation because their duties vary from identifying possible chemical threats to providing protection during convoys.
"We're the first sent out," said Spc. Ashley Pucciarrelli, 1st Platoon, 62nd Chem. Co., 23rd Chem. Bn. "Even before the cavalry scouts, we are out there making sure it's safe for others to do their job."
Before the Soldiers began training, they inspected their Fox Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance vehicles.
"We take great care and pride when inspecting the Foxes," said Johnson.
The crews who worked on the Foxes understood that not properly inspecting the vehicles could cost them their lives.
Private 1st Class Layne Paulk, 1st Platoon, 62nd Chem. Co., said he knows that proper preventive maintenance checks and services are crucial to the crew's protection. "Failure to properly inspect the Foxes can put the crew in a dangerous situation, especially when in a contaminated environment," said Paulk.
Once the crews finished the inspection, they huddled around Johnson as he began to inform them about the day's mission. The scenario for this training was to react to contact and send an assault team to clear a building. Confidence exuded from the Soldiers as Johnson explained how to handle the situations.
After the briefing, the Soldiers performed a dry run without the vehicles. Though they had not mounted the Foxes, the crews still carried out the drills as if they were inside the "made for combat" vehicles. After two more dry runs, the crews mounted the Foxes and quickly began stage two of their training.
The convoy moved down the dusty trails of Yakima's plains and left only a tan haze of dust behind as it headed to the training site.
During the training exercise, the three-vehicle convoy rolled along the trails until one of the rear gunners informed his crew of enemy contact. The Fox crews began to make defensive maneuvers and position themselves in response to enemy fire. Once in position the gunners laid down suppressive fire, and the assault team made its way to the building.
When the assault team reached the building, the Soldiers practiced clearing a room and then headed back to the vehicles. The recon platoon repeated this battle drill a number of times because they believe training is the key to a successful mission.
Sergeant Jose Salinas said, practice is just as important as the mission because quality training leads to quality Soldiers.
"(Quality training) creates Soldiers who are best suited for combat," he said.
Pvt. 2 Jarrett Branch is assigned to 17th Public Affairs Detachment. This story appeared in Fort Lewis' Northwest Guardian.
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