CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION- Q-West, Iraq - As the 16th Sustainment Brigade, out of Bamberg, Germany gets ready to re-deploy the mission of the personal security detachment must go on.
Members of the PSD team are training the 15th Sustainment Brigade, out of Fort Hood, Texas, to take over the reins and prepare them for their first mission.
Staff Sgt. Michael Shaw, PSD team, 16th Sustainment Brigade, said they are teaching them everything they know from battlefield drills with the Mine-Resistant-Ambush-Protected vehicles to maintenance on them.
"The main thing is we don't want them to be afraid to ask questions," said Shaw. "Whether you've been deployed before or not, the person next to you may be thinking the same thing but is afraid to ask."
The team has been conducting training for the past week on various scenarios and drills that will help the new team adapt and be proficient in their new mission.
Shaw said they have been covering a lot of ground and are almost completed with the training process.
"We've went over all the battlefield drills, vehicle injuries, vehicle recovery, radio communications and weapons training to include crew served and individual weapons," said Shaw.
During the 16th SB deployment the new Iraqi security agreement took effect Jan. 1 and this required additional training they did not receive from their predecessors so they had to incorporate the new policies in their training to the Soldiers of the 15th SB.
Shaw said there are certain times you can actually travel through the cities now.
"The escorts and the mission are a little different now; we now have the signs posted in Arabic on the side of the MRAP that states the applicable part of the security agreement which enables us to travel through the cities," said Shaw.
Sgt. Nicholas Nipitella, PSD team, 16th SB, said another main thing they trained on was safety.
"This has been a big thing lately," said Nipitella. "There have been cases of Soldiers recently losing their eyesight because they got flagged with the laser.
Nipitella, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native said the key to success in training or doing the mission is leadership.
"Active leaders help engagement," said Nipitella. "You have to be engaged hands on with your Soldiers."
Spc. Thomas Winkfield, PSD gunner, 15th SB said he was never in a MRAP before and the training has been very beneficial.
"With the training we received I feel very confident," said Winkfield. "Practice makes perfect, the more drills we do the more proficient we will become."
Winkfield, a Woodland, Calif. native said the 16th SB has given them a lot of pointers.
"They have given us unlimited access to training and whatever resources they have to make sure we complete our mission," said Winkfield.
Shaw said he wishes nothing but success to the 15th SB and they all come home safe.
"They received a lot of training, but no matter how much training they get there are no experiences like real world experience," said Shaw. "Having after action reviews after each mission helps because you can go over all the things you did right and the things we needed to improve on."
Nipitella said the most knowledge he gained was through experience over the course of the deployment.
"We gave them the foundation of what they need to do," said Nipitella. "Now they need to be active and engage in the training they received."
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