FA Soldiers defend Operations Center

By Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson, 41st Fires Brigade, PAOSeptember 27, 2010

FORT HOOD, Texas - Pfc. Nicholas Mendenhall, a Detroit native, combat medic for Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, leads a litter carry for a Soldier with a head injury during the Table XV battery level evaluation training on No...
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT HOOD, Texas - Pfc. Nicholas Mendenhall, a Detroit native, combat medic for Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, leads a litter carry for a Soldier with a head injury during the Table XV battery level evaluation training on No... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT HOOD, Texas - Capt. Roland Pugh, battery commander for Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade, calls in a situation report after an indirect fire during Table XV battery level evaluation training on Fort Hood...
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT HOOD, Texas - Capt. Roland Pugh, battery commander for Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade, calls in a situation report after an indirect fire during Table XV battery level evaluation training on Fort Hood... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT HOOD, Texas - A loud bang and puff of smoke fills the air as Soldiers with Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, receives indirect fire at the battery operation center during the Table XV battery level evaluation training on N...
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT HOOD, Texas - A loud bang and puff of smoke fills the air as Soldiers with Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, receives indirect fire at the battery operation center during the Table XV battery level evaluation training on N... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HOOD, Texas - With a boom and a cloud of white smoke, chaos broke out around the Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment Battery Operation Center during the Table XV training exercise on North Fort Hood, Sept. 22.

The 41st Fires Brigade packed up its battalions and separate units for battery level field training exercises running from Sept. 13-28.

During an iteration of training, the Soldiers from Btry. C, 2nd Bat., 20th FA Regt., had to defend the BOC from indirect fire. The quick reaction force wasted no time to secure the perimeter. The purpose of this particular scenario was to evaluate the unit on responding, treating and evacuating the three wounded Soldiers.

"We've been getting hit hard over the last few days so we had our guard up," said Capt. Roland Pugh, battery commander for Btry. C, 2nd Bat., 20th FA Regt. "With the training we received, I think our Soldiers responded as good as any Soldiers. Our secondary forces responded to the incident within minutes to the blast and our medic was already treating the wounded."

As the only medic for the section treated the wounded, available Soldiers helped to move the casualties to the appropriate triage area awaiting medical evacuation.

"With what's been going on, I think we did a great job responding," said Staff Sgt. Dustin Conrad, Carlisle, Pa. native, fire direction section chief for Btry. C, 2nd Bat., 20th FA Regt. "I was hit with shrapnel in both arms, but before I knew it, there was guys wrapping my arms and pulling security."

Short on man-power and with limited resources, the unit's medic may have been new to the Army, but he was prepared to treat the wounded.

"I would have liked to have more help, but we still took care of business," said Pfc. Nicholas Mendenhall, Detroit native, combat medic for Btry. C, 2nd Bat., 20th FA Regt. "I was a firefighter before I joined the Army, so I had some prior EMT training." Mendenhall was relieved he and other Soldiers were able to get the job done by getting those Soldiers injured evacuated for further treatment.

The enemy was cleared away from the area of operation and the wounded were triaged. After the injured were evacuated and security returned to normal, Btry. C, 2nd Bat., 20th FA Regt., packed up its equipment and moved to another location to reestablish an operations center.