FORT SILL, Okla. -- Soldiers from A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery conducted an enter-and-clear a room live-fire exercise at the Urban Assault Course here Jan. 16.
At the live-fire shoot house, teams of three to four Soldiers trained on tactics and procedures for entering a building and clearing rooms while using live ammunition in small quarters.
"The real importance of this live-fire shoot house training was to promote confidence, and encourage small unit leadership in a mission other than MLRS (multiple launch rocket system)," said 1st Lt. Lacie Long.
Since Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Army has started training for a counter-insurgent environment where the enemy does not wear a uniform, and walks among civilians. To find and stop the enemy, Soldiers have to enter buildings, identify and engage them in limited spaces.
A Battery Soldiers trained for two months, leading up to the live-fire exercise. They worked on standard operating procedures that set the ground work of how they would execute training. Glass houses, a basic outline of a building or room representing walls and doorways, are the most common training technique used in preparation for this event.
The battery also worked closely with Range Operations for several weeks to plan, coordinate and prepare for the range to ensure successful training.
Soldiers worked on actual buildings with multiple rooms and levels to build upon the basics they had learned. The key to this training, as with any Army training, is safety, but there are inherent risks in all training. For this reason, not many units, aside from infantry or military police, reach the level of proficiency to execute this training with live ammunition.
Soldiers appreciated the realism of the training and the opportunity to perform this battle drill. They went through numerous live-fire iterations and did not want to end the training.
"I enjoyed the opportunity to work as a team and instill unit bonding with the realism of using live ammunition. It was a great chance to train as we fight. I look forward to the opportunity to expand on the skills I have learned," said Spc. Derrick Seago, launcher crew member.
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