Fort Bliss Monitor

1-56 FTX

Story and photos by Sgt. Trinace Johnson
6th ADA Bde. Public Affairs

“…Alpha Team leader, this is Bravo Team leader. Do we have any injured-over?”

“Bravo Team leader, this is Alpha Team leader – we have one injured and one KIA, [killed in action] over.”
At the rally point another team leader called in and reported that his squad had only two days supply of ammunition and water after being ambushed.

These were some of the scenarios that Advanced Individual Training Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 6th ADA Brigade had to go through during their recent three-day field training exercise.

“Our mission was to take medical supplies on a convoy to 1-56,” said Pvt. Jason Vavra, C Battery, 1-56 ADA squad leader for the first convoy. “Acting as convoy commander is a lot tougher than it looks,” he said. “It’s a lot of responsibility. You need to keep track of the men and ammo, plus make sure the other team leaders are doing their jobs. We had [Opposing Forces] do an ambush on us.”

“The only way you can succeed at this [convoy operations] is to practice until it becomes natural,” said Pvt. Ben Johnson, C Btry., 1-56 ADA. In fact the AIT Soldiers participate in an FTX every two weeks. In addition to Military Occupational Specialty-specific skills, they are trained on Warrior Core Tasks that will prepare them to fight and win in the contemporary operating environment and provide the base for developing Soldiers imbued with the Warrior Ethos, according to Capt. Michael D. Dinesman, 6th Bde. Operations.

As part of the convoy operations, the AIT Soldiers were taught to identify Improvised Explosive Devices and unexploded ordinances on the road. They also learned to move under direct fire, react to direct fire, mount and dismount a vehicle, and set up temporary fighting positions, said Sgt. Darrin Leis, Bde., FTX cadre.
For this recent FTX, there were a total of 39 privates from A, B and C batteries, Leis said. For the 39 Soldiers, all of whom are about to graduate from AIT, the FTX training may be the last realistic training they receive prior to deploying to a combat zone.

“In the past, these FTXs were MOS specific,” said Master Sgt. James Bailey, 6th Bde. Operations noncommissioned officer in-charge. “Before, the privates just learned to operate the equipment. Now, we enforce Warrior Ethos.

“It’s not just about how to operate equipment anymore; it’s about learning to fight and survival. They need to know what to expect from an ambush, insurgents or an IED. It’s not always about setting up a launcher,” Bailey said.

He said now every AIT Soldier leaving the 6th Brigade will have real battle knowledge. He went even further to say that because of the battlefield training they are going through, the privates now graduating would have the knowledge of a sergeant.

Whether it’s calling up a medical evacuation, conducting a radio check, reacting to an ambush, convoy operations or basic knowledge of enemy situations, these AIT Soldiers get to learn about it and react to it now, prior to going into combat.

“If my kids were old enough to come into the Army, this is the type of training that I would want them to get,” Bailey said. “I know we’ve saved lives by doing this training. I’m willing to bet some private we’ve graduated has already used the skills he learned here out on the battlefield.”



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	July 1, 2004

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	1-56 FTX Story and photos by Sgt. Trinace Johnson 6th ADA Bde. Public Affairs “…Alpha Team leader, this is Bravo Team leader. Do we have any injured-over?” “Bravo Team leader, this is Alpha Team leader – we have one injured and one KIA, [killed in action] over.” At the rally point another team leader called in and reported that his squad had only two days supply of ammunition and water after being ambushed. These were some of the scenarios that Advanced Individual Training Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 6th ADA Brigade had to go through during their recent three-day field training exercise. “Our mission was to take medical supplies on a convoy to 1-56,” said Pvt. Jason Vavra, C Battery, 1-56 ADA squad leader for the first convoy. “Acting as convoy commander is a lot tougher than it looks,” he said. “It’s a lot of responsibility. You need to keep track of the men and ammo, plus make sure the other team leaders are doing their jobs. We had [Opposing Forces] do an ambush on us.” “The only way you can succeed at this [convoy operations] is to practice until it becomes natural,” said Pvt. Ben Johnson, C Btry., 1-56 ADA. In fact the AIT Soldiers participate in an FTX every two weeks. In addition to Military Occupational Specialty-specific skills, they are trained on Warrior Core Tasks that will prepare them to fight and win in the contemporary operating environment and provide the base for developing Soldiers imbued with the Warrior Ethos, according to Capt. Michael D. Dinesman, 6th Bde. Operations. As part of the convoy operations, the AIT Soldiers were taught to identify Improvised Explosive Devices and unexploded ordinances on the road. They also learned to move under direct fire, react to direct fire, mount and dismount a vehicle, and set up temporary fighting positions, said Sgt. Darrin Leis, Bde., FTX cadre. For this recent FTX, there were a total of 39 privates from A, B and C batteries, Leis said. For the 39 Soldiers, all of whom are about to graduate from AIT, the FTX training may be the last realistic training they receive prior to deploying to a combat zone. “In the past, these FTXs were MOS specific,” said Master Sgt. James Bailey, 6th Bde. Operations noncommissioned officer in-charge. “Before, the privates just learned to operate the equipment. Now, we enforce Warrior Ethos. “It’s not just about how to operate equipment anymore; it’s about learning to fight and survival. They need to know what to expect from an ambush, insurgents or an IED. It’s not always about setting up a launcher,” Bailey said. He said now every AIT Soldier leaving the 6th Brigade will have real battle knowledge. He went even further to say that because of the battlefield training they are going through, the privates now graduating would have the knowledge of a sergeant. Whether it’s calling up a medical evacuation, conducting a radio check, reacting to an ambush, convoy operations or basic knowledge of enemy situations, these AIT Soldiers get to learn about it and react to it now, prior to going into combat. “If my kids were old enough to come into the Army, this is the type of training that I would want them to get,” Bailey said. “I know we’ve saved lives by doing this training. I’m willing to bet some private we’ve graduated has already used the skills he learned here out on the battlefield.”