Sgt. Billy Harris, left, and Sgt. 1st Class Christian Helmka run back to their convoy after having their “casualties” evacuated during a convoy live-fire exercise held July 23 at McGregor Range. Photo by Spc. Alexander Burnett.
286th Signal Co. hits the road with convoy live fire
Spc. Alexander Burnett, 11th ADA Bde. Public Affairs
The five-ton leads the six-vehicle convoy down a dusty road, a .50-caliber machine gun silhouetted in the summer sun. As they pass a small town to the right, a radio squawks, “Contact right! Engage!” The Soldiers engage their targets, and the sound of M-16 fire fills the air.
Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, 286th Signal Company, conducted a convoy live-fire exercise July 23 at McGregor Range.
The simulated convoy gave Soldiers training on several aspects of Army operations while accomplishing the goal of giving them the experience of firing from a moving convoy. Soldiers were hit with simulated improvised explosive devices, casualties, broken-down vehicles, mortars and medical evacuation.
The Soldiers used M-16 rifles, M-249 squad automatic weapons and one M-2 .50-caliber crew-served weapon on the range. They were firing at a combination of small towns, pop-up targets and stationary enemy vehicles.
Sgt. 1st Class Christian Helmka, right, platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, 286th Signal Company, and Sgt. Billy Harris, a multi-channel transmission systems team chief, provide cover during a convoy live-fire exercise held July 23 at McGregor Range. Photo by Spc. Alexander Burnett.
This exercise, which has been five months in planning, took a very simple approach to a very dangerous concept. The range was set up in three phases: a dry run through the convoy’s route, a run with blank rounds and finally, a run using live ammunition – said Sgt. Jeff Beeson, the training noncommissioned officer for 2nd Platoon.
“They wanted to instill a ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach to this range,” said Beeson. “Get them familiar with the range in a relatively safe environment before sending them out there with live rounds.”
In between each run, the Soldiers sat down with their safety officers and range coordinators to conduct after-action reviews. Through each convoy, they tried to improve the deficiencies from the last, although no two runs were the same. With each simulation, the stakes grew and the mission became more intricate.
Each convoy had another added element to the mission, whether it was an additional area where the convoy took fire or an unexpected block in the road. The simulation had changes in each run so the Soldiers did not know exactly what to expect.
Spc. Antonio Bloodworth, a cable systems installer with 2nd Platoon, 286th Signal Company, clears a weapon malfunction on his M-16A2 rifle during a convoy live-fire exercise held July 23 at McGregor Range. Photo by Spc. Alexander Burnett.
From an observers’ perspective, the most intensive portion of each convoy was the dismount and medical situation. Combat life savers sprung into action when the convoy took a casualty. The rest of the platoon formed a protective box with their vehicles, dismounted and provided cover for the casualty and those working with them.
While these missions were simulations, they gave Soldiers a very real perspective on something that happens all too often in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Staff Sgt. Reuben W. Rust, the node center section sergeant for 2nd Platoon.
In addition to providing valuable training for future missions to the Middle East, these ranges also provided the unit a chance to build team cohesion and weapons familiarity, said 1st Lt. Cherisa I. Jerez, executive officer for the 286th.
“After seeing 1st Platoon do this, I didn’t think anyone could do it better than they could,” said Jerez during an AAR. “Now I see that 2nd Platoon is the one. You are doing the best I have seen anyone in our company.”