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Constant training hones Tomahawks' warfighting skills

Dec- 2-2004 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

[Link to Full Article] with photos

Submitted by
4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Photos by Percy Jones

McLaughlin Range has been transformed into the small Iraqi village of Al Shiitar that provided a safe haven for insurgents to refit and reorganize. Safe, that is, until the Blackhawk Soldiers of Company B, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment cleared it and returned control to the Iraqi Municipal Government. By the time the insurgents saw the Strykers, the vehicles had dropped their ramps next to the front door of a building under a cover of smoke, .50 cal machine gun fire, and a hail of Kiowa gun fire.

FORT RICHARDSON – Eight months ago, the majority of Soldiers assigned to 4th Bn., 23rd Inf. cleaned empty arms rooms void of weapons with which to train or even qualify. The unit had just been activated and were undergoing the challenges of getting a new unit combat ready.

By Nov. 15, the Company B Blackhawks of 4-23 Inf. were able to execute platoon live fire exercises at McLaughlin Range under a cordon and raid scenario, said Capt. Bradley Velotta, Company B commander. Cordon and search/raid/knock are the types of missions expected to comprise the majority of 4-23’s war time role. The battalion’s Tomahawk Soldiers fielded, familiarized, qualified, and trained up to the platoon collective level in a very short period of time. More importantly, this exercise marked the first battalion exercise integrating the Stryker into LFX training on the platoon level.

“This was a focused Stryker integrated combined arms platoon live fire exercise executed via a company scenario,” said Velotta.

“Two platoons executed simultaneous missions. One platoon provided a real-world outer cordon while the main platoon executed a live fire raid on the fictional village of Al Shiitar,” continued Velotta. “The cordon platoon’s mission reinforced the battalion’s previous exercise at Camp Carroll.”

As part of the exercise, Soldiers also provided security for the range road and gate, an ongoing task “typically frowned upon by Soldiers.”

He added that the Alaska Army National Guard and Capt. Darrin Dorn provided his company with air support during casualty evacuation training and served in a reconnaissance role that simulated world situations.

“Blackhawk company was the third Tomahawk company to complete platoon live fire exercises in what became a very busy three-week period for the evaluators Lt. Col. (John) Norris and Command Sgt. Maj. (Dennis) Zavodsky,” said 1st Sgt. Jeffery Zarnoth.

Norris is the 4-23 commander and Zavodsky is the battalion command sergeant major.

Zarnoth said another platoon was training at Fort Greely, the company’s fire support section underwent a three-week vehicle fielding class and the battalion mortar platoon was conducting a consolidated 60mm and 81mm mortar LFX.

“The Tomahawks have done one predominant thing over the past eight months since activation – train beyond the standard,” said Velotta. “With the Battalion’s emphasis on OIF and OEF AAR’s, realistic, out of the box training, and leaders with bold initiative, this battalion will demonstrate the capabilities of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and United States Army Alaska.”


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