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On the border

Apr-20-2005 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

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By ABBIE STILLIE, Daily News-Miner

Members of the Stryker Brigade needed training in a desert setting. Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexican border needed help stopping the flow of illegal drugs and immigrants.

When the two sides joined forces earlier this winter, they stopped more than 2,500 illegal aliens and 6,900 pounds of marijuana from making it to the United States. [...]

In addition to lending a hand to the Border Patrol, the mission was beneficial in other ways. Since the Stryker Brigade is scheduled for deployment to Iraq late this summer, the training was an excellent opportunity to learn about desert terrain and practice with their equipment.

"It was perfect timing," Freitag said.

The soldiers didn't all patrol the border at the same time, but everyone stayed busy.

"We took advantage of every training opportunity while executing a real-world mission," Rouleau said.

Training opportunities included practicing hand-to-hand combat and using pigs' feet to learn to suture wounds.

According to Sgt. Maj. David Dunham, just being on the road from January through March was helpful preparation for their longer deployment this summer. About half the soldiers had never been deployed before the exercise and weren't used to being away from their loved ones.

"It was a good warm-up," he said. "Whatever little problems we had this time, we can go back and get them fixed."


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