Stryker Brigade News

Leventry and the rest of his squad were regrouping at 3:45 p.m. moments after JRTC observer-controllers had called “Endex,” end exercise, halting a whirlwind three hours of Situational Training Exercise (STX) under an unforgiving Louisiana sun May 13.

Their Stryker was one of six from the company positioned at various points on the perimeter of a village populated by Iraqi and local role players. One of the vehicles was “dead,” victim to an “IED.” A few hundred meters away was a Blackhawk helicopter, downed by “insurgents” and requiring protection by the Tomahawks. This was after a few IED attacks, a fierce house-to-house gun battle and a compound-clearing mission for Co. A.

It was a busy afternoon.

“One thing we learned today was to keep our casualty carrier vehicles closer to the action,” Leventry said. “We had troubles getting them in position as the fight went on, but honestly they threw a lot of stuff at us today. It was a little much.”

A lot much is the point of JRTC as they successfully up the ante on training units can’t get back home.

“The JRTC operations group has resourced the STX lanes for tremendous success,” said Lt. Col. Charles Webster, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment commander. “I was in Iraq in March on a recon of the area and the STX here are as realistic as an environment as it can be.”

Mission training at home station usually means your fellow infantrymen are acting as opposing forces. Soldiers strive to get better but when the bad guys are sporting the same haircuts and young faces as you, the edge can get dull.

“It’s a lot different from facing your brothers you see everyday. You have civilians out here who actually speak the language,” said Staff Sgt. Chris Barnette, Company C, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment. “It gets the adrenaline pumping.”

His unit’s experience didn’t vary much from the STX blueprint. The company walks into a village to create allies but finds trouble.

“We go in as an element to see how things are, protect the commander and the first sergeant. We knew from our intel there would be bad guys in there but we don’t know who they are since they all wear civilian clothes,” Barnette said. “After what seems like forever we take a shot from down center of the village. So we disperse out, take cover and start maneuvering our guys to attack the enemy.”

So it went for nearly every company and its Strykers the week of May 15-20. Roll up to a village. Send out a team to speak to leaders. Maintain security while unit leaders parlay and get intelligence on bad guys. A civilian pops out in the open and starts popping off rounds. The Soldiers disperse, call in fire support, and the chase is on.

“The STX lanes have been the most beneficial experience for my platoon here at JRTC,” said 1st Lt. Jeremiah Ellis, Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment. “The JRTC staff has done a tremendous job at making it as real as possible. ”