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Fort Lewis air assault drill has flavors of Germany and Iraq

Apr-11-2008 » Filed Under: 5/2 SBCT

MELISSA SANTOS; The News Tribune

Dust and gravel swirl as two Chinook transport helicopters land near a complex that looks like a World War II Bavarian village.

About 50 Fort Lewis soldiers jump out and enter the complex, holding off enemy fire as they search for their target.

Within 10 minutes, a group finds him hiding on an upper floor in the midst of making a bomb and forces him to his knees. In 10 more, they have escorted him outside.

The dust from the helicopters has been replaced by green smoke, the signal of a successful mission and the other soldiers’ cue to pull out.

The training exercise Friday morning marked the first time these soldiers from the 5th Stryker Brigade have practiced clearing buildings with some of the Army’s latest high-tech equipment. The 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division -- the Army post’s newest Stryker unit -- was activated in April 2007 and has yet to be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan, unlike its sister Fort Lewis brigades. The 4th is a few months from closing out a brutal 15-month deployment to Iraq; the 3rd has served two tours there since 2003.

Fort Lewis officials say 5th Brigade could be deployed in 2009.

In the meantime, the soldiers in Battery B of the 3rd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery are fulfilling their training requirements in mock cities like Regenburg, where Friday they practiced using Land Warrior systems on their feet for the first time. [...]


Comments For "Fort Lewis air assault drill has flavors of Germany and Iraq":

My son's outfit. Get some.

Stryker Dad

Posted by: WalterCRosenstrom | April 13, 2008 6:00 PM

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