the worst day in iraq center

FORT BLISS MONITOR • OCTOBER 1, 2009 • 17B16B • OCTOBER 1, 2009 • FORT BLISS MONITOR

FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Soldiers from 2ndBattalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1stHeavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored

Division, partnered with mock Iraqi forces and rolledinto the streets of the simulated town of Medina Waslat the National Training Center here to experiencewhat the “worst day in Iraq” could feel like under anIED-infested setting, funded by the Joint ImprovisedExplosive Device Defeat Organization.

“The number-one killer on the battlefield contin-ues to be the IED,” said Command Sgt. Maj. ToddBurnett, senior enlisted adviser for JIEDDO.

JIEDDO funded Medina Wasl with the goal ofreplicating the operating environment Soldiers willencounter in Iraq, said Burnett. The organization isconstantly employing innovative ways to extractinformation and incorporate it in Soldiers’ training, headded. Burnett said infusing situations in training thatSoldiers will face in theater is advantageous because

they will not be caughtoff guard

b y

seeing it for the first time when they get downrange. In the set scenario, Medina Wasl illustrated

progress, offering tourists lodging in the Lyndonhotel. The busy streets that were once empty nowthrived with local villagers. The hustle and bustle of acity were evident as townspeople walked, talked andgathered for breakfast.

A convoy comprising elements from 2nd Bn., 3rdFA Regt., 1st HBCT, and role players simulating theIraqi army entered Medina Wasl and were greeted bywaving street vendors. There were no visible signs ofimprovised explosive devices, so the convoy made itsway through the streets. A white van crossed theirpath, then a blast was heard – the all-too familiarsound of an IED.

Tranquility or, as some may contend, complacen-cy, turned to havoc, as everyone affected struggled totake cover, and hoped no other IEDs were emplaced.

“I’m glad that they’re using pyro [and] rocket-pro-pelled grenade lines that actually shoot out RPGs,”said Sgt. Joshua Roesch of B Battery, 2nd Bn., 3rd FARegt. “Soldiers move a lot quicker. They pretend thatit is actually theater when there are visuals going on.”

B Btry.’s 1st Sgt. Bobby Bennett said making thetransition from a field artillery mission, in

which the unit provides suppres-sive fire from a greater distance,to a dismounted infantry mind-set in an urban operations envi-ronment, was supported by the

training received at Fort Bliss. “Home-station training pre-

pared us for NTC,” said Bennett.“Junior Soldiers are now seeingwhat we’re training on prior to us

coming here. When you execute a mission, youexpect the worse but hope for the best.”

Some simulated injuries resulting from the IEDattacks were as real as they come, said Brian Howe,the combat training coordinator for the companyStrategic Operations. The amputees Soldiers treatedin the Medina Wasl scenario are real-life amputeeswho have lost limbs in traumatic incidents, or to can-cer, or who were born without a limb. Although someof the amputees are prior military, said Howe, noneare combat wounded veterans.

“It’s too much to put someone through day afterday who was patrolling in Iraq and was hit with anIED and lost a leg,” said Howe. “You do not wantsomeone to relive that.”

The use of real-world amputees allows Soldiersparticipating in the exercise to apply tourniquets to amissing limb with simulated blood spurting out of theinjuries, thereby experiencing the realism of the bat-tlefield, said Howe.

“Time is of the essence,” he said. “You do not havetime to freeze in combat.”

Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Palmer, medical trainer ofthe operations group at NTC, said the Medina Waslscenario is designed not only to test the unit in allaspects of their skills but to identify deficienciesSoldiers can correct and learn from before deploying.

“We cannot put a price tag on a Soldier’s life,” saidPalmer. “I think this is

good money spent.If we spend moneyhere to providerealistic training,we save livesdownrange.”

A Soldier from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st HeavyBrigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, takes a defensive positionduring a mock improvised explosive device attack at the National TrainingCenter in Fort Irwin, Calif.

(Below) An insurgent role-player stands behind a mock implanted impro-vised explosive device, in the mock town of Medina Wasl at the NationalTraining Center in Fort Irwin, Calif.

(Below) Mock victims of an improvised explosive device seek help from a mockIraqi police officer during a training exercise at the National Training Center in FortIrwin, Calif.

NTC: JIEDDO prepares 1st Armored Divisionfor encounter that should never happen

Story and photos by Maj. Deanna Bague, Fort Bliss Public Affairs Office • Photo illustration by Katrina Chandler

A Soldier from 2ndBattalion, 3rd Field

Artillery Regiment, 1stHeavy Brigade Combat

Team, 1st ArmoredDivision, carries his battle

buddy who sustained mockinjuries during a training

exercise at the NationalTraining Center’s Medina Wasl

village.

Soldiers from2nd Battalion,3rd Field

ArtilleryRegiment, 1st

Heavy BrigadeCombat Team, 1stArmored Division,

help carry mockwounded casualties

during a training exer-cise at the NationalTraining Center inFort Irwin, Calif.

Role players pose as Soldiers whosustained mock injuries from a

mock improvised explosive deviceattack at the National Training

Center’s Medina Wasl village.

(Right) Soldiers from 2ndBattalion, 3rd Field ArtilleryRegiment, 1st Heavy Brigade

Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, rushto aid victim role players who were hit with amock improvised explosive device during theMedina Wasl training exercise at the NationalTraining Center in Fort Irwin, Calif.