FORT POLK, LA — The following four National Guard soldiers from Wilmington, members of the 272nd Chemical Company, recently completed a month of training at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk:
- Massachusetts Army National Guard Sergeant Jason Angelini
- Massachusetts Army National Guard 1st Sergeant Paul Flaherty
- Massachusetts Army National Guard Private 1st Class Connor Oriordan
- Massachusetts Army National Guard Sergeant Stephanie Perez
Their experience included deployment and staging at Fort Polk followed by more than ten days of offensive and defensive missions in the post maneuver areas against a real opposing force.
The maneuver training is designed to challenge all the components of the maneuver brigade, including infantry, artillery and aviation operations, engineering and reconnaissance tasks, logistics and resupply and medical support and personnel replacements.
The brigade task force included the entire New York Army National Guard brigade combat team, along with supporting elements that included additional infantry units from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Aviation support for the task force included aircrews from Connecticut, Maryland and Utah.
The Joint Readiness Training Center allows Army units to conduct combat training in a realistic environment which features a well-trained opposing force, civilian role-players on the battlefield, high-tech systems which monitor the action, and observer-controllers to evaluate unit actions.
All of the exercise participants and opposing force troops wore the Army’s Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) gear for the exercise.
The gear consists of a sensor-leaden harness worn by the soldier and a halo of sensors attached to the Soldier’s helmet. In addition to sensors, every weapon system also includes a laser emitter.
When the soldier fires a blank with their weapon, the laser fires a beam. If a target sensor receives a hit, then the Soldier is considered wounded or a vehicle disabled, requiring all of the combat response actions to provide first aid and evacuation.
The MILES gear enables infantrymen to conduct realistic combat training against a real enemy opponent and forces combat medics and logistics personnel to hone their skills by treating simulated battlefield injuries or evacuating damaged vehicles.
JRTC is one of the Army’s three combat training centers at which brigade-sized units can conduct realistic training against an opposing force. JRTC specializes in light infantry warfare and operations. For Soldiers, it is considered as the Super Bowl of Army training.
The redeployment for the thousands of soldiers back to their home states is expected to be complete by August 5.
(NOTE: The above press release is from the New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs via Merit.)
Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.
Wilmington Apple 