By Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Ethan Shjandemaar, left, and Pfc. William Chisholm, both indirect fire infantrymen with Troop C, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct a safety check on a 120 mm gun system, in preparation for a situational training exercise, at Fort Carson, May 1, 2018. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — An eight-day situational training exercise (STX) sharpened Soldiers combat skills May 3-10, 2018. Troopers with 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducted a short, scenario-driven, mission-oriented, partial exercise designed to train one task, or a group of linked tasks or battle drills, through rehearsal.
“We started out with platoon collective maneuver, reconnaissance and security tasks for the squadron,” said Lt. Col Ryan Kranc, commander, 4th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Reg., 3rd ABCT.
The squadron continued to train all the way up to troop level, which consisted of three tank platoons conducting a live-fire exercise, which was validated by the brigade commander, said Kranc.
“This is a way to build expertise and build readiness within our formation in those core skills that the brigade and our nation expect us to be experts at,” said Kranc.
During the STX, the Soldiers executed a movement to contact identifying enemy locations and conducted zone reconnaissance to collect information that enhanced the brigade commander’s decision making, performed security operations and learned to identify enemy pieces of advantageous terrain.
“We don’t want a fair fight,” said Kranc.
Part of that was ensuring Soldiers can fight in a contaminated environment.
“We don’t want 12 hours of fighting,” said Kranc. “We want 12 seconds of a firefight. Our job was to go out there and find the enemy and make this as unfair (of a) fight (for the enemy) as possible.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Colan Cole, right, cavalry scout, ground guides Spc. Devin Miller, Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunner, during their preparation for a situational training exercise, at May 1, 2018. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor)
Sgt. Joshua Emmot, a chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear sergeant, for Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 4th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Reg., 3rd ABCT, taught troops how to don and doff their chemical protective overgarments.
During the exercise, the Soldiers conducted a mounted maneuver and received a simulated chemical agent strike.
Emmot also instructed the troops on how to decontaminate themselves, each other and their vehicles.
“The training enables combat readiness by showing us what we are capable of doing in adverse combat conditions,” said Kranc. “We’ve increased the level of difficulty each time we go out to train by making things more tactical, not using headlights at night and also using camouflage.
Increasing the difficulty is not simply about making the training harder, but about making it more realistic so the troops can hone their skills prior to combat.
“I learned how to maneuver a platoon and a Bradley, looking at terrains and actually know how to react to enemy,” said Pfc. Tyler Antoniazzi, cavalry scout, Troop B, 4th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Reg., 3rd ABCT. “I was a little lost at first, once we got more into it, it started getting easier. I’m appreciative to have learned something new. It will definitely enhance my skills as a cavalry scout.”
Antoniazzi, who has only been in the Army for two years, said he learned a lot and felt prepared after the STX training.
“Although the training is good, it’s at a fast pace,” said Antoniazzi. “You never know when you will get called on, so having this experience and training at a high (operational) tempo makes you ready.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Zachary Bowman, Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunner, Troop C, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, adjusts his gear in preparation for a situational training exercise May 1, 2018. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Ethan Shjandemaar, left, and Pfc. William Chisholm, both indirect fire infantrymen with Troop C, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct a safety check on a 120 mm gun system, in preparation for a situational training exercise, at Fort Carson, May 1, 2018. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor)