1st Lt. Ernest Terry (left), Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 83rd Chemical Battalion,
48th Chemical Brigade, engages a target during a live fire exercise Feb. 9 at Peason Ridge as
Sgt. Daou Bryant on the 7th Chemical Company provides instruction
Vectors prep sister units for combat operations
By CHUCK CANNON
Guardian staff writer
FORT POLK, La. - If the old adage “Experience is the best teacher” is
correct, then the 48th Chemical Brigade has selected a top-notch unit to
train its company commanders and first sergeants in the finer points of
movement on today’s battlefield.
Fort Polk’s 7th Chemical Company, 83rd Chemical Battalion, 48th Chemical
Brigade, will provide instruction to the 48th Chemical Brigade leaders
next week at Fort Polk’s Peason Ridge training area. As a tune up to the
big event, 7th Chemical Company taught 83rd Chemical Battalion staff
members assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment how to clear
a building and move with a battle buddy under fire at Peason Ridge’s
Digital Multi-Purpose Battle Area Complex Feb. 9.
“We have the most experience (in the brigade) in running this type of
exercise,” said 1st Lt. Heather Morgan, executive officer, 7th Chemical
Co. “Not only have we done this type of training ourselves, we’ve also
conducted ‘train-the-trainer’ instruction for our battalion.”
Brandon Hendrix (left foreground) and Sgt. Alex Echavarria (right foreground) provide
security while Spc. Jimmy Freeman enters a room during a building-clearing demonstration
Capt. Rogelio Pineda, commander, 7th Chemical Co, said chemical units from
across the United States, including New York, Fort Lewis, Wash., Fort
Hood, Texas, and Ft. Bragg, N.C., will arrive at Fort Polk next week for
the training.
“We were chosen not only for our experience in protective force training,
but also because of the excellent facilities we have at Fort Polk and
Peason Ridge,” Pineda said. “At most installations, chemical companies
find it difficult to get time on resources such as those at Peason Ridge.
We’ve got a great relationship with range control and have the finest
resources in the Army inventory.”
As far as the training provided to HHD Feb. 9, Pineda said not only was it
good practice for the brigade exercise, it also provided much-needed
training for the unit’s Soldiers.
“HHD has so many other areas to worry about and it’s difficult for them to
conduct their own training,” he said. “For them not to have to worry about
running the range is important.”
Capt. Rochelle Sallis, commander, HHD, agreed.
“This is a great opportunity for our unit to get out of the office and
into the fight,” Sallis said.
“Nowadays, you can find yourself in any type of situation on the
battlefield. If we were to deploy without the companies we typically
support, we could be pulling any type of mission, so this training is very
important.”
Sallis pointed to another benefit of the training. “Our Soldiers won’t
always be in an HHD-type unit,” she said. “It’s important we keep up our
Soldiering skills.”
Sgt. Blake Erb (left) and Pfc. Jerred Rockafellow demonstrate the proper technique for
carrying a litter patient and engaging a target downrange during a live fire exercise
Staff Sgt. Dwon Chavis, 7th Chemical Co, was one of the instructors at
Peason Ridge. He said regardless of a Soldier’s military occupational
specialty, they are first of all an infantry Soldier.
“It doesn’t matter what your MOS is, when you’re in combat, you have to be
able to protect yourself, your equipment and your fellow Soldiers,” Chavis
said.
To ensure HHD Soldiers and the rest of the brigade received the full
benefit of training, Chavis said trainers used the “crawl, walk, run
method.”
“We’ll walk them through the exercise first, then we’ll take them through
with blanks, and finally we’ll go with live fire,” he said. “By the time
we’re finished, they should be proficient.”
Sgt. John Carroll, 7th Chemical Co, was also part of the instructional
team. He said Soldiers assigned to chemical units could expect to be
assigned a wide variety of jobs during deployments to combat areas.
“When we go to Iraq or Afghanistan, we might be called on to clear a room
or provide convoy support,” Carroll said.
“This type of training provides the basics for these types of operations.
That’s why it’s important that we stay sharp with our combat skills.”
After the training was complete, Sallis reflected on her unit’s
performance. “I can’t remember the last time we did a live fire exercise,
except for our annual marksmanship training,” she said. “We were able to
move out, acquire a target, then engage the target.”
Sallis identified what she said was one of the most important aspects of
the training. “As a result of this training, our Soldiers have increased
confidence not only in their own ability to react under fire, but also to
their buddy’s ability to react,” she said. “It was a great team building
exercise and made us better prepared to go to war.
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