‘1 Geronimo’ paratroopers execute live-fire exercise

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Soldiers of Blackfoot Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, completed a live-fire platoon training exercise at Fort Greely, June 7.

Live-fire exercises allow for Soldiers -who've gone through the blank fire portion of the training - to become more comfortable with executing mission requirements in a more realistic environment, while giving them weapon and team confidence.

"We were learning how to actually work as a platoon," said Spc. Steven White, company armorer for Blackfoot Company. "I really like how they used the artillery and the mortars like real rounds as part of the training. It gets the new guys used to what it's like to have explosions going off or to have explosions going at you like in real world scenarios."

During the exercise, the platoon's mission was to secure an "improvised explosive device factory." The Soldiers had to work together and advance on a facility in a wooded region from a long distance and eliminate threats in the building and surrounding area, taking care not to harm platoon members. The job requires the platoon to function like a machine with many intertwining parts.

"In the past year we've moved through cycles of training, buddy team to the fire team, which is a four-man element, to squad, which is a nine-man element, and then the next level up from the squad is that platoon," said Army 1st Lt. Gordon Richmond, executive officer for Blackfoot Company. "So, there are four squads out there."

The exercise began with sniper fire eliminating a target from the factory wall. Using the sniper as a signal, the other members of Blackfoot Company began to advance into their positions, some providing supportive fire, others advancing on the facility and yet others launching mortars.

Richmond said the unit went through each of the different building blocks of the platoon live-fire exercise therefore completing the platoon level exercise is really the combination of past live-fire exercises.

"The platoon leaders are learning how to mass effects," Richmond said. "It's so they learn how to synchronize their effects on the battlefield. We had the exercise start out with a sniper and he was the first engagement, but at the same time the sniper fired was when the first artillery rounds were laid and then you had mortars dropping at the same time as the weapons squad was opening up, so there's all the aspects of a rifle platoon plus those other aspects we bring to bear."

With fire all around them, Blackfoot Company Soldiers secured the facility and continued to control the surrounding area. Once inside, the platoon continued supporting fire and began searching the compound.

"We were up here last November doing the same type of training, but it was in the cold weather and it was really good training," White said. "It's just as good this year, if not better."

Richmond said the training can be really beneficial for platoon leaders.

"The platoon leaders get exposure to using live rounds and getting able to actually maneuver their guys on a real range with those weapons effects actually being seen and heard out there versus what we usually do with blanks," the lieutenant said. "You just can't get the same kind of feedback with blanks."

After finishing a search of the facility, the platoon began to leave in segments while other members of the platoon provided cover fire and mortar round support.

"We'll do this again, but there's no better time to do it than now," Richmond said. "If we had done this a year ago, probably half the guys that participated in it would be gone."