Guardsmen train at premier training facilities

  • Published
  • By Maj. Guy Hayes
  • Alaska National Guard PAO
FORT IRWIN, California --  Thirty-five Alaska Army National Guardsmen trained last month at two of the nation's premier military training facilities in California to prepare them for fighting in austere environments around the world.

Alaska National Guardsmen from C Troop, 1st Squadron, 297th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, were at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., and U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, Calif., assisting an active-duty unit prepare for a deployment, while playing the role of a host nation's Special Forces unit known as a Foreign Internal Defense.

The Alaska Guardsmen received training from U.S. Army active-duty Soldiers, who are assisting them with targeting and disrupting anti-government networks while becoming proficient in their warrior tasks.

"Our Soldiers are being trained by some of the best warriors in the world," said Command Sgt. Maj. Clinton K. Brown II, 1-297th.

"This is a level of tactical training that you can't get anywhere else."

According to Brown, the active-duty Soldiers are part of an operational detachment specializing in training a host nation's FID, the role played by the Alaska Guardsmen.

"The active-duty Soldiers have to be validated that they can train a FID," Brown said.
 
"They go to the National Training Center to make sure they have the tools to perform in the operational environment.

Our Soldiers are reaping the benefit by receiving phenomenal training from these outstanding Soldiers."

Both NTC and MWTC are designed to provide tough and realistic combined arms training. The operational environment, role-playing opportunities, and landscape assist Soldiers and commanders with preparing for real-world missions when deployed in support of contingencies overseas.

"Our Soldiers are receiving an outstanding level of training from professionals, which assists them in their wartime mission," said Lt. Col. Joel Gilbert, 1-297th commander.
 
"They are building a solid foundation on tactics, techniques, and procedures and will be able to share that knowledge with their fellow Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers."