Adapting Training for Large-Scale Combat

摘要

"Best day ever!" is a phrase not usually associated with Army training, but when it comes to Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training, Soldiers from the National Guard's New York-based 3rd Battalion (Assault Helicopter), 142nd Aviation Regiment (AHB) feel differently. Over 150 Soldiers from across the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) participated in Personnel Recovery lanes during their recent annual training at Ft. Indian-town Gap, PA. In each lane Soldiers had to negotiate an isolating incident and use common Soldier skills to successfully complete the lane. The training began with an isolated downed aircrew scenario brief, the responding convoy reacting to simulated engagements initiating the event and becoming isolated themselves. Soldiers had to use actions on contact drills, use camouflage, map reading and navigation skills, correct radio communication procedures, establish a hide site, and correct link up procedures on the lane in order to earn a well-deserved helicopter ride back to a "safe" area. Adding to the realism, all Soldiers were tested by the Opposing Forces (OPFOR), 90-degree heat, oppressive humidity, steep terrain, and dense vegetation of the Pennsylvania training site.