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Spc. Matthew Thomason, Sgt. Zachary Leidecker, Spc. Rex Kelley and Senior Airman Evelyn Robinson lay down suppressing fire during a simulated ground attack on the ECP by insurgents as part of the unit's pre-mobilization training at Camp Atterbury, Ind. (KYNG photo by Lt. Col. Dallas Kratzer)
Story by Staff Sgt. Sidney Hoffman, ADT 5 Unit Public Affairs Historian/Representative
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. -- As training ensued for the Kentucky Agribusiness Development Team 5, conducting real life scenarios helped the individual team members put action to the invaluable training provided by the Pre-Mobilization Training Assistance Team (PTAE Team). There are 15 Army Warrior Tasks, six battle drills, and an exponential amount of subtasks to ensure the team had a well rounded view of how to react to contact.
On Oct. 13, 2012, ADT 5 was the first mobilizing unit to utilize the well developed forward operating base to test the overall knowledge in two categories: Entry Control Point (ECP) Operations and Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Operations. The PTAE team provided instruction prior to what is called the crawl, walk, and run phases of the event. Once instruction was complete, the Soldiers and Airmen were left to apply their experience and training to run through the scenarios.
Spc. Rachel Fox, a medic from 1163
rd Medical Company out of Shelbyville, Ky., said, “The training environment and area was great. It gave us an idea of what it would be like to operate the QRF and ECP.”
This will be Fox’s first deployment, but she brings a great attitude and a desire to learn everything she can to be a valuable team member to this mission.
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Staff Sergeants Matthew Nicholson and Landon Driver work through a vehicle search as part of the unit's entry control point training at Camp Atterbury, Ind. (Kyng photo by Lt. Col. Dallas Kratzer)
The scenarios involved personnel and vehicle searches, chemical attacks, and direct/indirect fire. The instructors also threw in issues such as communication being down, simulating vehicles and personnel wired with explosive devices, and apprehending a detainee trying to attack our Soldiers. Staff Sergeants Landon Driver and Matthew Nicholson wrestled down one of the “bad guys” (a PTAE member role-playing an insurgent) after he pulled a hidden gun out during a small arms fire attack on the ECP.
“It was awesome training. I really felt like I was in my element," said Senior Airman Evelyn Robinson, a driver on the team.
According to ADT 5 leadership, the iterations proved that the team members had their head in the game and showed how well they have come together as a banded unit. The amount of experience and knowledge in ADT 5 will continue to strengthen the bond as they move closer to their mission in Afghanistan.