New Mexico Minuteman - Winter 2012

Middle East:
Guard’s Combat Arms Training Company. It took approximately two
months to get all fi ve deploying companies through the training.
“During 613th PTAE, Soldiers had time and great instruction to
revisit and hone their individual basic soldiering skills,” said 1st Sgt.
Ernie Nevarez, fi rst sergeant for the 613th Forward Support Company.
“PTAE and CATC instructors gave us an opportunity to knock the dust
off our warrior skills.”
While attending PTAE, Soldiers were required to successfully
complete Army warrior tasks and Army warrior battle drills including
land navigation, combat life saving skills, military operations in urban
terrain, squad level tactics, advanced individual weapons training,
hand to hand combat training, communications training and other
basic warrior tasks and drills.
“The trainers were knowledgeable in their respective areas. They
were able to expand on the skills of some Soldiers and introduce new
TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) to others,” said Sgt. 1st
Class Richard George, platoon sergeant, 919th MP Company.
After each company rotated its Soldiers through PTAE, they began
to focus on individual training for each Soldier. Squad and team
leaders were encouraged to attend individual leadership and skill
enhancement courses.
One course that targeted squad and team leaders was the rifl eman’s
course. According to Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Riley, 1/200th
Battalion command sergeant major, the rifl eman’s course is an intense
carbine pistol course designed to signifi cantly improve weapon
handling and fi ring skills.
“Each Soldier shot about 2,000 rounds,” said Riley. “It was very repetitive,
but they left the course with far more knowledge and confi dence in their
weapon handling and fi ring skills.”
The training was co-taught by CATC and the Albuquerque Special
Weapons and Tactics team and lasted fi ve intense days. They focused on
basic and advanced small arms skills including advanced weapon movement
techniques.
The leadership was given the opportunity to participate in training events
pertinent to the mission as well. These included the military decision making
process and command post exercise. Both courses were instructed by National
Guard Bureau and members of the 1st Army Division from Camp Atterbury.
The MDMP was a weeklong course establishing procedures for developing
and comparing courses of action for various missions—in the process,
selecting the best course of action by following a seven-step process and
working together to understand the situation and mission from every section
within the battalion.
“The commander’s intent for the MDMP was for the staff to get together
and synchronize their combined efforts as a well-oiled machine. I believe we
met that intent,” said Maj. Troy Chadwell, executive offi cer for the 1/200th
Infantry Battalion.
The CPX is a course that prepared the 1/200th staff and deploying companies
on the proper reporting procedures between the companies and
staff members. During the CPX, executive offi cers from each deploying
company and TOC staff were educated on the proper reporting procedures
for each incident or event that took place in the exercises. All exercises and
scenarios were based on real-world events that have taken place during the
ongoing mission.
Winter 2012 / NEW MEXICO National Guard 27