Fighting Together: Conventional, Unconventional Unit Meet to Train

ShadowSpear
15 December, 2009 02:26:00

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FORT BRAGG, NC – It’s not every day the unconventional warfare of the Special Forces community meets up to train with the intelligence community of a conventional Army unit.

But this is exactly what happened in a rain-soaked village on Fort Bragg.

Soldiers from Company B, 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, for one day, cleared homes in the village, engaged in small-arms fire with insurgents, gathered intelligence and detained prisoners. 

The Afghan town where the exercise took place is a training range at Fort Bragg, and on this day was laden with role-players acting as enemy fighters, suicide bombers and Afghan villagers to provide real-life battlefield training for the two units.

“We will encounter units like this overseas [conventional Army units], and this training is good for both of us in case we have to operate together like this downrange,” said Sgt. First Class Justin Bogue, an operator with the group.  “It offers both of our units another tool in our tool belt.”

The scenario for the two units played out after a week’s worth of training together and pitted three Operational Detachment Alpha teams from Co. B, 4th Bn., with several squads from the MI Bn.  The final day put the time each spent together to the test.

It all started as a convoy of humvees rolled into the silent town while Afghan villagers looked on.  Soon the stillness was broken as role-playing insurgents started shooting from rooftops and windows.

The ODAs began eliminating the threat while the intelligence soldiers provided security in an outer perimeter.  Soon both units linked up and went building to building, room to room, clearing out  civilians, detaining prisoners and gathering information while garnering the cohesiveness they would need downrange to work effectively as a group if need be.

“We have a lot of young soldiers in the battalion who haven’t experienced ODAs, or special operations forces,” said Lt. Col. Anthony R. Hale, commander, 519th MI Bn. “Getting these young soldiers together and introducing them to SOF is only going to make everyone smarter when they’re deployed.”

This sentiment was echoed from the other side.

“We have a lot of brand new guys out of the [qualification] course, and this exercise gives them a chance to hone their skills; it’s invaluable training,” Bogue said.

This is the first time Co. B has trained with non-Special Forces units, as the unit was recently activated in August along with 4th Bn.  And for the Co. B commander, Maj. Rodney Young, the event couldn’t have gone better.

“This event lets you learn a lot about yourself and a lot about others,” Young said.  “It was an absolute success for all parties involved.”