Expeditionary Military Intelligence Soldiers train for deployment
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Article and photos by Maj. Cody Starken, 58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Edgewood, Md. – The process of units preparing for deployment involves a lot of operational and training tasks set by the U.S. Army to ensure they are ready to deploy to specific mission areas. The 58th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade and the 629th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion spent Dec. 13-19, 2019, in Edgewood, Maryland, preparing for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. The units focused on common warrior tasks including countering improvised explosives devices.
“Training events like this allow field time for soldiers to focus and refine their battle drills and Army warrior tasks before they deploy to a combat zone,” said Master Sgt. Fred Rudder III, the training noncommissioned officer for the 58th EMIB.
Soldiers engaged in training, such as reacting to mortar fire, scanning your environment for threats, and setting up a military radio. The units will also train on how to counter IEDs both mounted and un-mounted from Humvees.
Rudder explains the training may seem like common sense to some soldiers but, it’s necessary and often offers useful different techniques to them.
The first part of the week included classroom instruction on basic skill level 1 warrior tasks. These tasks create foundational combat knowledge to ensure the survivability of the soldiers in a deployed environment.
The second part of the training week involved learning how to counter IEDs. The training lanes required soldiers to successfully scan, identify, and safely maneuver away from the IEDs. If the IED detonated, the training required the Soldiers to react to the explosion.
“No one here is a combat expert,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Weir, counter-intelligence subject matter expert for the 629th. “What the training provides is an opportunity for soldiers to work out their plans when the first round is shot.”
The counter IED training consolidated a lot of what needed to get done in one event and provided an opportunity to conduct missions while reacting to possible dangers.
“It is a little rough for the soldiers at the start,” says Weir. “The environment allows them to work through any challenges they may face before going downrange.”
The 58th EMIB and the 629th MI Bn. are scheduled to deploy in the spring in support of on-going operations in the US Central Command’s area of responsiblity.
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