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Training for the Pacific

Operation focuses on air assault, infantry tactics

A soldier assigned to 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, reacts to contact during Operation Fallout, an air assault training exercise. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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In single file, the eight Blackhawk helicopters appeared from the south as they approached the Marion landing zone.

Slowing to a hover, they gently touched down. Moments later, approximately 80 soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, spilled out of the birds, huddled together and waited for the helicopters to ascend.

As quickly as they had landed, the eight birds lifted off and made a sharp left turn and headed west to bring more soldiers into the area.

In time, about 575 soldiers would have made the air assault landing.

"This training really excited the soldiers; they've been looking forward to this," said 1Lt. Cean Oliveira, the battalion's training officer.

Bravo Company gathered its gear, got to its feet, and began to move off the landing zone toward the woods.

A few minutes later, simulated machine gun fire raked the field.

Operation Fallout, two days of simulated infantry training, tactics and procedures, was in full swing.

"This training allows us to execute an air assault mission on a battalion level," added Oliveira.

"We had a good training rotation at the National Training Center, and this operation keeps us current with what we learned there."

The exercise also prepares the unit for upcoming Pacific Pathways 2016 deployments.

Begun two years ago, exercise rotations allow for the presence of the Army around the Pacific as it rebalances its talent and forces to that area of the world.

Most of the exercises have focused on traditional partners such as South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and Japan.

Now underway, Pacific Pathways 2016 features about a dozen exercises.

Units from the brigade will most likely travel to Thailand for the Hanuman Guardian exercise.  Later exercises will be in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

To the soldiers moving quietly through the foliage-chocked woods as they made a one-kilometer move toward Regenberg, an aging training site deep in the woods, the Pacific was the last thing on their minds.

The 3rd Platoon trudged slowly but steadily toward the objective it would assault.

"It's hard going," commented 1Lt Brian Cho, the platoon's leader, before he and his 10 soldiers began a descent down off a very steep and heavily wooded ridge.

"But we will get there and complete the mission."

Using a church in Regenburg as a tactical operations center, 1Lt David Taylor had a slightly different idea.

"I've got about forty soldiers here acting as the opposing force; we will be able to give the guys coming out of the woods at us quite a surprise," he said in a muffled voice.

Two opposing force soldiers sight in during 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment’s Operation Fallout, an air assault training mission. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson
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He had another 10 soldiers out on patrol looking for the assault force.

Speaking was difficult for Taylor; he and his soldiers were wearing gas masks.

"Those guys will be after me; I am a high-value target," he added.

Amidst the seriousness of the training, there was a moment of hilarity.

At one point, the advancing assault force moved to within 150 meters of the operations center.  They used a local television news crew as cover to conceal their movements.

"Damn reporters," several of the opposing force soldiers said.

"That's television reporters," I corrected them.

The soldiers laughed and then quickly turned back to their training.

"This is serious stuff," said one soldier.  "And we mean to get better."

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