Early last Sunday morning at the Yakima Training Center, the day began hot and without a breeze.

In the pre-dawn light, soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, moved into position on the north end of the MPRC, or multi-purpose range complex.

Strykers with the capabilities of carrying soldiers, performing mine clearing operations and bringing artillery fire assembled at start points.

A mile or so to the southeast, a couple of Apache helicopters hovered.

Sunday's training was just a sample of the sustained land combat training that had been occurring since June 15, as 6,000-plus soldiers from 22 units comprising active-duty, Guard and Reserve units have been participating in Exercise Bayonet Focus 17-03.

Smoke surrounds a Stryker during Operation Bayonet Focus held at the Yakima Training Center. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson
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The training is the largest of its kind since 2012, and it is also in preparation for the brigade's upcoming training at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, in September.

The exercise ends today (June 29).

The scenario in which the training occurred involved the invasion of the country of Atropia by forces from the nation of Donovia.

An ally of Atropia, American forces were deployed.  They faced a number of challenges ranging from force-on-force engagements to counter-insurgency operations.  

Within this training scenario, soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and other units took part in sustained land combat operations that transpired on small arms ranges, vehicle-mounted weapons ranges, urban terrain villages, trench clearing exercises and Apache helicopter gunnery ranges.

"The training has been great," commented Lt. Col. Matthew Rasmussen, commander 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, as he and several company commanders looked over a map.

The work before him and his soldiers was three-fold: clear a village of insurgents; breach a wire obstacle; and then - as if to put all of the pieces together - breach a second wire obstacle, clear a series of trenches and then clear a second village of insurgents.

A soldier with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, opens fire on an objective. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson
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"What I will be watching for is how well they maneuver," mentioned Capt. Matthew Kocher, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, as the Humvee we rode in bounced on the MPRC, paralleling the moving Strykers.

A mounted lane walker, Kocher's mission was that of an observer/controller/teacher.

"In making sure they maneuver according to doctrine, I also ensure that these units can work with other units should the need arise."

As Rasmussen's soldiers approached the first village, Kocher watched to see how Stryker based supporting fire assets were deployed before other Strykers carrying soldiers stopped and the soldiers dismounted.

"Safety is always number one here," Kocher said.

The village cleared, the soldiers mounted up and headed south.  

Upon encountering the wire obstacle, they followed procedure, maneuvered well, cut the wire and proceeded toward the last challenge.

A good thousand yards behind us, Strykers had taken up fire support positions.  The two Apaches watched from a distance.

A few hundred yards from the village, soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Battle Company, 2nd SBCT, dismounted and began to bound forward over the hot, burned over ground.

Sweat flowed freely; breathing was labored; gunfire erupted.

With precision, the platoon breached the obstacle, cleared the trenches, entered and cleared seven buildings in the village.

"We've done some good training," said Sgt. Stefan Chanh as he peered around the corner of a building.  

"I've learned a lot."

Kocher thought so, too.

"Overall, you guys did a good job this morning; I was pleased with the execution of the mission," he explained during an after action review, or AAR.

"You're looking good."