As the Stryker I rode in bounced across the rolling desert, I could feel the intensity of the training.

Two Strykers about 1,000 meters to my right - dust plumes following them across the sage covered desert - bounded ahead to engage light skinned vehicles. 

"Targets destroyed," a voice said over my headset as my Stryker paused at a battle point (BP).

"Alpha section, bound forward," a voice crackled over the headset.

Moments later, our vehicle rolled forward as two other Strykers to our immediate front and right moved forward to engage another series of targets.

"We've got the momentum going," Lt. Col. J.D. Highfill said over the headset as we paused at a second BP.  "We've got a good flow going, and I don't want to lose it."

For the past three weeks, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division has been engaged in full spectrum operations training at the Yakima Training Center.

"We will be the Army's premier medium force designed for a wide range of operations," Command Sgt. Major Peter Smith reminded me last Sunday morning.

The sergeant major's words will be tested in August when the brigade travels to the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, Calif.

A week ago, I covered some of the specific training objectives the brigade's 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment's Soldiers underwent to sharpen their full spectrum battle skills. The training focused on perfecting the brigade's ability to confront insurgent, criminal, counterinsurgent and force-on-force threats.

This past weekend, I rejoined the battalion as it brought all of those skills together on a 4,000-meter course at the center's Multipurpose Training Range (MRTR).

The battalion's 12 platoons underwent day and night dry, blank and live fire training iterations on a number of varying conventional force-on-force scenarios.

Think of this approach to training as crawling, walking and then running, as the combat skills become second nature. 

Last Saturday evening and Sunday morning, the battalion's Strykers and Soldiers confronted a number of threats - ranging from light skinned vehicles and dismounted troops to blocking obstacles and tanks.

The live fire assault on a bunker complex began with the Mobile Gun System's (MGS) 105-mm main gun softening up the area.  Soon thereafter, .50 caliber machine guns opened fire on the objective as well.

The guns' work completed, four Strykers working in tandem began to "bound forward."

Two of the combat vehicles moved forward and engaged targets as the other two Strykers stayed behind to provide fire support.  Once the targets had been destroyed, then the Strykers providing fire support moved forward to the next objective.

Communications - and hence fire coordination - was vital.

"We're moving up onto the objective," one Stryker radioed.  "Shift fire."

As a green starburst flare arched into the sky, the Strykers providing fire support shifted their fire to the right as we rolled up on the bunker complex.

The ramps on the two Strykers in front of me dropped, and 10 Soldiers dismounted.  Five Soldiers immediately brought the complex under fire, as the other five moved forward and placed a Bangalore clearing explosive in some wire.

Remounting their Strykers, the assaulting force backed off to a safe distance.  Moments later, the Bangalore detonated and demolished the wire obstacle.

The Strykers moved up, and their Soldiers dismounted.  As one Soldier hurled a smoke grenade onto the objective, four Soldiers moved rapidly, firing at the bunkers.

Taking a position on the side of each bunker, the infantrymen tossed grenades into each, putting them out of action.

Exiting the bunker complex at a run, the Soldiers moved to the LOA, or limit of advance, where they began to pour gunfire downrange at a number of targets.

.50 caliber tracer rounds flew downrange as M-4 and M-240 assault weapons fired.  Targets went down.

Noting everything and missing nothing, Highfill moved among his Soldiers.  At times, he stopped to give a Soldier a pointer on how to move or shoot or place a demolition during the training.

"This is an orchestrated thing," Highfill said as we walked back to his Stryker.  "We train with a sense of purpose."