Chris Down Under Page 2

The following articles are from the 2-27 Infantry Battalion web page of the 25th Infantry Divisions' web site.

http://www.25idl.army.mil/unit_frame.asp?unit_id=303  Then click "In the News".  Look for July 10 through August 14, 2003 for articles

Photo(s) by Spc. Sean Kimmons Soldiers of Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt. race toward a building before clearing it during MOUT training July 14. Soldiers of Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt. storm a building to clear it during MOUT training July 14.

Wolfhounds brush up on MOUT training in Australia By Spc. Sean Kimmons Assistant editor GALLIPOLI BARRACKS, Australia -- Soldiers of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment sharpened their building-clearing skills July 13-15 using the Military Operations in Urban Terrain site here. Wolfhounds adapted to their platoon standard operating procedures and tactics in a MOUT environment during an exercise that presented four multi-roomed homes used for building and room-clearing techniques. This type of training will be used later in the Pacific Bond exercise as the Wolfhounds conduct cordon-and-search missions with their Australian counterparts. "We're getting familiarization here before we conduct joint training with the Australian Soldiers," said Staff Sgt. Chad Wasileski, 3rd platoon sergeant for Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt. "Because if we are both brushed up on our skills, it could make for a better hand-off when we do the joint type training." In addition to the possibility MOUT techniques may be used in future PACBOND missions, the Wolfhounds still need to be trained on them because of the way the battlefield is changing, Wasileski said. "As the battlefield evolves, you're moving out off trench lines and into urban environments, where not only do you have normal organized enemy that you are fighting, but also guerilla and militia," he said. "So the best type of training we can get is urbanized type training where you familiarize yourself with an urban environment and the people in that environment, so you can become more flexible." Flexibility and repetition are the key attributes in an ever-changing battlefield and that's why it's important to have Soldiers learn them. "In MOUT training what you want to establish is a repetition," Wasileski said. "MOUT happens in a very fast paced and chaotic environment, so you want Soldiers to be familiar enough that when they have to make on-the-spot decisions they have seen it enough times that they can make a good rational decision rather than just flailing out there blindly." The MOUT site where the training took place may be smaller than the one on Schofield Barracks, but its compactness and realistic buildings tested the Wolfhounds. "These buildings are harder than the ones on the Schofield MOUT site, because when you walk into one, you immediately have rooms to the left or right with a hallway on the other side," said Pfc. Chad Brennan, M249 gunner for Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt. "It throws you into different situations that you're not used and makes you think a lot more." "When you first come into one of these buildings it's going to pose a challenge, because it's something that you're not used to," Wasileski said. "But the more different buildings you expose yourself to and the repetitions you get, the easier it will be for you when it comes to the real battlefield." "Every place is different, that's why it's important to learn and adjust to your surroundings by making due with what you have," Brennan said. "If you always get used to clearing a certain building over and over again, you're going to think every building is like that one, but that's not the case." "It's a good training opportunity anytime you get the chance to find something different and exploit it for training," Wasileski said.

Photo(s) by Spc. Sean Kimmons Spc. James Correia, M240B gunner for Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt., gets help from fellow Soldiers as he comes out of the submerged tunnel obstacle. Pfc. James Hess, M240B assistant gunner with Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt., watches his steps on a bridge obstacle July 20. Pvt. 2 Jeff Dorvee, rifleman for Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt., embodies the coldness of the water at one Canungra obstacle July 20.

Wolfhounds gain confidence the hard way By Spc. Sean Kimmons Assistant editor CANUNGRA, Australia -- Soaked with cold muddy water while wearing scratches and bruises for show, Wolfhounds of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, defied the 22-station Canungra confidence course July 20 -- 22. The course's aim is to give Soldiers confidence in crossing unusual obstacles plus improving agility and physical fitness. That's exactly what it did, as the Wolfhounds worked through approximately 750 meters of obstacles accompanied by cold water, mud and heights. Pfc. Seung Soo Kim, a team leader for Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt., said he was a little apprehensive before the start of the course but ending up having fun. He later explained how the course could help him and other Wolfhounds if they would ever go to battle. "In wartime missions, there's going to be certain obstacles and unexpected challenges that we could face, so this course helps us build that confidence to overcome those fears we might have," he said. Constructed during the Vietnam War era, the Canungra course is considered to be one of the toughest confidence courses in Australia, as it puts strain on Soldiers' minds by the use of fear. One obstacle that does this is the underwater barbwire low crawl, said Australian Warrant Officer 2 Ian Clark, Kokoda Barracks physical fitness supervisor. "It's a nasty one, because it's cold, it's wet and it can cut you." Clark said about the triple threat obstacle. Spc. James Brodie, another team leader with Co. B, 2nd Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt., agrees with Clark, as he accidentally swallowed some of the dirty water while traversing the obstacle. Another obstacle, Brodie was not in favor of was the submerged tunnel, where a Soldier has to swim with inches of breathing room through a 10-foot tunnel. Brodie said with obstacles, such as those two, that confront Soldiers' fears or ineffectiveness toward obstacles, will help build their confidence. "Along the course I've noticed there was always an obstacle that a Soldier wasn't good at or was afraid to do," Brodie said. "And to overcome those challenges, they become strong minded." Besides confidence, the course developed better teamwork among the Wolfhounds. "There were some obstacles, like the 12-foot wall that no one person could get over by themselves, so you had to use teamwork," Kim said. "It's not an individual obstacle course, the whole section needs to work together to get through it," Clark said.