FTX Day 4

Hold on tight!

After another great breakfast we headed out with our platoons for a full day of training. 3rd PLT started at the Land Navigation (Land Nav) course where we spent a few minutes getting everyone's 100-meter pace count. We were still waiting for land nav supplies, so we took a few minutes talking about some of the standard squad movement techniques that we were hoping to use during the day. In theory you move your group differently if you are just out for a stroll versus being under enemy fire. Since we had also been tipped off that setting ambushes would be part of the "activities" of the day we got started on that task when our supplies arrived. So we essentially touched on about 4 hours worth of classes in that first 30 minutes.

With 10 people in our platoon, I had planned to at least split into two groups for land nav practice. I thought that plan might have been thwarted when we only got one compass and two maps, but several in our group had the iPhone compass app. Beyond just the simple compass, they also ended up with an app that gave military grid coordinates for where we were at, and allowed them to post the series of points we were given as part of our course. Part of me thinks that's "cheating" but in reality the whole world is moving to digital devices and GPS. Anyway, we split into our two squads and headed out on the course laid out by the commander.

The squad I went with was given two points that when connected by a straight line, went right through a small patch of Scotch Broom plants. Having had the pleasure of fighting my way through that a few days earlier, I was admittedly applying some pressure to the squad to just "Go on in!" After several offsets to get around the stuff, SSG Velasquez finally relented and in we went. The stuff was so tall that at certain points we were maintaining contact only by voice since we couldn't see more than about 2' in front of us. Other times the lead man would hold his rifle straight up and the rest of us would sight on it to keep together. After emerging onto a road it became apparent that was possibly not the best decision. While pushing our way through, SSG Velasquez' alergy defenses were overcome and he started breaking out in hives on his neck. Fortunately we were able to get him some Benadryl, which eventually did take care of the swelling, but it also wiped him out for most of the rest of the day. Others in the unit had allergic reactions throughout the day as well. Anyway, with "dead reckoning" training out of the way, the rest of the course was completed by "terrain association" from the roads. Good thing we didn't have enemy hunting us, being out in the open like that. We did get some good practice, and even found that some of our azimuths had been plotted incorrectly the first time and needed to be corrected. Overall it was good practice.

After meeting up with the other squad we took an early lunch before getting a bit more practice on setting an ambush. The full-time staff volunteered to be the opposition and gave us a few minutes' head start. As was the intention, I had already participated in three failed and one successful ambush so we had a head-start. We were able to get everyone in place, check to make sure they couldn't be seen from the road, and instructions were passed about the ambush initiation. (While setting up, we saw what we later confirmed to be a black-tailed deer, with quite the impressive rack!) A few minutes after getting into place, someone came walking down the road ... from the wrong direction. We knew there were other units and even civilian campers in the area, and since we were expecting several people to be walking along, the ambush was not triggered. Turns out it was SFC Skelton out taking pictures. (He gave away several ambushes earlier in the week.) Very soon after that I started hearing more noise, again from the wrong side. I couldn't quite figure out what was going on, since all our people were in place and should have been keeping quiet. But that didn't last too long before we finally had our quarry walk into our trap. The feedback we got was that nobody was seen early this time, which was of course the whole idea!

While standing there in the road talking about that ambush, some rather dirty-faced folks popped out of the trees and started yelling "Bang bang you're dead!" Apparently when the full-time staff came walking down the road, another platoon was coming from the other direction. They set up a second ambush just down the road from ours (without knowing we were there), and when our ambush was sprung and they realized they might be waiting in the weeds for a long time, they got bored with the wait and made their move. Oh, and I am POSITIVE that gunk on their faces must have been the only reason nobody saw them. :+)

Next we headed over to the EST for some familiarization & practice on the weapons. We were able to run both "zero" and "qualification" ranges to remind folks of what we'd be doing the following day with the fully-functional M16s. Since we don't typically fire on a range with "pop-up targets" it was good to practice watching for that movement, revising aim support and sighting, watching for multiple targets, etc. The rest of our time was spent playing ... er, PRACTICING various scenarios. For example, we defended against troops in the desert, in a night raid, against helicopters, in the fog, an industrial area, and suburban setting. We weren't necessarily "training" with all the sectors of fire, communications, etc, but maybe next time. We did try out the SAW, shotgun, grenade launchers and even the 50-caliber machine gun.

After an early dinner all three platoons stopped back at the barracks to pick up MILES gear (laser sensors and transmitters) and printed orders for the evening. Each group was dropped off at an "undisclosed location," then given a series of missions to accomplish. The WAR GAMES were supposed to have the platoons engaging each other, using squad movement tactics, setting ambushes, etc. Our first set of points took us south from the drop-off point according to the points we plotted on our map, but while rounding the first bend we saw signs stating "DANGER: IMPACT AREA". Our iCompass users were sure about the direction we needed to go, but SFC Tuggy stopped us and said we definitely need to go North (he had written up the directions). So we traveled up the road until we found a land nav marker and read the coordinates from the post, which indicated we indeed needed to travel SOUTH. That prompted enough questions to finally pull out SFC Tuggy's map to double-check the instructions. And then we realized THE MAPS WERE BASED ON DIFFERENT COORDINATE SYSTEMS. So all the instructions were based on grids that did not match up with the maps each platoon had been issued.

During this pause in the exercise, SFC Tuggy also asked whether we had turned on the MILES transmitters. "You have to turn them on?" It took about 10 minutes to give up on that idea. It's comforting to know you can't be killed.

So we decided to press on, thinking that perhaps if everyone was using the same edition of the map that we had, it was still possible we might run into each other as planned. Considering we are THE BAND, I thought we did reasonably well with our bounding and covering and moving down the road. Our first and second missions (according to the map we were using) went off without ever seeing another person. At one point we did hear a firefight off in the distance. We were later told that the other two platoons had indeed run into each other, but that was pure coincidence since one of the groups was NOT where they were supposed to be.

We started setting up our ambush (per our orders) when SFC Tuggy came up to let us know there had been a change in plans. Instead of following through with the original orders, the other two platoons had been given our position and had been instructed to hunt us. So instead of having anything close to the 3:1 ideal advantage for setting an ambush, we would be at least even strength. Whoever we ambushed would then join with us, and together we would wait for the third platoon to arrive and then take them out.

The ambush was set up along the junction of two roads (since we didn't know from which direction either group might be coming) plus extra vigilence on our rear. The full-time staff was still wandering around in the area, and seemed to take up an observer position on a nearby hill. So that was a clue that something was about to happen. Then one of my people saw someone peek over the hill across the road from us. Then we started hearing noise from down the road on our right. We maintained our position and concealment, waiting for the right time to open up the ambush, but by that time nobody wanted to be out walking along a road knowing there were others laying in wait somewhere.

Suddenly there was a truck driving up the road, which had happened several times since the exercise had begun. This time, however, it was being used as cover by another platoon (sneaky!) so they could take up fire against the group coming over the hill. They started firing on each other before anyone got to our "kill zone" but when the firing really got going we joined in too. Turns out the platoon to our right also spotted the group coming over the hill, and they took up hasty positions. When the hill group didn't continue coming down, they decided to press the issue and jumped into a firefight. All we had to do was stand up and shoot them all in the back. The two platoons who were supposed to be hunting us instead found and killed each other. Success! From his vantage point on the hill across the street, SFC Tuggy watched the whole thing unfold and later declared it was "one of the funniest things [he had] ever seen."

The last mission was for the three platoons to work together to try to take a heavily-fortified position on a hill occupied by the full-time and command staff. It was an obvious suicide mission, since they had great visibility. It also turns out they had the commander who only had to say "You in the trees, you're dead." (He never misses.) Would have been nice to have working laser gear.

Anyway we had one platoon (the dirty-faced ones) who for some unfathomable reason WANTED to cross that swamp and try to flank the hill. The other two platoons decided to quickly march up the main road, then split into two groups with one going up the middle through the trees, and the other coming around on the right. The plan was for all three platoons to attack at the same time, hopefully from at least three different directions.

As we approached a hill we saw people walking around. That prompted us to split into our two groups, and my squads took to the trees for cover. When we got to what I thought was a good position we still had 5 minutes before the appointed time. That's when the commander (who was a sniper on the hill) started announcing who was now dead. Those who hadn't been singled out returned fire and probably killed he and SPC Woolfe, but the commander had the final say and just wouldn't die. :+)

Now bodyliess, a few of us walked up to the top of the "hill" we were about to assault. It turned out to be a little berm in front of a significantly larger hill. So without grid coordinates or the opportunity to do a little recon, we would have been assaulting the wrong target. But then again, there were at least two members of the opposition there. SGT Cook opened up with the SAW from a position on the hill (he probably didn't know we were already dead), and the other two groups finally started the assault. Without working MILES gear, those who couldn't hear the commander never died. The secondary reason for the mission, namely to shoot off all the ammunition so we wouldn't have to turn it back in, came to fruition.

The rest of the evening was spent storing gear, dealing with heavy-duty allergies, getting everyone back to the barracks and eventually into bed. Overall most people seemed to have a good time using some of the skills we had practiced. And some people just plain enjoyed getting dirty and smelly.