Ryan Morton ONE STEP AT A TIME -- Air Force Tech Sgt. Traveller Hill, Staff Sgt. Drew Heidt and Maj. Derrick Hamaoka, from left, move tactically during Military Operations in Urban Terrain training at Army Support Activity, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Oct. 29. These Airmen are currently training with Sailors and Coast Guardsmen for contingency operations abroad.

Airmen, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen from across the country got a taste of Army life while training at Military Operations in Urban Terrain site Balad at Army Support Activity, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (ASA JB MDL) Oct. 29.

Soldiers from the 2nd Training Support Battalion, 309th Regiment, 72nd Field Artillery Brigade, pulled out all the stops as they ran their military counterparts through the paces of urban warfare and counter-insurgency training.

With the use of civilian on the battlefield (COB) role players, scenarios were run that challenged the diplomacy and strategy of the trainees, who had to communicate with the Iraqi villagers, played by the COBs, locate possible insurgents and weapon caches, and clear the village of hostiles while utilizing tactics and strategy skills to move safely throughout the area.

Although the tasks were unfamiliar to those involved in the training, they received expert instruction from Soldiers on how to perform the tasks in a successful manner.

"This is my first time going through the pre-mob training," said Tech. Sgt. Patrick Seiler of the Air Force Financial Services Center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, S.D. "The live training is very beneficial in that we engage role players in real life situations. We get to put weapons on the target. All of the instructors have combat experience and are willing to share their knowledge with us. To make the reality of this training and our mission hit home I actually had my troops write their own eulogies so they would have to face the feelings of possible impending death. I want them to be aware of the reality of the situations they will be engaged in.

"Those in the unit with experience downrange are embracing the training and mentoring the younger, less experienced troops. I will take the training I have received here back to my home unit and help train our people up to standard. The Air Force trains our Airmen things like Self-Aid Buddy Care which is basic first aid skills while the Army teaches the Combat Lifesavers Course, which is much more in-depth and better suited to handle injuries in the combat arena. These are some of the skills we will take away from here," Seiler said.

One trainee, Senior Airman Jared Williams from the 60th Inpatient Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., said the training made him feel more like a Soldier than an Airman because the training was so in-depth.

"We are better trained than most Air Force personnel going into theater. While here, we have been through all kinds of training like weapons familiarization, combat lifesavers course, site security, Humvee and vehicle familiarization, military operations in urban terrain, and the High-Mobility Multipurpose Vehicle Egress Trainer. The training here gives us a perception of what we will see downrange," said Williams.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory Weiss, who is assigned to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., is preparing for a joint assignment as a member of a Provincial Reconstruction Team. He is very excited to be working with the Army and having the opportunity to work outside of his normal field and the Navy.

For Coast Guard Lt. Kelly Tongol, who is assigned to the Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., her time training at ASA, JB MDL, has been very interesting.

"The training has been very intense. The Army instructors are very professional and are focused on providing the best training possible. I have been on boarding teams before so I am no stranger to stress, but this training exposes me to a totally different kind of stress. I believe the training we are receiving here is very pertinent to my upcoming mission. One of the most important aspects of the training has been the fact that the instructors have drilled into us on a daily basis that we are going into a war zone. I’m impressed that every one of the instructors has combat experience so they know what they are speaking about," Tongol said.

Military personnel from the other service branches will continue to look to Army Soldiers to provide the expertise and training that will bring about successful missions as the wars overseas continue.

Read the Post Online for Nov. 6, 2009.