Soldiers of 1-148th Infantry Regiment tackle combat during annual training
Story by Sgt. Scott Fletcher, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. (10/04/19)
Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment trained to maintain their combat readiness over a two-week period this summer at Camp Atterbury Joint Training Center near Edinburgh, Indiana. In a culminating event, the battalion fielded approximately 500 Soldiers who participated in combat and area reconnaissance drills. This training served to greatly enhance the cohesion and battle readiness of the participating companies, growing them into an even more lethal fighting force.
“A lot of the training was designed around just being able to communicate, understanding each other and understanding the aspects of what is needed to be done by each individual,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Dickerson, commander of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment. “It was designed to put an emphasis on the communications aspect of what we do to ensure everybody’s in synchronization when assigned to mission.”
Over the training period, the Soldiers trained on numerous individual tasks and skills, such as weapons familiarization and movement techniques. Squad- and platoon-level drills, like reacting to enemy contact, as well as route and area reconnaissance, allowed for the Soldiers to forge themselves into a battle-ready force, able to rely on the person to their left and right without hesitation.
“I think the most important part of this (training) that makes us better fighters is the camaraderie it builds,” said Sgt. Kevin Deely, a squad leader with Company A, 1-148th. “You can be good on your own, as good as you want, but it all comes down to the guy next to you. You have to work as a unit to survive.”
Missions were run both day and night, requiring Soldiers to be prepared to train at all hours. Along with this training, Soldiers lived in a field environment, requiring them to set up camp in the dense woods of Camp Atterbury for days at a time.
“People don’t realize what their bodies and their spirits are actually capable of,” said 2nd Lt. Richard Ashford, the platoon leader of 1st Platoon, Company A, 1-148th. “It’s a really great opportunity for them to come out here and see more senior guys do things that they wouldn't have dreamed of doing in terms of operating in relatively poor environments.”
The Soldiers concluded their annual training on a high note with praise from Dickerson, who said: “The morale after such a grueling and challenging event was just absolutely astronomical.”
The battalion will move forward with their monthly training, now a closer, more cohesive unit. This cohesion makes them a more lethal fighting force, always ready to face whatever challenges lay before them.
