Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

Issue 16 June 10, 2010

Story and photos by Capt. Colin O’Toole
1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment
The Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 67th Armor
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division have been quite busy
training cadets at West Point.
The Dealth Dealers have been training the
cadets for more than a month, taking them
through various tactical scenarios.
The Soldiers have been assesing the cadets
as they progress through their orders process
to execute a raid, recon an enemy camp or
conduct key leader engagement with elders in
a small village.
Most of the Fort Carson Soldiers, whether
armor or infantry Soldiers, have ground
level combat experience that is proving to be
very helpful to the cadets as they transition
from Yucks (sophomores) to Cows (Juniors)
or Cows to Firsties (seniors). The training
conducted so far is only one facet of the Cadet
Summer Training.
Each of the six cadet companies, has been
broken down into three platoons, much like
an infantry company. Those platoons have
three West Point “Team Trainers” and three
“Observer/Controllers” from 1st Bn., 67th
Armor Reg.,
The cadets train on a myriad of tasks while
on each lane and are evaluated on their
leadership potential in preparation of
their last year at the academy, in the
case of the Firsties, or their first real
field problem as a Cow.
The lanes are designed to place
the cadets under stressful situations
to evaluate their actions while in
leadership positions. The Team
Trainers and O/Cs then write their
evaluations and have a one-on-one
session to counsel the cadet on their
performance. This process is designed
to be an After Action Review for the Cadets use their Iraqi interpreter to interact and solve issues
evaluated cadet, so they understand with cadet and Iraqi locals during the Urban Operations Lane.
their strengths and weaknesses and Trainers added that they were able to modify
improve throughout the course of the training. the events to either add or relieve stress on the
The Urban Operations Lane was one of the cadets, depending on their reactions to the
first lanes I was able to witness. The training local villagers.
consisted of a movement from the Line of USMA has Iraqi contractors to act as role
Departure to a small village, performing land players on the Combat Out Post lane and
navigation thru waypoints in-between. the Urban Ops lanes to add realism. Iraqi
Once there, the platoon must conduct a civilians are assigned to platoons during their
Key Leader Engagement, search for a weapons lane to act as interpreters that help bridge the
cache, react to a sniper attack, perform a language gap..
hostage negotiation scenario, conduct medical “The Iraqi contractors add to the realism
evacuation (MEDEVAC) using a UH-60 of the training” said Capt. Oldfield, a British
Blackhawk Helicopter and movement out Officer teaching at West Point and the Officer
of the area to their Pickup Zone. The Team continued on page 3

Commander’s Column gunnery to platoon and company

Lt. Col. David Hardy, commander
2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment
The hallmark of any great unit
is that it can rapidly adapt to new
missions. Like all other units in
the 2nd Brigade Combat Team,
the Talons recently showed that we
can adapt to a new mission when
we completed a very successful
gunnery - the first gunnery in a
very long time for the battalion
and the first gunnery for many of
our Soldiers and leaders.
We trained for more than 30
days in all types of terrain. We
conducted day and nighttime
operations ranging from crew
live fires. We shot everything from
our small arms weapons systems
to Bradleys, Abrams tanks and
120mm mortars. We completed
the missions successfully and
safely with the result that we now
have a battalion that is much
more proficient at accomplishing
its wartime mission using all our
major combat platforms.
The most impressive part
of gunnery however was the
teamwork - from the crews
shooting their combat systems
to the mechanics, fuelers and
cooks supporting operations to
the Brigade Combat Observation
Lasing Team and 3rd Battalion,
16th Field Artillery Regiment,
shooting in support of the
battalion. We showed that if
we work as a team, we can
accomplish anything.
Soon, the battalion, and the
entire BCT will begin training
for another mission - a mission
that will require us to adapt to
a new set of tasks, conditions,
and standards. We will be
successful if we use the same
principles that got us through
gunnery:
- Focus on the basics: shoot,
move, communicate
continued on page 2
page 2
3-16 prepares for Table XVIII
Story and photo by 2nd Lt. Ian Faison
3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, executed a Rearm, Refuel,
Resupply and Survey Point mission on June
3 in preparation for Table XVIII artillery
qualification the following week.
Soldiers from Company G, Forward Support
Company, 204th Brigade Support Battalion,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, transferred more than 600 artillery
rounds to Batteries A and B. The rounds
include High Explosive , illumination, white
phosphorous and smoke, all of which will be
used in the Table XVIII qualifications. Table
XVIII is battalion massed missions, which
will take place from June 8 to 11. The primary
mission will be maintaining a smoke screen
Mission support Soldiers train to be snipers
Story by 1st Lt. Jessica Maxim
204th Brigade Support Battalion
Pictures provided by Staff Sgt. Donald Apelo
The 204th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,
was the first unit ever to send Soldiers in
support military occupational specialties
(MOSs) to the Sniper Mobile Training Team
out of Fort Benning, Ga. held on Fort Carson
from April 25 to May 21. The overall goal was
to train and certify master gunners so that they
can bring their lessons learned back to the rest
of the troops in the Rough Rider Battalion and
improve overall individual marksmanship.
There were several volunteers to represent
the Rough Riders in the 30-day course, but
those selected to attend based on physical
fitness, marksmanship qualifications and
General Technical scores were Sgt. 1st Class
Keith Sessom, an ammunition specialist;
Staff Sgt. Donald Apelo, a petroleum supply
specialist; and Staff Sgt. Jason Urquhart, an
automated logistical specialist.
The training covered the fundamentals
of being a sniper, including long range
marksmanship, range estimation, target
detection and selection, camouflage, stalking,
weapons training, and organization and
mission usage. Sniper MTT Class 705-
10 started with a total of 34 students and
graduated a total of 12 snipers including one
Rough Rider.
Apelo, one of the course graduates and the
only Rough Rider to earn the sniper identifier
said, “The course was great, I loved it! There’s a
Warhorse Pride Issue 16 June 10, 2010
continued from page 1
-Be disciplined and physically fit
-Conduct pre-combat checks and
inspections
- Integrate safety in all we do
- And above all, work together as a
team
I look forward to seeing you out in the
training areas as we prepare for our next
mission. Warhorse!
Soldiers from Company G, 204th Brigade Support
Battalion, 2nd BCT, transfer supplies to 3rd Battalion,
16th Field Artillery Regiment.
for more than 30 minutes to conceal friendly
movements during a simulated mission.
The Thunder Battalion “Redlegs” already
completed Table VIII (crew) and Table XII
(platoon) artillery qualifications, and Table
XVIII is their final artillery qualification.
lot we won’t do in a regular unit, but we can use training we can use in Afghanistan, such as
some of what we learned to train other Soldiers, counter sniper training.”
even if they never have to use it.” For example, Sessom offers this bit of advice to future
as a sniper, Apelo is now certified to instruct support units and Soldiers considering sniper
Long Range Marksmanship in which Soldiers training: prepare by beginning physical and
are taught, among other things, how to employ tactical training well in advance; there’s too
their assigned M4s at 600 meters, double that much to do and learn in only 30 days of sniper
of the 300 meter Army standard. school.
Apelo admits that the skills are highly
perishable and that those employed
as snipers need to train everyday for
months to preserve and hone their skills,
something Soldiers in support battalions
are unable to do while providing support
to the maneuver units.
Sessom and Urquhart agreed that the
training was invaluable despite not being
able to employ much of it in the standard
support role. Urquhart claimed, “It was a
great course and I would encourage more
soft MOSs to go for training purposes, Soldiers from Sniper Mobile Training Team class 705-10 con-
so that we can bring that knowledge duct training through a creek as part of their class.
back and train our Soldiers to effectively
engage targets over 300 meters away.”
Sessom summed up the course and
the benefit to the Rough Rider battalion
by saying, “It was good, the hardest
military school I have ever been to, both
physically and mentally.
The benefit to a support battalion is
that we can pass on our knowledge and
skills while training our Soldiers who
would otherwise never get this level of
instruction.” A Soldier from Sniper Mobile Training Team class 705-10, in
He went on to say, “There’s a lot of this his ghillie suit, looks for a concealed firing position.
page 3 Warhorse Pride Issue 16 June 10, 2010

Darkhorse conducts ‘Bison Rampage’ 1-67 at lane training

Story and photo by 1st Lt. Daniel Wilson platoons executed multiple iterations, allowing
204th Brigade Support Battalion for the Soldiers to gain confidence
in both their leadership’s and their
own abilities to identify an explosive
threat.
Maintenance platoon has been
able to not only execute training
events, they have been able to
continue to conduct services and
daily maintenance operations.
Recovery section set up and
executed a recovery lane with all
Combat Response Team Soldiers.
They set up two damaged M1151
Humvees for each CRT to practice
recovery techniques.
Distribution platoon has been
Company D, Forward Support Company, 204th Brigade Support running resupply missions to 1st
Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Sol- Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment,
diers recover a rolled M1151 Humvee during platoon lanes.
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Operation “Bison Rampage” has proven to Infantry Division troops while
be a very valuable training event for Company conducting screening and reconnaissance
continued from page 1
in Charge of the Urban Operations Lane.
“We want the cadets to deal with real-life issues,
like a language barrier, and still accomplish the
mission”.
The training for the cadets at West Point is
on par with some of the scenario training that
Forces Command (FORSCOM) posts execute.
The amount of assets used, air and ground,
provide the cadets with a level of realism they
had not seen prior to their first year of CLDT.
The experience of our Death Dealer Soldiers
enable the cadets to learn quickly from their
mistakes and give them some tricks of the trade
to make their time “under the microscope”
with their evaluator a little more helpful.
NEW DATE & TIME:
Sunday, June 13, 2p.m. - 5.pm

D, Forward Support Company, 204th Brigade missions, while executing their own training.
SAFARI SALLY WITH REPTILES,
Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Distribution platoon has been able to establish MAMMALS AND MORE!
4th Infantry Division. Both maintenance and and implement systems that should carry us 12 YEARS OR OLDER: $8.95
distribution platoons conducted an intense, through squadron gunnery and Combined 6-11 YEARS: $4.00
5 YEARS AND UNDER: FREE!
two day counter-improvised explosive device Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX). Overall, ALSO INCLUDES:
lane, starting with a walkthrough and “IED the leadership of Company D feels that this Professor Higgens Magician & Balloon Art
Kiddo Friendly Buffet Cookie Decorating

petting zoo” to help identify emplacement training event has been very beneficial to our Clowns
Hay Rides
More Kids games
Jump Houses

techniques. Once that was completed, both upcoming training and eventual deployment.
Face Painting Piñatas

AN EVENT OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Chaplain’s Corner: Unsung heroes ELKHORN CATERING & CONFERENCE CENTER

It has been my observation through
the years that there are many workers that
contribute much to the success of those around
them behind the scene. You don’t have to be
very observant or overly perceptive to realize
that is sometimes the case in the military as
well.
The worker bees are the ones that make
things happen and many times go unnoticed.
These hardworking folks, many of whom are
highly skilled, do tasks that make others shine.
They seldom get noticed because their work
FOR INFORMATION CALL: (719) 576-6646
puts the attention and focus on someone else.
It seems unfair that those who do so much
good work get so little appreciation.
But truly servant-minded people, though,
See it another way. They give preference to
others because they know that God does see
and that he will reward them in due time.
Blessings
Chaplain (Maj.) Ricky Way
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div.

Warhorse
Pride
Col. John S. Kolasheski..................2nd BCT Commander
Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Barteau.....2nd BCT CSM
Lt. Col. Richard Stebbins................................2nd BCT PAO
2nd Lt. Christopher McMillan....................................Editor
Staff Writers
Sgt. Seth Barham and Spc. April York
The Warhorse Pride is produced in the approved by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team
interest of the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Public Affairs Office.
Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The The Warhorse Pride welcomes articles,
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horse Pride is prepared, edited, provided and editor: c.mcmillan2@us.army.mil