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Tropic Lightning -- 30 January 2003
| 1/27 goes live in Makua By Sgt. Frank Magni 17th Public Affairs Det. With OH-58 D Kiowa Warrior helicopters firing overhead while mortar and artillery rounds explode on the ground, the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment kicked off a new year of training at Makua Valley with the first two company-level combined-arms live fire exercises Jan. 29 and 31. These were the 14th and 15th CALFEXs to occur in the valley since the September 11th terror attacks prompted an agreement with Malama Makua and Earth Justice Legal Defense. The agreement reached in Oct. 2001 allowed live-fire training to begin immediately in exchange for a comprehensive environmental study of the air, soil and groundwater within three years. Under the agreement, the Army is permitted to conduct 16 company-level combined-arms live-fire exercises within the first year, nine this year and 12 the third year on 457 of the valley's 4,190 acres. Before the 2001 agreement training in Makua was halted since Sept. of 1998. With the sensitive environmental and cultural issues facing units training in Makua many changes have occurred. In addition to building sandbag and concertina wire barriers around the valley's cultural sites the Soldiers from the units receive cultural awareness training so they are sensitive to the significant cultural heritage of Makua Valley and the need to preserve the environment. Soldiers training in the 1st Bn., 27th Inf. Rgt. altered the scenario for their live fire training to add different challenges for the Soldiers. "Our training objective centered on movement to contact and react to contact, which is one of the more difficult missions that an infantry company may encounter," said Lt. Col. Scott Leith, 1st Bn. 27th Inf. Rgt. commander. During the CALFEXs the units encountered several intermediate objectives as they moved toward the limit of advance. "By encountering these intermediate objectives the company commanders were challenge to make on-the-spot decisions," said Leith. Leith said the intermediate objectives encounter also allows each platoon to work in a support by fire position and assault a position. Leith said the CALFEX was very valuable to Soldiers at all unit levels . "This is the week we put all of our training together," Leith said. "This is one of our only opportunities to add tactical aviation, field artillery, engineers, and scout snipers to our maneuvering elements. "This is the only place where platoons can support other platoons while maneuvering on an enemy," Leith said. Leith added one of the largest benefits of training Soldiers in Makua Valley is exposing them to the entire combined arms team. "They get to see a OH-58 D Kiowa Warrior flying at forty feet firing a .50 caliber machine gun, while hearing the sounds of 105 mm Howitzers and mortars firing over head and impacting just in front of them," Leith said. |
