Posted on Nov 4, 2018
Help with training & drills ideas for 11B stuck in Fort Irwin who has no team to work with?
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I am currently at my first duty station, in Fort Irwin. For those of you who are familiar with this place I'm sure you'll understand that for an 11B, this duty station provides almost no practical training related to the 11 series mos. The rotational schedule sees all 11 series out in the box for 10 days a month, typically on OSVs and the remainder of the month revolves around waiting around the motorpool doing pmcs on those OSVs. My question is if anyone here has the high speed mentality like I do and has been stationed here, how did you overcome it and manage to somewhat train in those essential Infantrymans skills without assistance from your unit? Because in my unit it's only twice year we do anything like that, and the rest of the time I can't manage to get anyone in my platoon to train up with me doing drills or anything like that. Also I only have access to my M4 and other platforms during rotation.
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Training
Infantry
Drill
Tactics
Weapons
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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This is a serious problem common to all OPFOR at NTC, JRTC, Ranger School, etc.
A Soldier can end up as OPFOR for 3-5 years, many that I have seen show up in a line Infantry unit completely non-proficient because they only trained as OPFOR, often with tactically unsound OPFOR "tricks".
PMCS is the limit of your maintenance level as an 11B, and that that only takes one day a week. The other 4 days of any non-rotational week can and should include at least one day of squad level proficiency training on BD 1-9 and WT 1-39. Much of it can be done with minimal resources, most of them can be walked through with just rubber ducks.
If your team leaders, squad leaders and platoon sergeants aren't already pushing for space on the calendar for this kind of training, and if your TL, SL and PSG shoot down your idea to do this at squad level, then just ask for space on the training schedule to conduct it at team level. Then break out the book, divide up a few tasks among your team, get everyone involved in teaching something, then conduct the training.
You might find that it catches on, and even see it scheduled and resourced at company level.
A Soldier can end up as OPFOR for 3-5 years, many that I have seen show up in a line Infantry unit completely non-proficient because they only trained as OPFOR, often with tactically unsound OPFOR "tricks".
PMCS is the limit of your maintenance level as an 11B, and that that only takes one day a week. The other 4 days of any non-rotational week can and should include at least one day of squad level proficiency training on BD 1-9 and WT 1-39. Much of it can be done with minimal resources, most of them can be walked through with just rubber ducks.
If your team leaders, squad leaders and platoon sergeants aren't already pushing for space on the calendar for this kind of training, and if your TL, SL and PSG shoot down your idea to do this at squad level, then just ask for space on the training schedule to conduct it at team level. Then break out the book, divide up a few tasks among your team, get everyone involved in teaching something, then conduct the training.
You might find that it catches on, and even see it scheduled and resourced at company level.
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SSG Robert Perrotto
I wholeheartedly agree with you SGM, the problem is not the Soldiers, it's the leaders. If not one leader is pushing for training time the other days when not in the box, they are failing their Soldiers. Had a few instances where we would inprocess a newly promoted Sergeant, or a Specialist promotable, only to find out that they were woefully unskilled in executing, let alone training others, in basic 7-8 battle drills. I have a lot of respect for our Op For Soldiers, as they train us to go out and meet our missions, but at the end of the day, they need to train on their proficiencies as well.
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Well that’s just plain wrong. Every single time you go out there on rotation you are using infantry tactics. Setting up a defense and executing counter attacks is still infantry. Just because you are not clearing a trench or clearing a room doesn’t mean you aren’t training. There are all kinds of different ways to fight a good fight. Pick up ATP 3-21.8 and just start asking your first line what things are. If they don’t know go a level up.
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Question how long have you been in the army? I have never been stationed at fort Irwin but I went out there on rotation 10 times in six years three of those were on opfor if you haven't been there very long be patient if you have have been there awhile approach your COC and voice your concerns you may get to go to some schools like ranger,airborne etc
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