Help with training & drills ideas for 11B stuck in Fort Irwin who has no team to work with?

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:04:06 -0500

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.
Thanks

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2018 11:08 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:08:14 -0500

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.

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2018 11:16 AM

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:16:09 -0500

Also I'm not trying to bash on my duty station or unit. I understand why this place operates like it does and why it's difficult working with guys in my unit to get them to train on drills and such with me. Im looking to see if anyone has advice or suggestions about training alone in things both in garrison and during rotation so that i improve in these areas.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 4 at 2018 11:20 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:20:31 -0500

This obviously has zero to directly do with your question, however, our scenario interested me...are you in school at all at your installation? What are your aspirations ultimately? Serious permanent longterm career? Senior enlisted? Warrant? Commissioned? To stay Army the whole time? Change service possibly? Might you be open to some academic avenues that might not have occurred to you, though I assure you they could be relevant if not directly, then at least indirectly? I just have an interest in such things, and I found your description unusual if only by dint of the way you articulated it, so, if you have a taste for such things, I merely thought t suggest a few, please realize, I entirely comprehend if that sort of stuff might not be to your taste, I similarly realize my suggestions might initially seem like they're totally out of left field, I just thought the might interest you, if nothing else, that was all, honest....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 4 at 2018 11:28 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:28:47 -0500

http://www.mors.org

Their journal called Phalanx, which anyone can subscribe to, I'd seen, often has ops research articles on small unit stuff...also, ops research is a very serious STEM topic directly linked to very serious wargaming, that I've had a long standing interest in, when I'd been Army ROTC before USAF, the PMS of my unit, a Vietnam War hero, lectured on it in military history, he got me hooked on the topic, I did a serious term paper for him on it, that got me my one award in the ROTC program as a junior, the mil history award for 1978, yeah, I know, back when dinos and mastodons strode the Earth, and pterodactyls winged their way overhead...if you've never delved into serious wargaming, on a serious STEM level, I'm well aware modern video games use a good deal of it, that simulate serious small unit action, however, this is the really serious basis of it, so, if you've a taste at all for such things, or up for the intellectual stimulus involved, research the minimax theorem, saddle points so called in mathematical functions, linear and nonlinear programming, as well as quantatve management techniques like PERT/CPM (critical path method), I think you'll discover a whole new universe directly related to what you're seeking, that you might well have never encountered before, should you be at all interested in chatting more about it, just ask...also, MORS does hold conferences, plus, they've got other pubs and online stuff as well also, OK?

Military Operations Research Society

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 4 at 2018 11:29 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:29:37 -0500

http://www.ausa.org

If you haven't joined this, find the chapter nearest you, go, and look up their conferences on such topics as land warfare among other things, OK?

Association of the United States Army

Voice for the Army – Support for the Soldier

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 4 at 2018 11:30 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:30:44 -0500

Plus, I can pretty well guarantee a place as big as Ft. Irwin is gonna have an AUSA chapter or know of one nearby, or have those involved with it high up assigned where you are, I promise....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 4 at 2018 11:31 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:31:56 -0500

http://www.afcea.org

This is highly germane to your whole topic, as well, it's a serious engrg group devoted in no small measure to small unit common systems, for battlefield efficiency....

www.afcea.org

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 4 at 2018 11:32 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:32:41 -0500

www crows.org

This group is less well known than AFCEA, however, they're quote technically comparable, I assure you as well....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 4 at 2018 11:33 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:33:07 -0500

http://www.afa.org

This is the major USAF professional group....

Home

Description

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 4 at 2018 11:38 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:38:21 -0500

http://www.usni.org

This is he major professional group of Navy, USMC, and USCG, their Proceedings should be reqd reading for all serious svc personnel, I assure you as well...also, Army and all svcs have serious professional reading lists, on classical aspects of warfare, starting with Thucidydes, going on to the actual works of Caesar, e.g., the Punic war material, then studying Hannibal, Alexander, also On War by Clausewitz, as well as Alfred Thayer Mayan on seapower...I know that wasn't the overt object of your question, there's also Mitchell and Douhet on airpower, and another one who'd been a serious soldier of fortune in wartorn China, Homer Lea...if you've a taste for such things from a purely literary standpoint, I can suggest more, if you'd like, as well anytime....

U.S. Naval Institute

Provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2018 11:54 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:54:36 -0500

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.

Response by SPC Gary Welch made Nov 4 at 2018 12:02 PM

SPC Gary Welch — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 12:02:41 -0500

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

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2018 12:43 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 12:43:17 -0500

Sounds like any other combat arms assignment.

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Nov 4 at 2018 1:16 PM

SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 13:16:20 -0500

I cannot recommend highly enough the 1 and 2 man CQB courses from Special Tactics. https://www.specialtactics.global/courses/single-person-close-quarters-battle/
https://www.specialtactics.global/courses/two-person-close-quarters-tactics/
They are online courses adapted from excellent books. Just completing the courses will teach you more about CQB, and furthermore, it will give you drills you can do solo or with a buddy.

Single-Person Close Quarters Battle – Special Tactics

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 4 at 2018 8:01 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 20:01:10 -0500

Don't feel too bad. We made many mechanized forces into HUMVEE riders in Iraq and Afghanistan.