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Fires Bde. builds confidence with M1114 lane training

By Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Malec
April 7, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, April 7, 2006) – Ask veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and most will agree that going out on a convoy is one of the most dangerous duties deployed Soldiers face.

Soldiers with the 324th Network Support Company, Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, took advantage of an opportunity to refresh their convoy skills March 25 in M1114 Convoy Lanes Training.

Training included reacting to unexpected situations which could occur outside the wire, from dealing with improvised-explosive devices to handling just plain “crazy drivers.”

“I think the biggest challenge of going on convoys is actually getting prepared for them – the training, the briefings and pre-combat checks,” said Pfc. Katrina Wiltz, supply clerk, 324th NSC.

The lanes training also gave participants the opportunity to test their reactions to medical emergencies as they moved injured comrades from a vehicle disabled by a roadside bomb.

“Calling in Med-Evac and moving patients from one truck to another was definitely a huge challenge,” said Cpl. Matthew Cates, communications noncommissioned officer, 324th NSC.

Cates, a Society Hill, S.C., native, who joined the Army in 2001, said the day’s training bolstered his confidence.

“Fires Brigade has been lucky to not have any fatalities so far because we perform pre-combat inspections and pre-combat checks, and we do training like this. It’s very helpful,” he said.

Cpl. Jeffery Gibbon, signal support specialist, 324th NSC, had participated in only one convoy prior to the M1114 Convoy Lanes Training. He agreed with Cates that dealing with the simulated medical emergency was by far the most meaningful part of the day.

“When the IED went off and we had casualties, I had to work hard to keep my head on straight to forge through everything,” said Gibbon of Madison, Ohio.

He said he will use the newfound confidence to make sure every convoy he supports is the best it can be.

“Learn from your mistakes; always study up on everything you are going to be doing – and don’t take no for an answer,” advised Gibbon.

All Fires Brigade Soldiers are expected to continue training while deployed to Iraq.

(Editor's note: Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Malec writes for the Fires Bde., 4th Inf. Div., Public Affairs Office.)