The Fort Hood Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 3, 1985 Page: 12 of 40
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B4 THE FT. HOOD SENTINEL Thursday October 3 1985
'Adventure' training
builds confidence
While survival of the fittest
may explain mankind’s evolu-
tionary process ensuring that
soldiers are fit to survive on the
modern battlefield is 34th Sup-
port Battalion’s goal.
SOLDIERS OF HHC 34th
Spt Bn 6th Cav Bde (AC) re-
cently spent a week in the field
training to survive on the bat-
tlefield.
“We concentrated on com-
mon tasks like map reading
patrolling responding to
ground and air attack and sev-
eral other tasks” 1st Sgt. Sher-
man Bell said. “The soldiers
also went through confidence-
building ‘adventure’ training.
They went through an obstacle
course crossed one- and two-
rope bridges and many rap-
peled for the first time.”
The Field Training Exercise*
(FTX) did more than raise
morale among the troops it
also refresh ed a lot of
memories.
“This is the first time I’ve
been in the field since basic
training” said Pvt. 2 Kimberly
Savage administrative special-
ist. “My basic skills have been
refreshed and I have the confi-
dence I need to complete a mis-
sion.”
FOR SP4 JULIA Filomeno
material handling and storage
specialist the FTX had a diffe-
rent meaning.
“I’ve put my paperwork in to
go to airborne school” Filome-
no said. “I knew that if I
couldn’t make it through some
of this training the rappeling
for instance then I might- as
well tear my paperwork up.”
There is no need for Filome-
no to tear her paperwork up. Af-
ter looking over the 9T)-foot cliff
at Belton Lake and feeling a lit-
tle hesitant she made herself
rappel down the cliff.
“Getting into the “L” posi-
tion was difficult but after I got
going it was easy. I would have
gone again if I’d had the time.
Airborne school ... I’m going
for it!” Filomeno said with a big
smile.
AT THE SAME TIME HHC
was in the field A B and
companies were in the field
practicing for an “external eva-
luation.” They were evaluated
on everything they did accord-
ing to Sp4 Lora Johnston
ammunitions specialist A Co.
“We were evaluated on the
order we set our field site up
how we set it up and how fast
we set it up” Johnston said.
In addition they were evalu-
mated on fighting positions de-
fensive and offensive positions
and convoy moves.
During the convoy back to
garrison troops went through
another confidence test.
A ribbon bridge was set up
across an inlet at Belton Lake
by E Company 8th Engineer
Battalion 1st Cavalry Division.
FOR SOLDIERS in the batta-
lion who had never crossed a
ribbon bridge it tested their
confidence in the 8th Eng Bn
as well as in getting their vehi-
cles across the bridge.
Sp4 Yolanda Hernandez cha-
plain’s assistant drove the first
vehicle across the bridge. “It
wasn’t like I had imagined ...
moving up and down” Hernan-
dez said. “In fact the bridge
didn’t move at all.”
The field problem as a whole
was successful according to
Bell. “The weather was good
and we accomplished every-
thing we set out to do” Bell
concluded.
HOOK UP Two pathfinders from Headquarters
and Headquarters Troop 6th Cavalry Brigade (AC)
hook a section of ribbon bridge to a Chinook helicop-
ter to be airlifted to an inlet in Belton Lake
Story and photos
by Sheryl Moinian
PH
’A v*"
Blackhorse Bugle
34th soldiers train to survive in field
HANGING OUT Sp4
Julia Filomeno material
handling and storage
specialist HHC 34 th Spt
Bn begins a 90-foot rap-
pel down a cliff at Belton
Lake.
md
rYW
FIT TO FIGHT Sp4 David Posada and Pvt. 2 Robert Stephenson Co 34th Spt Bn keep guard.
shhh
mi
imam*
ill
Sill
1 8
vn
fh■Sift
HOMEWARD BOUND
Soldiers of 34th Support
Battalion 6th Cavalry
Brigade (AC) convoy
across a ribbon bridge on
their way back to garri-
son after a week in the
field.
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The Fort Hood Sentinel (Temple, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 3, 1985, newspaper, October 3, 1985; Temple, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth309726/m1/12/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Casey Memorial Library.