CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. – Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment trained for combat readiness for two weeks this summer at Camp Atterbury Joint Training Center near Edinburgh.
About 500 Soldiers participated in combat and area reconnaissance drills to enhance cohesion and battle readiness.
“A lot of the training was designed around just being able to communicate, understanding each other and understanding the aspects of what is needed to be done by each individual,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Dickerson, commander of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, in Walbridge, Ohio. “It was designed to put an emphasis on the communications aspect of what we do to ensure everybody’s in synchronization when assigned to mission.”
The Soldiers trained on individual tasks and skills, such as weapons familiarization and movement techniques, as well as squad- and platoon-level drills, like reacting to enemy contact and route and area reconnaissance.
“I think the most important part of this (training) that makes us better fighters is the camaraderie it builds,” said Sgt. Kevin Deely, a squad leader with Company A, 1-148th in Walbridge. “You can be good on your own, as good as you want, but it all comes down to the guy next to you. You have to work as a unit to survive.”
Missions were run day and night, requiring Soldiers to be prepared to train at all hours. Along with this training, Soldiers lived in a field environment, requiring them to set up camp in the dense woods of Camp Atterbury for days at a time.