SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras - Airborne infantrymen from the Texas Army National Guard's 36th Infantry Division shared their small weapons training expertise with an elite group of Honduran military professionals on Sept. 11-13.
After two days of aiming at targets, paratroopers from both countries aimed at something much larger: the terra firma lying 1,500 feet below them.
Members of the 143rd Infantry Detachment (Long Range Surveillance) supported one of the training and mentoring programs of U.S. Army South (USARSO) by joining their Honduran counterparts for weapons familiarization and urban infantry tactics to enhance their skills. Repetitive training benefits not only students, but also instructors and demonstrators.
Plans officer Maj. Clarence Henderson said he expects USARSO's small unit familiarization program (SUFP) to gain momentum next year under the leadership of Col. Rick R. Riera, USARSO's director of operations, who is a strong supporter of multinational training.
The SUFP pairs U.S. Soldiers with those from Central and South America partnership nations to foster an environment of mutual learning, respect and familiarity with their brothers-in-arms.
"When people think of USARSO, they think of humanitarian missions because that's what everybody sees," said Henderson. "That's great, but also these coalition training missions "¦ when our guys are standing next to others '11-bravo to 11-bravo,' this is where the high payoff of training [originates]. It's simple Army talk. Soldiers share their common goals and problems and find out that they aren't that different from one another."
Just like brothers-in-arms indeed -- such as enjoying their shared challenge of hitting that perfect bull's-eye or bailing out of a perfectly functioning CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
Airborne Ranger Capt. Matt Perritte, commander of the 143rd Infantry Detachment, said his infantrymen have valuable insight to share based on their combat experience. Eighty percent of his detachment's members have been to Iraq.
The first day of weapons training had a different look to it than is customary on a range. Clad in matching desert tan unit T-shirts and blue jeans, the 36th Infantry Division Soldiers didn't let their temporarily lost luggage and gear situation hamper their mission. Just as expected, they made do with what they had plus a few borrowed Kevlar helmets.
Their Honduran forces counterparts consisted of a team of 30 pulled from a 130-man detachment of Army, Navy and Air Force professionals who currently form a rapid response team known as the Peacekeeping Operations Battalion.
Many of those in attendance were preparing for their U.N. peacekeeping mission to Haiti by learning additional urban operations tactics.
Honduran Army Col. Raul Gutierrez, the liaison officer between his army and Soto Cano-based Joint Task Force Bravo, explained besides responding to natural disasters in the Central American region, the unit also provides local security for U.S. forces during USARSO's medical readiness training exercises and New Horizons humanitarian missions.
He said working together helps build upon relationships necessary to provide support for USARSO's "Beyond the Horizons" mission during 2008.
Staff Sgt. Andres Flores, who is sniper qualified, had many helpful hints for the Honduran infantrymen as they reinforced their firing skills. After stationary single-shots, they began firing multiple shots while turning and moving forward.
"In the real world we shoot more than just one bullet," Flores said candidly. "We'll progress to target discrimination drills in which we use black, orange and red targets. I will quickly call out a color for them to engage when they turn around."
Flores said everyone would spend one day with M-16 rifles and another with M-9 pistols. He said he suspected that many of the Honduran enlisted had never fired pistols before.
Honduran Army 2nd Lt. Javier Perez, a jumpmaster and a graduate of the U.S. Army's Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga., said he rarely gets the opportunity to shoot lots of ammunition. He said he had shot more during the first day with the U.S. Army-supplied ammunition than during several previous qualification outings combined.
Besides perfecting their marksmanship, the Honduran forces learned the finer points of entering and clearing buildings while in stack or file formations. They also practiced safe techniques for going around corners.
"We're expanding beyond the army field manuals to include our practical field experiences," explained Sgt. 1st Class Jesse L. Kennis II,operations sergeant for the LRS detachment. "We're always learning how to handle weapons for more realistic scenarios."
While Kennis acknowledged rifle skills were the primary focus for the training, he admitted to what most airborne qualified Soldiers really enjoy -- jumping.
"We'll jump together from a Chinook, then do a wing exchange," Kennis said. "We are authorized to wear foreign jump wings on our Class A uniforms. A lot of our younger Soldiers don't have foreign wings, so they are looking forward to it."
Perez echoed the exact same thoughts on behalf of his troops.
"None of our airborne soldiers here have jumped with Americans before," said Perez. "They want to wear the U.S. jump wings."
The lieutenant said the coalition training was a good idea.
"It would be great for us to train with the U.S. Army two to three times a year."