CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - The month of January came in with freezing temperatures and although it was cold enough to delay local schools, it wasn't enough to stop the training that the Camp Atterbury instructors conducted for Kosovo Forces 11, a group deploying soon to Kosovo for a peace-keeping mission.
Throughout much of the outdoor training, Camp Atterbury had very few cold weather injuries. This has been, in part, due to Camp Atterbury observer/controller trainers, who always kept an eye on the weather conditions.
"The biggest thing is just plain common sense," said Staff Sgt. Michael Murphy, a non-lethal weapons instructor with the 205th Infantry Brigade's 3rd Battalion, 338th Regiment here.
"We didn't expose anybody to the cold unless they absolutely had to be," he said. "We made sure the troops were always wearing the required gear, and kept them dry. Most importantly, we didn't expose them anymore than they needed to be exposed."
Murphy said he tried not to keep the Soldiers outside for more than 20 minutes at a time. When they were not outside, he said, Soldiers stayed warm in barracks or heated tents.
Murphy said although it was a little difficult to train in below-zero temperatures, the cold weather provided a reality check for what the KFOR 11 Soldiers would experience on their deployment.
"Where they're going is not exactly the tropics," said Murphy. "I think it is definitely a harsh reality for them – especially coming from California – but it is decent training for them getting exposed to cold weather before going over there."
With the cold weather, however, came shortened training days, training site changes and supply limitations.
"It limited us on the resources we have to make training more proficient and more realistic," said Staff Sgt. Ismael Arroyo, also an instructor for non-lethal weapons with the 3-338th.
Arroyo said normally paint balls are used to simulate ammunition for non-lethal weapons training, but the freezing temperatures made the paint balls dangerous.
In the event of inclement weather, Arroyo said he and all the other instructors are continuously aware of the risk factors before starting the training, to include ensuring Soldiers wear proper gear.
So with face masks and thermal underclothing, the Soldiers braved the brutal winds and Arroyo said he was impressed that the weather seemed to be the least of the Soldiers' worries. They were more concerned with excelling in the training.
"I think the cold weather built their character a lot more and it let them know that they're going to be able to accomplish the mission even when they're taken out of their comfort zone," Arroyo said. "The Soldiers now know they can keep that level of motivation it takes to work in that environment."