FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. - It was William Shakespeare, in the play "Henry V", who is credited with coining the phrase 'band of brothers.' While it's unlikely he knew the significance the term would take when he wrote it in 1599, more than 400 years later, for many, it has become a signifier of the esprit de corps of the infantryman.
Soldiers of the California Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment recently put that phrase to the test as the long days and nights of training brought them together during a platoon live-fire exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, California.
As the platoon waited for the word to proceed to their objective, the Soldiers took a reprieve from the overwhelming heat and huddling together in small areas of shade provided by their Humvees. They joked with each other and talked about their dogs, fast food, and the dream of a long hot shower - downtime like this builds upon the bond infantry Soldiers share, said many of the platoon members.
For Spc. Vincent Quinteros, a machine gunner from Company A, 1-160th Inf. Regt., a former Marine who deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, added that the camaraderie he shares with his team is not only what makes these long hot days bearable, but it also becomes something he looks forward to as a contrast to his civilian work as a mental health counselor in Los Angeles.
"We're the best team in California," he continued.
The infantry serves as the tip of the spear of the Army. Something that many of the infantrymen take pride in it. The intense training and grueling repetition keeps them sharp. Staying sharp means staying safe. As the word was given to go, they traded in their blank ammunition for magazines filled with live rounds, locking them into their M4 rifles.
A recent brush fire in the area they were to assault left the charred landscape virtually free of concealment. The conditions may have changed, but the mission remained the same. Adapt and overcome, they say.
If camaraderie stands as the foundation of the infantry's success, trust serves as the pinnacle.
"We've all been waiting for this for a long time," said Army Sgt. Killianne Sath, an acting squad leader, C Company, 1-160th Inf. Regt. "I have complete trust in my guys that we can achieve our goal here today as a platoon and at the company level."
The Soldier's objective on this day was to move as a platoon, using tried and true Infantry tactics to breach an obstacle and attacking a fixed position. Before the troops assaulted the hill, they would need a little help to gain the advantage by adhering to the infantry mantra to always initiate contact with the most casualty-producing weapon at hand.
A supporting element of the battalion pulled their gun trucks into defilade to give a coordinated and overwhelming support-by-fire to the rifle platoon making the actual assault. Soldiers firing truck-mounted machine guns initiated contact at the onset of the assault. The breach and assault squads then charged from their covered and concealed position in order to take the objective.
Though a training exercise, it's also vital because it mirrored the intensity and concentration of the real-world operations they could encounter together if deployed to a combat zone, said Soldiers in the unit.
Army Maj. Chris Walter, the battalion's executive officer, stressed to the men the importance of situational awareness when it comes to operating on a platoon- and company-level assault because of the coordination required with units to the left and right.
"If this was a real scenario I'm going to send a company, that's how we get things done effectively," said Walter, "and you'll have platoons operating on either flank."
Once the pinging sounds of the rounds impacting the metal targets subsided, the assault and breach squads bounded toward the hilltop objective, using dirt berms for cover and implementing individual movement tactics to move toward the enemy position.
Once the assault was complete, the Soldiers faced another challenge - saving one of their own who had been wounded in the assault. The gunshot wound was simulated, all part of the training, and the platoon setup security positions around the "injured" sergeant as his others carried him to the relative safety of a trench to provide care and call in a helicopter medical evacuation request.
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…" Shakespeare said in "Henry V," the phrase mirroring the Soldiers from the 1-160th Inf. Regt. as they prepared for other missions.