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Liberty Warriors complete Operation Sustainment Warrior

  • Published
  • By Army Staff Sgt. Neil W. McCabe
  • 77th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Ten months after the Soldiers of the 77th Sustainment Brigade returned from Iraq, they mustered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., for the Operation Sustainment Warrior exercise Aug. 5 through Aug. 19.

"This OSW exercise was designed to drill individual Soldiers and collected crews of Soldiers in a simulated combat environment," said Army Col. Joyce Junior, the brigade commander.

The exercise included Soldiers from as far away as Maine and Virginia, who are assigned to either the brigade's command element of one of its down trace units.

"I want my Soldiers to focus on building proficiency and esprit de corps, while they are here," said Junior.

The colonel said she was grateful for the hard work that went into planning the different training lanes at the exercise, which included dismounted patrol through a mock Afghan village, learning to survive truck rollovers while inside a Humvee cabin suspended in a large mechanical rotisserie and moving as a squad inside a computer game-like experience.

Exercises like OSW are necessary to keep Army Reserve Soldiers up to the challenge of being a part of the operation Army, she said.

Observers from other Army Reserve units have come to OSW to pick up lessons learned and best practices In addition to other senior Army leaders and members of the civilian Army Reserve Ambassador program, she said.

Army Cpl. Joshua J. Burbank, 220th Transportation Company, based in White River, Vt., said his favorite part of the exercise was the dismounted patrol through the joint base's Buena Vista Range.

"They just drove us up in a bus and as soon as we got off the bus, it was 'Game on!'" he said.

After they were dropped off, the Soldiers functioning as an infantry squad, moves along a wooded road until they come upon the small town.

Burbank, who deployed twice to Iraq with the 220th TC in 2006 and in 2010, said going through the village was a great way for Soldiers to practice their tactics and techniques.

Burbank said as a team leader he was one of two Soldiers, who met with the village's "mayor." The team lead position also gave him his first opportunity to lead Soldiers in a combat-like environment.

The Soldier playing the village mayor was Army Staff Sgt. William E. Mack, who is assigned to the brigade headquarters on Dix. Mack said he got the job by default. He was the only one without a role after all the other roles were handed out and the mayor had not been picked yet.

Sometimes when a group of Soldiers comes through the village they have trouble buying into the scenario, at first, said Mack.

"It isn't until they got to see the town every started coming together," he said.

Mack said as the mayor he can either help the squad with correct information about insurgent activity or give them bad information that will lead them into an ambush.
"It all depends on how they treat me," he said.

"If they speak to me respectfully, without drawing weapons or throwing me up against the wall, things like that, if they respect my customs, I will respect them by giving up information," said Mack.

The patrol then proceeded through the village populated with 77th Soldiers playing townspeople and insurgents after leaving the mayor, he said.

Col. Stephen J. Falcone, who commanded the brigade in Iraq, said the exercise was had two basic goals.

"The first thing is to create an event, where the Soldiers remember why they joined the Army and why the Army is fun to be in," said Falcone, who is now the commanding officer of the 316th Sustainment Command's rear detachment, while the command is forward deployed in Kuwait.
 
The schedule was created to give the personnel the chance to meet Soldiers from different units of the brigade in addition to training the Soldiers, he said.

The second purpose of the exercise to teach the Soldiers how to save a life, he said.
Whether it is the combat lifesaver course or marksmanship, each of the skills taught at the exercise will help the Soldier not only save his own life, but the lives of his buddies, he said.