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Bosses get Soldiers' treatment

  • Published
  • By Spc. Brittany Gardner
  • 362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Forty corporate executives visited Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst May 18, to discover how Reserve military personnel will continue to train, even in the rain, for ongoing military operations around the world.

Army Support Activity-Dix training personnel partnered with the Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve staff, conducting a day-long training exercise for employers at the annual Employer Appreciation Day.

These employers experienced first-hand training similar to Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers.

"They're Soldiers and they're here to do one thing and that is train," said ASA-Dix Commander, Col. Patrick J. Slowey.

The day began with individual fitting of military equipment and other necessities. The items included body armor, helmet, rain gear and a Meal Ready to Eat. Following equipment issue, the employers viewed a safety briefing, the day's itinerary and a video about the history of ASA-Dix.

"Safety is paramount," said Slowey. "It protects our most precious resources and one of your most precious resources: America's sons and daughters who are entrusted to our care."

The employers received simulated training in the operations and use of the M249 squad assault weapon at the New Jersey National Guard's Joint Training and Training Development Center following the briefing. They also had the opportunity to experience hands-on familiarization with standard issue weapons, including the M4 rifle and M9 pistol.

Corporate leaders from companies, such as Prudential Insurance Company, expressed their enthusiasm at having the opportunity to participate in training similar to that of their warrior citizens.

"We at Prudential have a number of both Guardsmen and Reservists who we know serve both on the weekends and who also have been deployed," said Raymond Weeks, Prudential vice president of veteran initiatives. "I'm suitably impressed with the amount of training our soldiers receive today, the kinds of equipment and the kinds of technology they have to deal with."

Employers traveled to the simulations area where they participated in a round-robin event after weapons familiarization. All guests had the chance to participate in the reconfigurable vehicle tactical trainer and experience similar scenarios faced by their Soldiers in the Middle East.

The participants were bombarded with simulated gunfire, smoke attacks and providing assistance to mock casualties at the Medical Simulations Simulation Center. State-of the-art mannequins, which breathe and speak, were used as training aids. Corporate leaders were drawn into the fog of war by participating in the training scenario.

"What we try to do here is make the training as realistic as possible for the soldiers coming through," said Leonardo Mijares, site manager of the medical simulation trainer.

Employers ventured out to the range areas after receiving Combat Medic Training. They linked up with 174th Infantry Brigade trainers and veterans of recent conflicts for a security escort which drove them in Mine Resistant Ambush Protective vehicles to the next range training experience.

Soldiers of the Regional Training Center-East provided the employers with demonstrations of how Soldiers are trained for convoys and react to enemy fire and eliminating enemy threats. Hand-to-hand combat demonstrations were also provided by the trainers.

The final stop was at the Dix Combined Arms Training Facility to witness unit training combat operations in an urban environment. Employers finished the day by having dinner and getting acquainted with the Soldiers.