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Patriots train on

  • Published
  • By Capt. Antonia Greene-Edwards
  • 174th Infantry Brigade Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  The 2nd Battalion, 312th Regiment, a sister unit out of Coraopolis, Pa., assumed official responsibility for the 2-309th Regiment's mission set during a transition of authority ceremony Oct. 17, 2013, at Sharp Field here.

Training reigns changed hands and 2-312th Reg. Soldiers began their year-long mobilization at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J, one year after the 174th Infantry Brigade, First Army Division East mobilized its 2nd Bn., 309th Regiment from the ready-reserve ranks.

"It's been a great experience for both our leaders and our Soldiers," said 2-312th Reg. outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Dale Hanavan, a Liverpool, N.Y., native and 33-year Army veteran. "Many of them have transferred to the 2-312th Regiment. It keeps stability on the lanes but is a challenge for our battalion to rebuild the ranks."

The 174th Inf. Bde. is a diverse brigade comprising of active-duty and mobilized Reserve Soldiers and battalions. The 174th Inf. Bde. mobilizes one of their Reserve battalions to support their training mission as part of the Army's force generation five-year cycle each year.

"The hard part is sustaining unit capabilities during reset after the trained and qualified Soldiers transition with the mission," added Hanavan.

Individual Soldiers gain the needed training expertise and instructor proficiency during the mobilization or available year. Fully integrating the Army's Reserve-component forces is the focus of the Army's total force and Army forces generation policies. Critical training periods and streamlined communication with the regular Army during the training ready years are keys to the integration process, said Maj. Joseph Pyun, 174th Inf. Bde. operations officer.

Several of the former 2-309th leaders and observer controller/trainers elected to transfer to the 2-312th Reg. to ensure training continuity amongst the "patriot brigade". Instructors assigned to training lanes and ranges, along with elements of the former command team, help make the transition smooth.

"'Mission first' has long been an Army mantra," explained 2-312th Reg. incoming Command Sgt. Maj. Jamison Johnson. "The needs of the Army always come first and sometimes that means taking from one unit to support another. The goal is to provide the best training for the deploying service members on our lanes."

New 2-312th Reg. Reservists began home station train up more than a year prior to reporting in order to maintain quality training.

"We trained a lot back in Coraopolis before getting here in September in order to train with the teams we would be replacing," said Army Master Sgt. Jeffrey Held, senior Army combat medic. "Training deploying service members is a very rewarding mission. I jumped at the opportunity to get back at it again."

Part of the changeover train-up included ensuring 2-312th Reg. instructors obtained various certifications including the Army Basic Instructor Course, Modern Army Combatives Program Level One, Combat Lifesaver Course and the First Army Academy observer controller/trainer course.

Soldiers with the 2-312th Reg. will focus on drivers training lanes, Army warrior tasks and battle drills along with the Modern Army Combatives Program familiarization for deploying service members during their year-long mobilization.

The overall mission of the 174th Inf. Bde. remains, in coordination with JB MDL and mission partners, to execute and certify individual and collective training in accordance with theater-specific standards. The mission is designated for Army Reserve, National Guard, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard units to prepare Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen for deployment in support of overseas contingency operations and to support reserve-component forces to generate improved readiness within rotational distributed forces.