[raynearhood]

Well, obviously they aren’t going to have the experience of a seasoned veteran when they hit ground. However, there will be experienced soldiers there with them that can cut through alot of the BS that soldiers get in training.

(BTW, I was at NTC for train up to this deployment and alot of the training made me laugh as well as angered me. I was getting ready for my third rotation to Iraq and the training was being conducted by a mix of leaders that had deployed and a mix of trainers that hadn’t. Some of the stuff that they insisted on, like indirect fire drills, were straight from the “If Russia Attacks” handbook. In Iraq, you rarely spin up for indirect fire because it’s always poorly aimed potshots mostly numbering no more than one or two rounds at a time. We had a saying “If you hear the alarm, you’re OK.”)

The fight and the battlefield is constantly changing, too. Just eight months ago only one Brigade Combat Team was fully implementing Counter Insurgency principles into their operations. Now, all the BCTs are able to do it as a result of the surge and the intent of senior leaders in Iraq. So, a seasoned soldier that is redeploying after being out of Iraq for 12 months will be walking into a new fight with new principles, and a very different battlefield. Not to worry, though, they won’t go in blindly. There in a handover period where the incoming guys are teamed up with the outgoing guys in order to learn the dynamics of the AO as well as what works and what doesn’t.

[padre35]

Thanks raynearhood.

[centurion316]

When I was a young company commander, my First Sergeant was a veteran of WWII, Korea, and was on his third tour in Vietnam. I was still wet behind the ears: been shot at, been hit, thought I knew it all.

One fine day we were sitting around waiting for a resupply, I heard a noise. Conversation went like this:

Hey, 1SG what was that? Sounded like a mortar.

1SG: Yessir, that was a mortar.

Well who do you think they are shooting at?

1SG: Why, they are shooting at us, Sir.

So, how come you are just sitting there sipping on your hot chocolate?

1SG: Because we still have a few seconds. (Shouts)Everybody - Take Cover - NOW !!

They all did, in the holes that the First Sergeant had insisted that everyone dig. The first round landed right smack in the middle of our perimeter. No one was hurt.

Experience counts.

[art_rocks]

You should see the arguments that happen on the trainers side.

[SoCal Pubbie]

AO= area of operations? Please remember when posting military jargon that there are civilians in camp!