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# Soldiers Hone Counter-improvised Explosive Devices Tactics with Indo-Asia Pacific Allies

By Staff Sgt. Chris Hubenthal

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii -- Soldiers of the U.S. Army, Royal Thai Army, Bangladesh Army, and Air National Guardsmen, shared their experiences and knowledge to counter improvised explosive devices (IED) during a train the trainer course (T3) here May 10.

The training was facilitated by U.S. Army Pacific's (USARPAC) Asia Pacific Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Fusion Center, said that the course is meant to better prepare units and that this iteration of training is bringing something different to the table. 

"Our mission is to stop teaching at the lowest level and we are now teaching leaders in units to have the leaders become the teachers to the units," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Knox, Asia Pacific C-IED Fusion Center T3 C-IED instructor. "The thing that's unique about this class is this is our first class with partner nations and interagency civilians. We are going over our shared lessons, past challenges that we've had in the Pacific Region. For this one particularly, the Bangladesh and the Thai, we are mentoring their leaders while their leadership institutionalizes a counter IED program for their countries."

Soldiers in the U.S. Army weren't the only ones at the front of the class instructing during the course. Royal Thai Army Lt. Col. Minwong Sitthisak, explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) Bangkok deputy commander, also offered his experience to the class and led the instruction during portions of academics.

"It's a good opportunity to join with the Asia Pacific IED Fusion Center," Sitthisak said. "We are going to know what's going on through the data. We'll know their method on how to counter IED's a different way, from a different perspective."

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Loheide, Bravo Company, 1-21 Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, and C-IED T3 student, said the Royal Thai Army led instruction was a benefit.

"It was a great experience, he's very knowledgeable," Loheide said. "I did see that we both have the same challenges. Helping each other and basically a hand shake and passing data will help defeat our challenges."

Knox said that Sitthisak's instruction will not only teach Soldier's about tactic's techniques, and procedures (TTP's) for countering IED's but will also provide a new perspective to look through.

"We are very fortunate to have Lieutenant Colonel teach the class," Knox said. "They share their experiences in their country which I think benefits us because our Soldiers here don't realize the threats going on in their country. I think it's kind of an eye opener when Soldiers see that the same issues we faced in the past ten to fifteen years of war are happening in other countries."

This C-IED Train the Trainer Course is designed to first teach material to students through academics, then practice academics through hands-on training, and finally test students on everything they were taught during scenario based training.

By inviting the most qualified and ready service members from different branches, agencies, and nations, USARPAC's Asia Pacific C-IED Fusion Center T3 Course is not only an environments for learning, but also sharing.

"One thing I hope for myself, and I hope for everyone else, is that we strengthen our relationships..." Loheide said. "Due to my experience both in Iraq and Afghanistan I have built a very large and technical and tactical knowledge base around IED's. I'm hoping to share and gain more information that I can pass down to our future leaders and Soldiers."

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