Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Into the breach: Calif. Army Guard trains on breaching and assault operations in live fire exercise By Spc. Matthew Dixon
                79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
 FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. - It was William Shakespeare, in the play "Henry V", who is credited with coining the phrase 'band of brothers.' While it's unlikely he knew the significance the term would take when he wrote it in 1599, more than 400 years later, for many, it has become a signifier of the esprit de corps of the infantryman. Soldiers of the California Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment recently put that phrase to the test as the long days and nights of training brought them together during a platoon live-fire exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, California. As the platoon waited for the word to proceed to their objective, the Soldiers took a reprieve from the overwhelming heat and huddling together in small areas of shade provided by their Humvees. They joked with each other and talked about their dogs, fast food, and the dream of a long hot shower - downtime like this builds upon the bond infantry Soldiers share, said many of the platoon members. For Spc. Vincent Quinteros, a machine gunner from Company A, 1-160th Inf. Regt., a former Marine who deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, added that the camaraderie he shares with his team is not only what makes these long hot days bearable, but it also becomes something he looks forward to as a contrast to his civilian work as a mental health counselor in Los Angeles. "We're the best team in California," he continued. The infantry serves as the tip of the spear of the Army. Something that many of the infantrymen take pride in it. The intense training and grueling repetition keeps them sharp. Staying sharp means staying safe. As the word was given to go, they traded in their blank ammunition for magazines filled with live rounds, locking them into their M4 rifles. A recent brush fire in the area they were to assault left the charred landscape virtually free of concealment. The conditions may have changed, but the mission remained the same. Adapt and overcome, they say. If camaraderie stands as the foundation of the infantry's success, trust serves as the pinnacle. "We've all been waiting for this for a long time," said Army Sgt. Killianne Sath, an acting squad leader, C Company, 1-160th Inf. Regt. "I have complete trust in my guys that we can achieve our goal here today as a platoon and at the company level." The Soldier's objective on this day was to move as a platoon, using tried and true Infantry tactics to breach an obstacle and attacking a fixed position. Before the troops assaulted the hill, they would need a little help to gain the advantage by adhering to the infantry mantra to always initiate contact with the most casualty-producing weapon at hand. A supporting element of the battalion pulled their gun trucks into defilade to give a coordinated and overwhelming support-by-fire to the rifle platoon making the actual assault. Soldiers firing truck-mounted machine guns initiated contact at the onset of the assault. The breach and assault squads then charged from their covered and concealed position in order to take the objective. Though a training exercise, it's also vital because it mirrored the intensity and concentration of the real-world operations they could encounter together if deployed to a combat zone, said Soldiers in the unit. Army Maj. Chris Walter, the battalion's executive officer, stressed to the men the importance of situational awareness when it comes to operating on a platoon- and company-level assault because of the coordination required with units to the left and right. "If this was a real scenario I'm going to send a company, that's how we get things done effectively," said Walter, "and you'll have platoons operating on either flank." Once the pinging sounds of the rounds impacting the metal targets subsided, the assault and breach squads bounded toward the hilltop objective, using dirt berms for cover and implementing individual movement tactics to move toward the enemy position. Once the assault was complete, the Soldiers faced another challenge - saving one of their own who had been wounded in the assault. The gunshot wound was simulated, all part of the training, and the platoon setup security positions around the "injured" sergeant as his others carried him to the relative safety of a trench to provide care and call in a helicopter medical evacuation request. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more..." Shakespeare said in "Henry V," the phrase mirroring the Soldiers from the 1-160th Inf. Regt. as they prepared for other missions.
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course
 By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith,
  38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise
 By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry,
  Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska
 By 156th Wing
  More
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course Guard News • 3 hours ago
 38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise Guard News • 11 hours ago
 Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska Guard News • 11 hours ago
 Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 2024 (196)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil