I wasn't putting much attention to what I was doing, because I was trying to rush through the jungle. Someday we might have to fight in this environment, and we have the tendency to be afraid of what we don't know. I'm still afraid of snakes, but at least I know what to expect. The STX week teaches specific skills needed by the infantrymen, scouts, mortarmen and engineers. Mortarmen run through an employment and maneuver live fire.
Engineers learn field-expedient demolitions.
In an open battlefield, a platoon or company-sized element may be dedicated to one overall mission, led by a single voice. In the jungle, the squad leader or scout are often at the center of the action, said Cpl. Jeffery Frazey, a team leader. You're talking about several hundred guys out there, trying to link up and mass their fires on one objective. You begin to lose that command and control.