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Ft. Bamberg, Germany
For Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT) I went to a Route Clearance Company stationed in Bamberg, Germany. Even though I was in Germany I did not experience much of the German culture. In fact, the most interaction I had with the German culture was in the airport. The day after I landed in the country the Company left for the field, which was a great experience, but with little sleep.
The first week in the field was spent on various weapons ranges. We went from qualifying on the M249 SAW one day, to the M4/M16 the next, to the .50 cal, and then back to the M16/M4 range for long range marksmanship. I had the opportunity to shoot many of these weapon systems as well as act as a RSO (Range Safety Officer). During this week we also conducted a 20 mile ruck march on our "day off."
The next week was full of classes on how to detect IED's using various counter IED equipment. At the same time soldiers were getting hands on training with the equipment, others drew equipment for the upcoming MRX (Mission Readiness Exercise). The MRX was conducted to prepare for the company's fast approaching deployment to Afghanistan.
The MRX, which lasted the remaining two weeks I had in Germany, was done in coordination with the Romanians, Czechs, Georgians, and Afghan Armies. The Platoons in the Route Clearance Company would travel on the roads clearing them of IED's in order to facilitate follow on missions by the other Armies. Working in conjunction with other Armies I had the opportunity to sit in on mission briefs poorly translated into English and get a glimpse of how other Armies operate.
During the MRX I travelled with 4th Platoon acting as a Truck Commander for various vehicles such as the Buffalo, an RG31 and a MATV. For one of our missions I acted as the Platoon Leader. I prepared the mission brief, established target reference points, coordinated with the company medics and maintenance Units and briefed the plan. After overseeing all the mission preparation it was time for execution. I lead a convoy of 9 vehicles with 4 .50 cals mounted and 35 personnel. During the 12 hour mission I also had an AWT (Air Weapons Team) of 4 Apache Helicopters on station for 4 hours.
All in all, CTLT was a great learning experience that provided many opportunities that Cadets don't normally have. I recommend CTLT to any Cadets considering it. I learned a lot about the role of a Platoon Leader and how to interact with the Platoon Sergeant and Squad Leaders, which was perhaps the most valuable part of CTLT.
CDT Tessmann