Seahorse Challenge beefs up training

By 1ST LT. RUDY WATSON
Special to the Turret
The 19th Engineer Battalion took to the field for high-impact realistic training
last week. The battalion engaged in the Seahorse Challenge, a voluntary week-long set of exercises and tasks modeled after the Army’s Sapper Stakes competition. The eight-man teams endured a difficult elimination process whereby no more than two Soldiers were allowed to resign without the team being eliminated. The four-day and three-night scored competition consisted of events at the Fort Knox Afghan Village, improvised explosive device lane, day and night range, day and night land navigation, a day and night stress shoot at Ashley Range, a ruck march, obstacle course, and PT events each morning.
Soldiers typically received three to four hours of sleep per night in temperatures as low as 28 degrees.
The reason behind the sleep deprivation was to “see how you will function under simulated stressful conditions,” said 1st Lt. David Servideo, who coordinated some of the events.
A typical day consisted of a PT event and three various events during the day and one at night.
Sgt. 1st Class Romeo Acker, the noncommissioned office in charge at Ashley Range during the day and night stress shoot, described the luxury of the venue and the training utility gained by Soldiers using night vision goggles. He explained, “Its added benefit is having Soldiers conduct individual movement techniques, target acquisition, and the use of time in gear.”
During the squad patrol at the Afghan Village, Soldiers experienced crowd control techniques, situational awareness, and effective group communication, which kept Soldiers alert.
At the Afghan Village, team members Spcs. Steve Batterman, Nicholas Bale, Pfc. Michael Bellaus, Pvt. Kaila Chalifoux, and Spc. Ray Hamilton described their initial plan: Obtain intelligence from Afghan Village leader “Tim Tebow.” The intelligence they were after was “Who won the Super Bowl?”
It was supposed to be a presence patrol to show they were in the area; they were not expecting enemies. However, Afghan civilians began crowding around them. As the team went to find the Afghan village leader, the team took fire, and one Soldier was wounded. It quickly turned into an evacuation and nine-line medical evacuation situation. They quickly sought cover and returned fire. This exercise reminded team members to expect the unexpected and to stay current on their med-evac nine line skills.
Spc. Steve Batterman described the “good training” at Afghan Village. He said that it was “the best we did so far. (It) made the squad communicate effectively and it was realistic training.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Walton had a similar view; he said the exercise was an attempt to “cut the umbilical cord and provide the kind of realism that Soldiers may experience down range.”
Lt. Col. David Ray, the battalion commander, said the purpose of the exercise was twofold—to increase training management and provide a meaningful venue to challenge soldiers. He described similar exercises that allow Soldiers to plan and execute training events, which takes a successful collaboration among junior officers and NCOs from the ground up.
He said, “You don’t have to be the biggest or strongest, you just need to keep going.”
Lt. Col. Ray credits Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Walton for putting the events together. “He was the driving force behind these events.”
 

Photo by 1st Lt. Jerrod Hartman

ROLE PLAYERS MADE THE VILLAGE look realistic.

Photo by 1st Lt. Jerrod Hartman

SOLDIERS TOOK OVER WHEN THEIR PRESENCE PATROL went a different direction.

Photo by 1st Lt. Jerrod Hartman

THE DAY STARTED OUT WITH A PATROL THAT SOON evolved to a medevac scenario.

Photo by 1st Lt. Jerrod Hartman

THE MORNING BRIEFING told Soldiers what to expect.

Photo by 1st Lt. Rudy Watson

DURING THE NIGHT SHOOT, A SOLDIERS M16 firing trajectory was illuminated through the night vision goggles.