Fort A.P. Hill, Va., opened its new convoy live-fire range Thursday designed to teach soldiers how to react to ambushes that have become commonplace in Iraq.
The 6.3 kilometer course includes several challenging scenarios that require units to engage pop-up targets with live ammunition. There also are situations that expose soldiers to simulated improvised explosive devices and rocket propelled grenades.“We are training for today’s attacks,†said Lt. Col. Earl Kennedy, chief instructor of U.S. Army Transportation School at Fort Eustis, Va.
Excellent news. This supplements training all soldiers receive in basic training and training being done in theater. While this sounds rather obvious in hindsight–especially for people whose understanding of the military shaped by the entertainment industry, where every cook is also a Navy SEAL–soldiers in the transportation business were never prepared for this type of scenario. Traditionally, their work was behind friendly lines. Unfortunately, in modern war, there’s no longer such a line.
