Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.
10, 2011
Female engagement teams open new doors
Story by Sgt. Seth Barham
photos by Spc. April York
2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO
Female Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 4th Infantry Division were recently
brought together to form female engagement
teams to support the brigade’s upcoming
mission to Afghanistan.
“Our goal is to actively interact with the
women of Afghanistan so we can better
understand the issues they may have,” said
1st Lt. Ashley Russell, the officer-in-charge of
the FETs. “We will engage 50 percent of the
country’s population while at the same time
giving the Afghan women a voice.”
Each FET consisst of two to three female
Soldiers who will travel with units conducting
missions within their area of operations,
Russell said. Every maneuver company within
the brigade will have a team.
The teams attended two weeks of classroom
training in early January at Fort Carson and
have continued their training with practical
and situational training exercises at the Joint
Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, La.
for the past week.
Their training sessions at JRTC focused
on using translators to communicate, said
Sgt. 1st Class Paul Lapointe, civil affairs
noncommissioned officer-in-charge for the
brigade.
Lapointe, who is also a lead instructor for
the FET training, believes the training is going
so well because the women are enthusiasticly
embracing the opportunity to contribute to
the mission in a unique way.
“The most important aspect of the training
is getting the female Soldiers to understand
Issue 45 Feb.
that there is very little difference between
them and the women of Afghanistan,” he said.
The FETs will continue to gain experience
throughout 2nd BCT’s month-long rotation at
JRTC, said Chief Warrant Officer Lisa Yeager,
an integrated electronic warfare technician
with Company A, 2nd Special Troops
Battalion.
“The training is very important so we can
make our interactions with the Afghan women
more natural for us,” said Yeager, who is part
of the FETs. “I’m confident we will get there.”
“We need to have our military personnel
interacting with the populace of Afghanistan,
to include the female population, because
ignorance breeds contempt,” said Lapointe.
“With these female engagement teams, we will
lessen ignorance on both sides.”
page 2 Warhorse Pride Issue 45 Feb. 10, 2011

204th zeros their miles gear

Apache Troop trains with ANSF

1-10 utilizes Warrior Skills Trainer Maintenance and Distribution Platoons.

The platoon leaders must be able to use all
combat enablers available to engage the enemy.
Story by 2nd Lt. Bobby Williams Jr. the Iraq’s flat. Platoon leaders accomplish this task using the
1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment
WST also allows commanders to place acronym C-A-V, developed by 1-10 Cavalry
Warhorse Soldiers train for combat in an armored vehicles, aircraft, improvised Squadron Commander Lt. Col. John Cook.
environment that closely resembles a combat explosive devices (IEDs), and even suicide Cook believes all leaders should Coordinate for
zone, known as the Warrior Skills Trainer. bombers into operators’ battle spaces. Virtually support needed for mission success, Anticipate,
WST is a state of the art battle simulator all aspects of the scenario can be set to meet the additional assets and mission demands, and
with 360 degree projection screens and Commanders intent. Whether it is the attitude Verify, the fulfillment of all requisitions.
computerized High Mobility Multipurpose of the local populace or drastic changes “As a gunner, I realize that my main priority
Wheeled Vehicles. in weather, the WST allows commanders is to scan for enemy in my sector, focusing
The weapons used to defeat the enemy in to change the operational environment to on anything else would lead to the loss of
each simulation include the M4 automatic rifle, maximize training effects. 360 degree security in the convoy. The more
the M2 machine gun, and the M240B machine Soldiers of D-FSC 204th BSB led by experienced Soldiers have the opportunity to
gun. Drivers can maneuver vehicles on virtual Company Commander, CPT Hannah K. teach the new Soldiers what to expect during
screens while vehicle crew commanders track Seversen, participated in the Warrior Skills combat and how to take charge if need be.
vehicle movement on Blue Force Trackers Trainer at Fort Carson, Jan. 26-27. D-FSC is WST provides the perfect resources to make
located inside of the vehicles. a Forward Support Company that typically this happen,” said Spc. Martinez.
WST allows commanders to place Troops in handles all maintenance and logistical “WST training overall is an excellent
mounted and dismounted operations, which operations for a battalion sized element. As opportunity. Forcing the least experienced
resemble today’s battlefields. Commanders can the commander, Seversen used the Warrior Soldiers to react in a high-stress situation was a
choose the Afghan mountainous landscapes or Skills Trainer to assess the gun crews in the great training experience,” said Pfc. Kirk.

Warhorse Pride
Col. John S. Kolasheski..................2nd BCT Commander
Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph Delosa............2nd BCT CSM
Maj. Kevin Toner...............................................2nd BCT PAO
Spc. April York........................................Layout and Design
Sgt. Seth Barham............................................................Editor
Sgt. Ruth Pagan...............................................................Editor
The Warhorse Pride is produced in the interest of the fairs Office.
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