Thunder Rumblings
Commander's Update, January 23, 2004
Tim Ryan, LTC, Commanding Officer
2/12th Cavalry
Well, another week has quickly passed us by here in Kuwait. You will all be happy to know that your troopers are in exceptionally high spirits and doing well. We have been training hard each day and resting well at night. The last couple of days have really tested our ability to execute multiple events and do them all well.
First, the ship with all of our equipment finally came in this week in the midst of a multitude of training tasks we were already doing. It arrived in the nick of time too! We were just getting ready to begin the mounted portion of our training when our tanks, trucks, trailers and everything else we couldn’t carry on the airplane showed up. In one case, the convoy of vehicles rolled in from the port as late as 0300 (AM) only to get loaded up with ammunition and sent back out of camp by lunch-time for a three day stint at the range. Responding to all of the changes in the schedule and executing the short-fused missions has taken a very disciplined effort by our soldiers and NCOs to make it happen, but we haven’t missed suspense yet. Absolutely great work on their part and I couldn’t be prouder of them all.
Here is a snapshot of some the training we’ve done over the last few days, even while receiving our equipment. A Company has been out since Wednesday training Close Quarters Marksmanship and Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT). This training teaches the soldiers to shoot their rifles quickly and accurately in close quarters as an individual and as part of a team. On days two and three of the three-day training, they work on live-fire room clearing at the team and ultimately at the platoon and company level. The guys are really fired up about it and they get better and more confident each day.
Headquarters, B and C Companies as well as the Scout and Mortar Platoons completed the MOUT training over the last week and they all moved down to the Convoy Live Fire lanes. This two-day long live-fire exercise is designed to train soldiers how to react to a variety of threats they might encounter while conducting a convoy or any mounted movement through a built-up area. They learn to react to an improvised explosive device (IED), react to an ambush, fire their rifles and machine guns from their Humvees and trucks on the move while part of a group of vehicles and call for a MEDEVAC helicopter. Although we trained on many of these tasks back home, we can train with more realism here in the wide-open western Kuwaiti desert. Again, some excellent training that will go a long way toward ensuring that we can all deal with whatever the bad guys give us.
Here are a few other notes before I close. The APO address we put out before we left (APO 09379) is now officially open for business. It began processing mail as of 0600 on 22 January. If you sent anything before that time, it was probably sent back to you and you’ll have to send it again. Once we get to Baghdad, we will get a unit number to add to the APO, which works like a “zip +four” in the States, but the mail will still get to us using the rank, name, unit (2-12 CAV, 1 CD) and APO address. While we have access to PX facilities and we have a very good dining facility, cookies and home made baked goods are hard to come by around here (just a hint!). So, keep those cards and letters coming.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Your troopers do you and your country proud each day. We will watch over them, train them and keep them safe. Please take care.
LTC Tim Ryan