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Home : Media : News

NEWS | Feb. 8, 2016

94th Military Police Battalion Exhibits Resolve for Sub-zero Degree Training

By Cpl. Jae Young Shin

DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA (Feb. 4, 2016) -- Soldiers, assigned to the 94th Military Police Battalion, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, have brought a new meaning to their "polar bear" mascot following a successful two-week tactical training exercise in freezing-cold conditions at Rodriguez Range, Jan. 25-29.

Polar Bear Tactical Training, or PBTT, encompasses every aspect of the wartime deployment process. Soldiers train from preparation to actual combat engagements.

"It was pretty cold. I remember it went down to minus 4 degrees [Fahrenheit] one night. It was pretty tough to adjust at first," said Sgt. Sasha L. Wilson, squad leader of 3rd squad, 1st platoon, 188th Military Police Company.

PBTT started with an emergency deployment readiness exercise, or EDRE, called "Rolling Thunders." Platoons must pass a rigorous inspection from battalion maintenance experts before rolling out. Once the convoys were ready, a total of 215 Soldiers and 63 vehicles deployed to Rodriguez Range. The company traveled furthest, just under 400 km from Area IV.

The Polar Bears successfully completed a battalion gunnery including qualifications on the M2, M9, M48, Mk 19 grenade launcher, M249 and M240 machine gun. After familiarizing themselves with the weapons, Soldiers moved on to perform more dynamic fire support exercises utilizing vehicles. Individual platoons conducted training on communication, radio setups and individual movement. Throughout the training, teamwork and leadership were critical in boosting the confidence of the young and inexperienced Soldiers.

"Building of Soldier confidence and unit cohesiveness during the conduct of the LFX [live-fire exercises] increased our readiness and ability to 'fight tonight.' You can truly see them getting better and gaining confidence at each step of the LFX as the stages progress from dry fire to blank fire to live fire," said Lt. Col. Jimmy Carlson, battalion commander of the 94th Military Police battalion.

The biggest challenge of the training was the historic cold that struck the Korean peninsula mid-January. Rodriguez Range, the northernmost U.S. Army shooting range in South Korea, did not provide a welcoming environment for the trainees. On the first day of training, the temperature dropped as low as 1 degree Fahrenheit. Chilly winds and a snowy surface certainly challenged the Polar Bear's resolve.

However, cold weather did not stop the hardworking Polar Bears from accomplishing their tasks and returning with commendable results. Once the Soldiers acclimated to the cold, combat prowess came back to life.

All firers qualified by the fifth day of the training. Results were especially encouraging considering only 25 percent of trainees had previously deployed to the field. In what Wilson described as a "well-planned" and "safe" environment, the Polar Bears completed the entirety of the scheduled training with zero accidents.

"I thought the Soldiers did an amazing job. At night in their tents they had heat, but not when they were conducting gunnery, LFX preparation and the actual LFX. I was extremely proud of my Soldiers' physical and mental toughness while operating in an extremely difficult environment," Carlson said.

Polar bears are set to conduct follow-on training this spring during a combined exercise in South Korea.