THE GRIFFON • Winter 2013 • 27
Polar Bear Soldiers conduct Basic Training at the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE)
Alpha Company 3-339th 1st Sgt. Lutz observes Drill Sergeant Thomas Vanderhieden brief trainees prior to a dismounted patrol. Photo by 1st Sgt. Christopher Bowers, Company B, 3-339th, 95th Training Division (IET)
By 1st Sgt. Christopher Bowers Company B, 3-339th, 95th Training Division (IET)
FORT BENNING, Ga. — Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 339th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 95th Training Division (IET), supported the 194th Armored Brigade, conducting Basic Combat Training (BCT) at the Maneuver Center for Excellence
(MCoE), Fort Benning, Ga., from July 25 through Oct. 5, 2013. The Polar Bear Soldiers directly supported the 1st Battalion 46th Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiments in BCT. Over a three and half month period, the 3-339th rotated each of the battalions and companies through the MCoE for 17-day Annual Training periods. The mission began for the Polar
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Bears in early May, with the battalion command and staff conducting a coordination meeting with the MCoE brigade and battalion leadership. This was followed by a battalion advance party, and then company rotations. The companies not only sent drill sergeants to Fort Benning, but also the company command and staff to provide command and control (C2) as well. “This was an excellent opportunity to exercise mission development and leadership at all levels,” stated the 3-339th Battalion Commander Lt. Col.William Potterton. “Everyone was able to learn and grow in their jobs, from the Battalion S4 to our newest drill sergeant”. Third of the 339th Command Sergeant Major Lynn Fhyrlund agrees,“We had a great working relationship with our Active Duty counterparts, and mission success was due to every member of the team,AC and RC”. The Reserve Drill Sergeants interacted with their active duty component without skipping a beat. In some cases, Polar Bear Drill Sergeants were placed in AC leadership positions. During the Bravo Company rotation, Polar Bear Drill Sergeant Matthew Steineke was assigned a Platoon Sergeant position, taking charge of the 60 Soldiers and drill sergeants in his assigned company. “It was a great opportunity to validate the leadership and training we conduct during our Battle Assembly all year long”, said Steinek. During the three and half months,
drill sergeants conducted all phases of BCT, from Red Phase to Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM), to Graduation. All total, Polar Bear Battalion Drill Sergeants, trained several thousand new Army Soldiers. In appreciation for their professionalism and hard work, Drill Sergeants Steinek,Aldon Lehman, and Joseph Bessette, along with Supply Sergeants Staff Sgts. Matthew Holschbach and Kimberly Sentek were awarded the Army Achievement Medal from the 1-46th Infantry Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Matthew Scalia for their contributions.
Drill Sergeants Matthew Steinek, Aldon Lehman, and Joseph Bessette received the Army Achievement Medal from the 1-46th Infantry Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Matthew Scalia, and Battalion Command Sgt. Maj. Eugene Q. Dydasco, for their outstanding work “on the trail”. Photo by 1st Sgt. Christopher Bowers, Company B, 3-339th, 95th Training Division (IET)