Army conducts first training onsite Published Sept. 13, 2013 By Jenny Gordon Robins Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- A light cloud cover, bright sunlight and the constant humming of pesky mosquitoes and locusts under a canopy of dense foliage couldn't keep members of the Army's 138th Military Intelligence Co. from proficiency training in the field. In an area behind PAVE PAWS on the southeastern end of base, three training stations were set up, each reflecting a core skill set maintained through the Army - land navigation, first aid and survival skills. The 138th MI, a detachment of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, support the mission of the Air Force's Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System; they're one of a number of non-Air Force organizations at Robins. Due to the drawdown overseas, their numbers here currently stand at about 79. Their soldiers train and fly with Air Force E-8C aircrews, working together in areas of mission planning and flight coordination. The training event conducted Sept. 6 included 38 members, the most at any time for this initial collective training. Capt. Donald Bell, in charge of training, said that in the future there will be quarterly events to not only bring everyone together as needed, but to conduct refresher training unique to the Army. "This is all a learning experience, as much for the staff as for the participants," said Bell. "While we do a lot of planning and operations, we don't do this level of training collectively very much." Before the sun came up, soldiers were ready at 6 a.m. to gear up for the 3.5-mile road march to the training location. But it was no regular hike. Leaving the fitness facility, each strapped on a 35-pound rucksack that contained everything they'd need until departure time in the early afternoon. Once on site, each soldier spent about 90 minutes rotating stations. At the medical station, an instructor spoke about how to properly lift an injured person onto a stretcher, while giving clear direction, as well as how to tend to the injured and take cover while being fired at by an enemy. Survival skills took members into a patch of woods where they built man-made shelters using ponchos or natural resources. Various specially-tied knots were demonstrated, which each help to hold materials in place. Land navigation sent teams into the woods to find and plot designated destination points on a map. The course ran no longer than 55 minutes. Reading maps is a skill taught in basic training, and an essential one since many use it to connect the dots while flying. These areas highlight what is trained while at Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape, or SERE, training for both Army and Air Force crews who fly. Should an aircraft go down in a territory, whether in a desert, arctic or tropical environment, the skills are needed to survive. It's yet another distinct aspect at Robins for members of the 138th MI - Army-trained soldiers who learn survival skills in any climate on earth, but also go along for the ride high above it all aboard Air Force JSTARS. "I'd say this is probably the most unique assignment for an imagery analyst," said Bell.