The Hyde Challenge

The Hyde Challenge, as I mentioned in my last real blog entry, was the name of the culminating exercise for Cadet Basic Training this year. It began by air assaulting into Camp Buckner in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter (below). The flight path took us over the terrain we would be covering and then landed in LZ Owl just outside of Buckner. Upon landing we held security on the landing zone until the bird took off and then scrambled to a safer location. For most companies this marked the beginning of the actual military operation; however, for scheduling reasons we got flown out the day before we started so we just walked to the bays (rudimentary barracks- old bunk-house style).The next morning we started our operation in trucks leaving from LZ Owl. We had been given an operations order (OPORD) on what was supposed to be happening for the day but the entire Hyde Challenge was based on FRAGOs, fragmentation orders or last minute changes to the plan. This meant that as the squad leader, I knew virtually nothing about what was going to happen. I was given the FRAGO before we loaded the truck and had 3 minutes to brief my squad on the situation. The truck was completely covered over and the drivers were instructed to drive as they would on a normal operation so we got tossed around pretty good back there. We arrived at the first site- a rifle range with pop-up targets- and were immediately getting screamed at by site cadre. They were beating the sides of the truck and shouting while combat noises were being played over a loud-speaker. This caused a lot of confusion and stress for the new cadets who had to jump out of the truck, grab two magazines and sprint to the firing line and engage targets (all in full gear). The next range was similar but they also incorporated smoke grenades and target discrimination (there were civilians mixed in with the enemy).

After the second range I was briefed on what we were going to do next. I was told that intelligence reports gave us the location of weapons caches scattered throughout the mountains and that my squad was to go find them with the help of local nationals. I was given coordinates and told to find the location on the map and brief my driver on the route and location. My truck driver looked at me when I started to brief and said "I already know where we're going, but be ready to get dropped off in the wrong spot." Fun.

When we arrived at the wrong destination I was told to select an acting squad leader and go brief higher on the two engagements we had just encountered. I left my squad and hoped for the best. The task they had was basically land navigation and the planners were paranoid that the squad leaders would help their own squads too much so my "briefing higher" was acting as the local national accompanying- but not helping- another squad (which found none of the weapons caches and barely made it back on time).

From there, we walked to a reservoir and paddled a zodiac boat across it to reach the other side and receive coordinates to another location. The guy who told us where to go gave us bad coordinates so we spent half an hour pulling security about a click (km) to the south of where we were supposed to be while waiting for a convoy that never showed up. Turns out, we were supposed to stumble upon our convoy which had just been ambushed. There were two casualties and we had to secure the area, provide treatment and call in for a medevac (medical evacuation). The next FRAGO was that there were two more people, an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD, if you don't know what I mean go watch the Hurt Locker) team, and nobody knew where they were.

When we found the team the EOD specialist was dead and the driver had minor injuries. There was a robot there and the driver had no idea how to use it but there was an IED that had to be taken care of. Neither my new cadets nor myself had ever seen this thing before so it was an interesting adventure figuring out how to make it work.

For the final section we had to go find another local national and get an intelligence update from him. He sent my squad up a hill (more of a cliff face) where we had a memorial service for 1LT Daniel Hyde who was killed in combat in Iraq in 2007. Though the climb was difficult and everyone was tired, it was the favorite event for every new cadet. It was a fitting way to end their training, reminding them of why they are where they are and the commitment they are making. It can be intimidating sometimes to think about the responsibilities and risks involved with what we choose to do, but it is vital that we never forget.

Darkness fell as we descended the cliff. Once we reached the bottom my squad moved to our patrol base where the night phase commenced. It consisted of a normal patrol base* with each squad conducting an hour long recon mission during the night. Somewhere in the woods, we were told, was an old building where a high-ranking enemy leader was staying. We were to go, find the house and report back what we found. My squad did not find the house but we encountered the enemy leader (and almost got caught by him) and found the HMMWV he was using for transportation- still a successful recon. Upon completion of the night phase (about 0600) we moved to a pick-up site and were trucked back to Buckner. Thus ended the Hyde Challenge.

*A patrol base is set up as a perimeter with the leadership in the center and people along the outside pulling security. Normally you will have no less than 50% security which means 50% of your people will be awake and watching/waiting for an enemy attack.