Fort Hood soldiers head across country for intensive training
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A group of Fort Hood soldiers took part in an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Thursday as a way to evaluate the units which have to prepare and deploy in a short timeframe.
Fort Hood's 2nd squadron from the 38th Cavalry unit was given 24-hours to prepare for their mission Thursday.
"The training is invaluable, especially for these young soldiers who have never done something similar to this,” Cpt. Russell Mitscherling said. “They'll remember this for the rest of their life."
After a short mission briefing, the troops gathered their gear and boarded a C-130 military cargo plane.
"It's a little bit nerve racking because I'm not used to this kind of mission,” Sgt. Daniel Cisneros said. “It's going to be a huge learning experience for me."
At approximately 1,000 feet above Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the troops are expected to bail from the plane and parachute to the ground. In this mission, Fort Bragg will serve as a surrogate for an enemy base.
"After we get down in Fort Bragg and we get situated. That's when we start ramping up,” Cpt. Mitscherling said.
Once in the ground, the troops will scout the area for any potential dangers.
"They're getting top-notch training,” Cpt. Mitscherling said. “This is the premiere training event for the United States Army."