2008 Annual Report - West Virginia Army National Guard - U.S. Army

West Virginia National Guard Annual Report 2008
2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
During 2008, West Virginia elements of
the 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group
(Airborne) -- Headquarters, Support Company,
Company C, and Detachment 1 concentrated on
future operations. The Battalion will deploy for
the third time in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom in Afghanistan. This marks the
first time in National
Guard Special Forces
history that an entire
Battalion has deployed.
2/19th members
continued to be
tasked for deployments
this year with
the Battalion sending
soldiers to support
Operation Jump Start
in New Mexico. The
mission entailed enforcement of border security
and the construction of a border fence. Facing
dangerous drug runners and desperate gang (MS-
13) groups running across the border, the soldiers’
years of experience directly impacted U.S.
Customs and Border Patrol capabilities. Some
locations were so remote that troops were flown
in by helicopter. Soldiers were put at specific
locations to spot undocumented aliens and drug
traffickers. During their deployment, millions of
dollars in drug trade were diverted and several
thousand undocumented aliens were arrested.
All soldiers returned safe after a job well done.
In May, the Battalion sent soldiers to
HAVE ACE Training at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Soldiers participated in Close Quarters Combat,
Fast Rope Operations, Latter’s, Helo Cast,
Airborne Operations, and specifically Close Air
Support training. Special Forces teams learned
to effectively call for fire using C-130 Specter
gunship aircraft and several Air Force Special
Operations helicopters.
In June 2008, the Battalion conducted its
Annual Training at Camp Atterbury, Ind. Soldiers
conducted several courses, including Spe-
cial Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC),
Special Operations Target Interdiction Course ,
and Special Forces Basic Combat Course-Support.
SFAUC has become an important part
of the Special Forces training program. SFAUC
is operations in urban terrain, which involves
engaging only hostile forces,
sophisticated shooting techniques,
identifying the target
and engaging, breaching and
entering buildings. The course
prepares Special Forces soldiers
for the mountains of
Afghanistan and the desert
and cities of Iraq where operators
have consistently found it
necessary to kick in doors and
clear rooms.
The Special Ops Target
Interdiction Course trains special operators on
troubleshooting the Sniper Weapons System;
engagement of moving and snap targets; sniper
tactics for unconventional warfare, direct action,
counterterrorism, combat search and rescue, and
counter sniper situations.
Several soldiers from Support Company
participated in the Special Forces Basic Combat
Course during annual training. These soldiers
were instructed in Small Arms Tactics, Close
Quarters Battle, Convoy Operations, medical
procedures, and an overall stress inoculation in a
combat environment.
Annual training culminated in a three
course Field Training Exercise at the Muscatatuck
Urban Training Center in Indiana.
Soldiers were able to test their skills and work
as a team to accomplish the mission. A Guard
Experience magazine story about this training
can be found in GX magazine, Volume 5, Issues
4 and 5. At the time of publication, the men
of the 2nd Battalion 19th Special Forces Group
(Airborne) are mobilized in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom.
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