Evaluation tests battle readiness (and clothing)

[unhappycamper]

Pfc. Jacob Chadwick gets his "stupid GI" sign ready during a mock protest at Twin Bridges training range Wednesday.



Evaluation tests battle readiness (and clothing)
By Erik Slavin, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, January 22, 2008

TWIN BRIDGES, South Korea — It’s cold everywhere in South Korea, but not like Twin Bridges training complex near the Demilitarized Zone.

Throughout last week, the winds swirling down through the hills made temperatures that hovered around single digits feel even colder, the sort of conditions troops fought in during the Korean War.

Although they have the luxury of ducking into heated tents, 2nd Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 38th Artillery soldiers have been braving the conditions since it has been holding an external evaluation since last week.

The evaluation, controlled by the 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery, is an approximately 10-day simulation of an invasion scenario.

“I’m hanging in there … as long as I’ve got the right clothing,” said a purple-faced Pvt. John Hannah, of Dallas, on Wednesday from underneath enough layers of polypropylene and nylon to enter the Iditarod dog sled race.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51803