Krtsanisi, Georgia -- Georgian Train and Equip Program soldiers receive a gamut of training, to include land mine warfare, claymore anti-personnel mine employment and live fire hand grenade practical application.
As part of the curriculum, the soldiers learn the basics of each subject, to include detecting land mines, marking and reporting minefields, setting up claymore mines and proper techniques of throwing hand grenades.
"These subjects are focused on skills that all infantry soldiers need to know to be competent in the combat environment," says Sgt. Marc V. Boyd, Instructor/Trainer, Team 3, GTEP, and Mountain Home, Idaho native.
During the land mine warfare classes, the soldiers are taught the nomenclature of a mine and the components of a mine. They are also taught the types of mines, to include anti-tank and anti-personnel, and to detect, mark, and report mines and minefields.
"The importance of teaching the Georgians about land mine warfare is to ensure that if a squad or platoon of men find themselves in a mine field, they don't panic," stated Staff Sgt. Fernando N. Gomez, Assistant Team Leader, Team 2, GTEP, and Austin, Texas native. He also pointed out that the soldiers must "... use the proper technique to find their way out and mark and report the mine field to higher to ensure others know where it is located."
Claymore mine classes are given with the emphasis being placed on the claymore being utilized as a key weapon to be employed in an ambush, defense position or used to provide anti-personnel capabilities for patrol base defense.
"The claymore mine is reliable, light weight, waterproof and retractable and can be used in numerous situations," said Staff Sgt. Eric M. Shedd, Instructor/Trainer, Team 1, GTEP, and Anaheim, Calif. native.
Hand grenades are used for close-in fighting, trench and building clearing and urban warfare. Smoke grenades are used for marking and obscuring the battlefield. Both are used in GTEP training.
Importance is also placed on grenade throwing technique.
"The importance of proper throwing technique is to ensure the grenade is thrown far enough to ensure fellow soldiers are not injured and far enough to be effective in combat," said Sgt. Brian D. Knutson, Instructor/Trainer, Team 1, GTEP, and Sequim, Wash. native.