Bison Company’s cold weather training succeeds in Bethel

ANCHORAGE — Alaska Army National Guard's Bison Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment engaged in a cold weather training exercise in Bethel Feb. 2 through Feb. 4.

According to a recent press release, those who participated in the training showed "readiness and resilience," and it emphasized Bethel's importance as a training ground that challenges soldiers to adapt and excel in real-world scenarios.

“It's just you, your rucksack, and the terrain… During our snowshoe ruck, I wasn’t initially sure about my gear—polypro, waffletops, and [soft shell jacket]—but trusted my noncommissioned officers. Wearing the right gear broke the wind, and I maintained a comfortable temperature, crucial in preventing freezing due to precipitation or sweat,"

Alaska Army Guard 1st Lt./Bison Company’s rear detachment commander from Fairbanks Troy Irish stated in the press release. “Coming from JRTC in the summer, we've been really training hard for [warm weather] and getting ready to be deployable… Bethel is kind of the perfect training area for that.”

The infantry unit underwent realistic training exercises that intensely tested their field-craft skills, individual movement over arctic terrain, and arctic transportation proficiency over the three day training period.

They demonstrated their abilities by operating Small Unit Support Vehicles and sleeping in the snow in negative temperatures.

They were equipped with the Army Modular Sleep System which contains a patrol sleeping bag, intermediate cold weather bag, and waterproof bivy cover and successfully insulated themselves in temperatures ranging from -10 to -15 with a -20-degree wind chill.

"The sleep systems are rated to a certain negative temperature, and we were nearing that overnight. So, there were a lot of Soldiers that were kind of cold. But nobody was injured. Nobody was hypothermic. They did what they were supposed to do," Irish stated in the press release.

The primary purpose for this training exercise was to get the unit reacquainted with arctic conditions, testing systems, familiarizing with gear, and operating in a non-tactical environment.

The training regimen also involves assembling and using the Ahkio Group, a sled with an arctic 10-person tent and other squad cold-weather supplies.

“We've talked about them a lot, we've done a lot of prep work for them, but I've never really been able to truck them out into the field and use them before,” Spc. Luke Barnes, an infantryman from Palmer stated in the press release. “So, getting to actually take those out in a practical environment where they're necessary and get to set them up was great for me.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com