European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 6, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse 3apt. Meta Iris Little War Story and photos by Chuck Vinch Munich Bureau t it Soi dims of co d. ?93rd engr in Hadt f in in to Tito if in try Lor two Days and itch when they in inn closing in on a soviet Encampment in the Foro to Northam of and top. Germany the enemy . Feeling relatively Safe behind their own Linns had ret up a Small lire to Ward Oil the pro Dawn chill. Stid Dortly the Forest erupted with the staccato beat of Unchino runs and the crack of m 16s As the nyme Erv opened up on the Camp with everything they a voice boomed out of the blackness Don t Bunch up1 slay on line keep firing keep firing the soviets ought Back hard but they were outnumbered the ghostly figures of the platoon of engineers emerged from the Trees and overran the Camp setting up a defensive perimeter. They searched dead enemy soldiers and blew up ammunition arms and supplies. Then they melted Back into the Forest to pick up their equipment and continue on their Long journey Back to Friendly lines. Capt. Robert Brady cast a critical Eye on the proceedings. This unit is doing he said. Usually by now some platoons Are completely flaked out on their backs with their arms spread and their eyes rolled up in their Heads these Guys Are still fairly Alert. At least i Don t hear anyone Brady is running this Little War. It s a three Day held exercise that Caps another 12-Day Cycle o the platoon Confidence training course at Camp Worden. Near bad Toel Brady commands 17 Rock hard special forces troops who run the course. And they Cut no Slack. The troops who go through the course probably do More push ups than they be done since Basic training. Four hours of sleep a night is the Norm. Yet there is no problem filling the course quotas the array in Europe has added More slots to accommodate the platoons that want to go through it. Why simple. It s great to get away from the desk said 2nd it. Scott Prinz leading a platoon irom the 66th my co from Karlsruhe. I do a lot o admin Type work Back in Garrison but in combat i d have to interact with my platoon. It s a Good Chance to find out their strengths and weaknesses As Well As my the course is a no Dills affair. Troops bunk on cots in Huis Al Camp Worder which is As lean and spare As the instructors All airborne rangers sometimes known As Green berets. We run four platoons through the course per Cycle and about go percent Are combat arms said Brady. But we get engineers and military police and once we had a chemical unit it s Good for them because platoons Don t often get to go Oft by themselves and train usually they train As part of a larger the program heavily emphasizes land navigation on foot and patrolling things that most units Don t practice nearly enough. Brady said. All soldiers no matter what their regular jobs should be Able to patrol and be familiar with land navigation he says. Enemy doctrine currently Calls for air assaults into our rear areas. Maps and rear area troops Are going to be called upon to patrol vigorously. They re going to have to know the course is Tough and the Pace can take its toll on platoons not accustomed to such a regimen. But that s when 1st sgt. Donald Purdy kicks into gear. Brady Calls Purdy. A 17-year combat Veteran with 14 of those years in special forces a legend among when motivation lags Purdy is the Man to do a bit of chewing out As he did one afternoon following an exercise in which he Elt the platoons had Given less than their All. I want you to go out there like you want to kill somebody Purdy bellowed his ice Blue eyes flashing As he paced Back and Orth in Iron of the assembled platoons standing at rigid attention. That s right. Page 14 the stars and stripes Friday sept
