Army on target in latest Makua exercise

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

Mortars and artillery fire fell on Makua Valley yesterday — and in all the right places — as the Army completed its second live-fire exercise since returning to the Wai'anae Coast valley for a week of training on Oct. 15.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry breach a wire obstacle at Makua Valley. Yesterday marked the first time in more than 16 months that the soldiers had conducted combined arms live-fire training. U.S. Army photo

The Army stopped firing mortars during the previous exercise at Makua after a shell fell more than 30 feet outside a fire-break road.

"We changed the positions and all rounds landed in the impact area," Capt. Stacy Bathrick, a spokeswoman for the 25th Infantry Division (Light) said yesterday. "It was a successful exercise."

One of three companies from the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment took part in the exercise. Troops made a blank-fire run-through on Tuesday before starting the live-fire training, which incorporates 105 mm artillery, 81 mm and 60 mm mortars, and .50-caliber machine guns.

The Army said it was the first time in more than 16 months that the company has conducted combined arms live-fire training.

"We're confident that our soldiers are receiving the proper training they have needed for so long now," Bathrick said, "and we look forward to training the other two companies in the 1-14 before they deploy to Bosnia."

The 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry is deploying to Bosnia in March to be part of the U.S. peacekeeping force.

As part of a legal settlement with community group Malama Makua, the Army can conduct 37 company-level exercises over the next three years while also completing an environmental impact statement analysis of more than 50 years of military bombardment in the valley.

The 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry's two other companies are expected to conduct live-fire training in Makua on Saturday and Wednesday.