An A-10C Thunderbolt II from the 107th Fighter Squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., flies toward ground targets during exercise Mountain Peak at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 29, 2012. U.S. Air Force joint terminal attack controllers directed the aircraft toward ground targets during the annual exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
U.S. Army soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, Alpha Battery Company, 2nd Platoon, fires an M119 Howitzer at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 26, 2012.The M119 can be moved quickly and employed to provide maximum fire power without requiring a recoil pit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
A U.S. Army soldier from the 10th Mountain Division, 4-31 Infantry Battalion, Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon, conceals himself during a training scenario at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 25, 2012. The soldier and his platoon needed to remain unseen to successfully engage a village during the joint training exercise Mountain Peak. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
U.S. Army soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division, 4-31 Infantry Battalion, Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon, plan a strategic advancement toward an objective during a training scenario during exercise Mountain Peak at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 25, 2012. Their objective was to engage a village and capture a high value target. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Yorke Goddard, 20th Air Support Operations Squadron joint terminal attack controller, and Airman 1st Class Titus Baker, 20th ASOS radio operator, maintenance and driver, work with U.S. Army Soldiers during exercise Mountain Peak at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 25, 2012. This exercise is held annually and prepared more than 10,000 service members for future deployments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
U.S. Army soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division, 4-31 Infantry Battalion, Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon, scan the surroundings during a training scenario at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 25, 2012. The soldiers ensured the area remained safe while the rest of their platoon infiltrated a village. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Diaz, 10th Mountain Division, 4-31 Infantry Battalion, Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon, takes aim during a training scenario at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 25, 2012. Diaz ensured the area was clear of hostile forces before moving forward. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
U.S. Army Private 1st Class Ryan Francus, 10th Mountain Division, 4-31 Infantry Battalion, Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon, takes aim during a training scenario at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 25, 2012. Francus established security while his fellow platoon members performed self-aid and buddy care. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
A U.S. Army soldier from the 10th Mountain Division, 4-31 Infantry Battalion, Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon, performs self-aid and buddy care on a soldier from his platoon during a training scenario at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 25, 2012. The scenario gave soldiers an opportunity to gain experience in a realistic environment before being deployed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Karl Skidmore, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1-32 Infantry Battalion, executive officer, talks with a platoon after completing a training scenario at Fort Drum, N.Y., July 25, 2012. Skidmore gave feedback on how the platoon could improve their movement in future scenarios. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis/Released)
by Airman 1st Class Douglas Ellis
23d Wing Public Affairs
8/8/2012 - Fort Drum, N.Y. -- The 10th Mountain Division hosted its largest exercise in over a decade to prepare soldiers and Airmen for future training and deployments.
More than 10,000 service members participated in Mountain Peak, a large-scale training exercise July 23 through Aug. 2.
"The most unique aspect of Mountain Peak is that it is the largest local exercise that any Army Division has held since Sept. 11, 2001," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Zachary Wood, 20th Air Support Operations Squadron commander. "They are rolling every aspect of training into this, including opposing forces."
On the third day, a platoon assaulted pop-up targets in a village using live ammunition and captured a high value target during a training scenario. Afterward, a training observer briefed the soldiers on improvements that could be made.
"Anytime you get a chance to go in the field and work out kinks in your organization, that's one mistake you're not going to make downrange" said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Karl Skidmore, 3rd Brigade Combat Team 1-32 Infantry Battalion executive officer.
The exercise also gave experience to new platoon leaders before they deploy by giving them the opportunity to utilize air assets to safely advance in position on the ground.
"I'm seeing mistakes that I made when I was a young platoon leader, and thank God I made them here instead of downrange where it counted," said Skidmore. "That to me is what this is all about."
U.S. Air Force joint terminal attack controllers also participated in the exercise. Their role was to control the airborne assets and provide expertise on how to best employ airpower within the soldiers' scheme of maneuver.
"We give soldiers downrange the advantage of close air support, which is something that our current enemy does not have at this time," said Senior Airman Yorke Goddard, 20th ASOS JTAC.
During the training, JTACs gained more knowledge on how the Army operates on foot, which improved the way they employ close-air-support with soldiers on the ground.
"It is good to have them here because the more they understand about what we do on the ground, the better they can direct those air assets in support of us," said Skidmore.
Mountain Peak was a chance for soldiers and Airmen to work together before deploying with one another downrange. By training together, they gained a better understanding of how to benefit from each other in combat.
"It has really been an honor and a privilege to work with the Air Force in support of this exercise," said U.S. Army Maj. Brian Ducote, 3rd Brigade Combat Team operations officer. "I cannot say enough good things about the support that the Air Force has given us."
