Exactly 1,001 munitions storage bunkers - now mostly empty - still dot the landscape, visible to travelers on the nearby interstate highway. The camp was originally built during World War II to serve as a munitions storage area. Instead, soldiers who want to change their military occupational specialty learn infantry skills while rucking past tumbleweeds and eerie-looking symmetrical mounds.Ĭamp Umatilla is home to the Oregon National Guard's 1st Infantry Training Battalion of the 249th Regional Training Institute and the only certified Army infantry training academy west of the Mississippi River in the continental United States. That's it right there."Ĭamp Umatilla, near Hermiston, Oregon, lacks the forested landscape and waterfalls usually associated with the Pacific Northwest. "But at the end of the day, you have to be able to carry 70 pounds of gear over a long distance, sleep in a hole, eat lousy food, use hand and arm signals in a crazy environment, through the worst inclement weather, and get a job done. "These tactics, techniques and procedures will change weapons will change," he said. "These two individuals have delivered exactly what we hoped for them to deliver."Īnd whatever slight changes come to how the Army trains infantry soldiers, men and women, the major demands will remain the same, Black said. 1st Class Eddie Black, MOS-T infantry instructor. "The way we train soldiers, the intensity, and what we expect from them, that hasn't changed at all," said Sgt. Though there have been changes to the course program of instruction in the past year - adding measurable skill sets and reducing PowerPoint time - how the course is taught overall hasn't changed with women joining the ranks, Black said. "This is the first one where I think they'll make it through. "We've actually had other classes with females they just didn't make it all the way through," Austin said. 1st Class Ryan Austin, course manager for the 249th Regional Training Institute’s infantry courses, said he could tell Sargeant and Brezynski both had what it took to be in the infantry. "I've always been in male-dominated industries," Brezynski said. She, too, said she had no special feelings about being one of the first women in infantry. Heidi Brezynski of the Washington National Guard transitioned from the 68W (health care specialist) MOS. Otherwise, it's just been work hard, pay attention, learn everything you can." That was probably the most challenging mentally. "The difficulty of the ruck march was probably the most surprising, but I think everybody kind of realized that. "It's going well," said Sargeant, who works as a cadre of the Washington Military Department’s Washington Youth Academy, as well. Asked whether she was proud to be one of the first women to join the infantry, she said, "No. Sargeant of the Washington National Guard transitioned from the 88M (motor transport operator) MOS. In August, two women successfully completed the 249th RTI's Infantry Transition Course, making them among the first enlisted women to transition to infantry. Shelby Atkins of the Wyoming National Guard became the Army's first female enlisted infantry Soldier in May. In December, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the Army would open all branches and specialties to women. Jennifer Sargeant of the Washington National Guard says she’s not interested in talking about being one of the first women to join the infantry. Jennifer Sargeant of the Washington National Guard Oregon training ground helps Washington National Guard infantry
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