The 10th Mountain Division Artillery Brigade holds its annual winterization training Sept. 22, 2023, inside the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, conference room in Fort Drum, New York. Soldiers look on as Sgt. Luke Harty, DIVARTY land and ammo noncommissioned officer, instructs on how to properly wear the Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System for the winter months to come. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kasimir Jackson)
Division Artillery conducts winterization training
Spc. Kasimir Jackson
27th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Oct. 11, 2023) — The 10th Mountain Division Artillery Brigade held its annual winterization training Sept. 22 inside the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, conference room. The training covered potential threats Soldiers could face when performing alpine field exercises during the cold winter months.
“During the months of November until March, it is extremely important that we mitigate any potential risk for our personnel,” said Cpt. Austin Niblett, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 10th Mountain Division Artillery Brigade.
Niblett said his battery specifically looks forward to this winterization training on sustaining personnel and equipment to support our nation’s objectives. For new Soldiers, one of their concerns stems from the winter weather at Fort Drum, but with proper training this is a non-issue.
“Equally as important, this training offers tips to new Soldiers on how to winterize their house for their families,” Niblett said. “We are preparing them for a winter that may be more extreme than what they’re used to.”
Sgt. Luke Harty, land and ammo noncommissioned officer, said he believes all Soldiers stationed at Fort Drum fully need to understand the Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) to help with cold weather conditioning.
“Understanding your environment and being comfortably cold is important,” Harty said. “A lot of people tend to over dress, but having a layering system based on temperature gives you understanding on what you should look like.”
The goal of the ECWS is to give Soldiers a guideline on how to reduce any potential cold-weather injuries. Soldiers should remember the COLD acronym: wear Clean clothing, (Avoid) overheating, and wear Loose and Dry clothing. To remain safe in extreme cold weather, Harty explained that everyone needs to get familiar with a winter layering system.
Soldiers attended multiple classes with hands-on training to prepare for winter. Over the course of a month, Soldiers were instructed on how to drive during winter, operate snow removal equipment, and conduct alpine operations in cold weather. The goal was to prepare Fort Drum personnel to be self-sufficient when the weather changes.