New Guard site at Wappapello to provide urban operations training

WAPPAPELLO, Mo -- A new training facility at the Missouri National Guard's Wappapello Training Site is being erected to give Citizen-Soldiers in Southeast Missouri a chance to practice urban operations training, similar to real-world scenarios currently taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 200-by-200-foot, two-story training facility is called a Military Operations on Urban Terrain, or MOUT site, and is expected to be completed by the end of May, said Maj. Kevin Compas, who oversees the Wappapello Training Site in Southeast Missouri.

"Basically, it's for Soldiers to learn how to enter and clear a building," Compas said. "It's what lots of units are doing now in Iraq and Afghanistan, so it's vital for us to have a facility like this. It's another means for us to train in the area."

In typical MOUT training exercises, Soldiers face simulations of urban warfare that require them to enter a city building that may be occupied by enemy forces. The MOUT site is basically a metal building, with doors, windows and stairs so the Soldiers can get the feel of entering and securing a building. Experts say such training saves lives in real-world situations and studies show casualties drop measurably.

Wappapello is the last Missouri Guard training area to get a MOUT site, Compas said, with such MOUTs already available for training at sites in Macon, Camp Clark, Camp Crowder and Fort Leonard Wood. Planning has been underway since last July, but the roughly $10,000 in required funding wasn't approved until January.

Work began in earnest in February, with several units working on the MOUT site during its drill weekends. Such units include the 1121st Transportation Company in Dexter, Perryville's 880th Engineer Team (Haul), along with Cape Girardeau's 735th Force Provider and the 1140th Engineer Battalion's Forward Support Company.

The Guard is also building a covered bleachers area nearby for after action review. This area will provide a place for Soldiers to gather after training for discussion of the event, focus on performance standards and evaluate strengths and weaknesses.

The overall project has utilized hundreds of man hours, Compas said, with about 10 Soldiers working each drill weekend. But Compas said all the work will be worth it when the MOUT site is completed.

"It's been a project that serves two purposes," he said. "Units have been able to go and work on their skill sets to get the building put up. And when it's done, we'll have additional training for the units to utilize. Units will be able to use the MOUT site year-round. It's part of our warrior tasks -- to clear a building."

Soldiers who spent time working at the MOUT site agreed. During May drill, the 880th Engineer Team (Haul) of Perryville sent its heavy equipment operators to Wappapello to do some work. The 880th worked on putting in a flight of stairs, doors and windows on the building. The Soldiers also hauled rock to put in a gravel parking lot.

"It's good to do this," said Spc. Patrick Meyer, who worked with a blow torch to cut a hole in the metal for the stairs. "It's very valuable. Most guys don't get to drive this equipment at all except when we get to get out and do stuff like this."

Sgt. Todd French also spent his drill weekend working on the MOUT site. He said Soldiers need to understand how to stay safe in urban settings that have a mix of innocent civilians and enemy forces.

"We need to know this stuff, especially with everything going on overseas," French said. "It's crucial that troops know how to enter and secure a building. It could save lives."

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.

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For more information about this release, please contact Scott Moyers at 573-339-6237 or at scott.moyers1@us.army.mil.