On 5 February, the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division (5/2 SBCT) began their harshest assignment yet. Formed a mere two years ago, the Stryker Brigade had been directed to travel 1,200 miles into the desert and engage in multiple battles. The 5/2 SBCT was not trekking through the mountains of Afghanistan or across Iraq, however. They were part of a mission rehearsal exercise at the Army’s National Training Center (NTC) in the Mojave Desert.
The final step before being deployed, a mission rehearsal exercise gives soldiers the chance to experience battle conditions while …