A vacant hillside overlooking Tarentum will transform into a makeshift battlefield several times next year.

Army soldiers in tactical gear will temporarily inhabit the land off Bakerstown Road to practice blank shooting and nighttime strategies.

Members of the 307th Military Police Co., a reserve station at 2450 Leechburg Road in New Kensington, said the property is ideal.

“The location being so close to the unit allows us to get some quality training in a field environment without having to travel to an actual military post,” Sgt. Matthew Grimm said.

He requested access to vacant property near the cell tower off Bakerstown Road which the borough owns and has previously allowed the military to use.

The borough does not charge the unit for the space.

Council Vice President Lou Ann Homa said she comes from a military family so it’s important to her to support the reservists.

“Being able to do any kind of training for these soldiers is extremely important and beneficial to their readiness,” Homa said.

Having the ability to train regularly and locally is a plus, Homa said, without having to travel long distance for quality field experience.

Council approved the use to include separate training for about 100 soldiers at a time.

Grimm said part of the courses will incorporate the use of blank ammunition.

During some exercises, members will wear Miles Gear that uses lasers and blanks to simulate battle.

“When you shoot (a blank) and it hits someone, it triggers a sensor on their vest to let them know they’ve been hit,” Grimm said.

Tarentum police will be made aware of the training, he said.

“We would ensure that they know when we would be up there firing,” Grimm said. “We don’t want to cause any issues with the local population.”

There are no homes directly near the vacant field.

No one has complained to the borough about the military’s prior use of the property.

During overnight training, Grimm said members will learn to use night vision goggles and how to drive in low-vision circumstances.

“Each soldier carries their own tent now so we want to help them learn to set it up and sleep in the field,” he said.

There are no plans to fire weapons overnight or otherwise make noise that would keep neighbors awake, Grimm said.

Manager Dwight Boddorf said borough residents would be alerted through Savvy Citizen and on the borough website.

Councilwoman Maggie Smith said she supports the borough providing space at no charge to the military.

“I am happy to they can utilize the area for their needs,” she said.

Grimm cited budget cuts for limited travel to other training sites. He said the borough hillside is an ideal substitute.

“It’s a perfect area for us to go up and use the land,” he said.

Reservists from the 307th unit have been ordered into active military service several times in recent decades.

In February 2016, members were among a group who left the reserve center along Leechburg Road to travel to El Paso, Texas, for specialized training at Fort Bliss. They eventually were deployed to Cuba to guard “Camp X-Ray,” the military prison at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

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