FORT DRUM — As the post wraps up its largest training exercise in more than a decade, its leadership is calling it a success.

“It’s hard to not be proud of all the accomplishments the soldiers made out there,” said Col. Richard D. Clarke, the post’s deputy commanding general of operations and the main organizer of the Mountain Peak exercise.

He said that he was most impressed by the scope of the exercise, which featured more than 10,000 soldiers completing several hundred live-fire maneuvers, and that it was for the most part conducted safely.

“To put it all together is pretty amazing stuff,” Col. Clarke said.

He said a few soldiers had been hospitalized with minor injuries, but by Thursday they had been released.

Col. Clarke said the exercise’s difficulty and realism make it more beneficial.

“At the end of the day, the team-building aspect is going to make these soldiers better,” Col. Clarke said. “They’re going to go into combat with these same teams.”

While no plans have been confirmed, soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st and 2nd Brigade Combat Teams are expected to deploy in early 2013.

Upon finishing the exercise, soldiers will prepare for a training period at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. The first soldiers will leave for the center at the end of the month.

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