Tag Archives: Warfighting

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From Where Does the Task Force Aviation Commander Fight?

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During the continuous operations an aviation task force will encounter at the National Training Center, many task force commanders struggle with where they will be most effective fighting their organization from.  The Eagle Team OC-Ts will see commanders at echelon ask themselves the same questions rotation after rotation. How well have I trained my subordinates to handle the pace of operations and multitude of tasks required of my unit?  And, where can I be the most effective commander right now and where will I fight from?  

U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Justin Ashaw.
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A Practical Approach to RETRANS Certification

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Somewhere in Atropia there is a struggling battalion retransmission (RETRANS) crew. They are on the hills of Porta-Potty Wadi, or somewhere in the Tiefort Mountain Range. These soldiers have a critical task–to facilitate their unit’s communications. But either because they lack the training, the leadership, or the equipment, they often fall short. Signal trainers at NTC consistently observe units struggling to maintain long range push-to-talk communications. BCTs should consider using three events to properly train and certify their RETRANS crews.

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Things I Learned in Combat

Part II: Planning

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The hard-fought lessons we learn in combat can’t die with us. They need to be passed on to help others succeed. Those lessons aren’t just in fighting. One of the most sacred responsibilities of a leader is to create more leaders. In Part I of this series we reviewed lessons in fighting. You can find those lessons HERE. In Part II, we will discuss the fight before the fight: planning.

An interpreter with the 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade translate information from a Afghanistan National Army member to a 2nd SFAB advisor during engagement training at the Joint Readiness Training Center. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Maintaining at Pace

An NTC Update Series of Articles

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In February 2020, the NTC Operations Group published an article entitled “Winning the Maintenance Fight At Pace.”  The article highlighted some common shortcomings with regards to creating a culture of maintenance in our formations as well as tips for building a solid maintenance program capable of performing in any environment. In March, the Officers and NCOs of Operations Group at the National Training Center built upon that article in an effort to help us all understand specific tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that can allow the Army to maintain combat power while simultaneously conducting large scale combat operations against a near peer threat.

Spc. Michelle Metzger, a motor transport operator with 1487th Transportation Company, Ohio Army National Guard, applies grease to her vehicle at Multinational Base – Tarin Kot, Afghanistan, Aug. 12, 2013. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Jessi Ann McCormick
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Cavalry Squadron Maintenance

NTC Lessons on Maintaining at Pace

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One of the biggest challenges facing a cavalry squadron at NTC is demand of maintaining their equipment in a tactical environment. Units often provide maintenance support from their motor pool while training at home-station, lending themselves to brick and mortar infrastructure and easy access to their brigade supply support activity (SSA) and other SSAs on the same installation. These unrealistic work conditions create complacency in our ability to conduct maintenance in a tactical environment. Under this construct, units do not stress their equipment, develop analog systems of record, test the strength of their shop stock listing (SSL), practice their 5988-E flow, or fine-tune hasty maintenance meetings at Logistical Release Points (LRPs).

A Soldier from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, unloads his Stryker armored fighting vehicle after a long day of conducting fire missions at the National Training Center Aug. 12. Photo by Army Spc. Ryan Hallock.
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Combined Arms Battalion Maintenance

NTC Lessons on Maintaining at Pace

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Operations in a Decisive Action environment against a near-peer threat stress maintenance systems at all levels. The units that go through the NTC carry in training level and competency. The following discussion is based on combined arms battalion maintenance observations over the last eight rotations.

An M1A2SEP Abrams Tank from Company C, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment ‘Desert Rogues’, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, sits ready while others complete the night portion of the Gunnery Table VI in the background at Red Cloud Range, Dec. 12. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Richard Wrigley, 2nd ABCT, 3rd ID, Public Affairs NCO).
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Sustaining Aviation Combat Power

NTC Lessons on Maintaining at Pace

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The Aviation Task Force (AVTF) provides a lethal mixture of firepower and maneuverability. Depending on task force configuration, the AVTF consists of a varying quantity of AH-64, CH-47, UH-60, RQ-7B’s and MQ-1C. They all enable the ground force commander to find, fix, and destroy the enemy though fires and maneuver. However, this also presents the AVTF Commander with many unique maintenance challenges not typically found in any other unit. Here are some best practices to help with sustaining aviation combat power in the decisive action environment.

A prolonged exposure shows streaks of light from the headlamps of a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crew while performing a preflight inspection on an aircraft prior to launching on a personnel movement mission Dec. 8, at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Capt. Peter Smedberg/Released)
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Field Artillery Battalion & Below Maintenance

NTC Lessons on Maintaining at Pace

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In the decisive action training environment (DATE), field artillery (FA) units must conduct maintenance at a faster pace. Fires must enable the maneuver commander to have readily available combat power. This is challenged by the reality of conducting operations during prolonged periods in harsh environmental conditions. Moreover, units must conduct maintenance actions themselves in these demanding conditions. They rarely have the luxury of utilizing hardened bays or paved motor pools. Field artillery leaders must operationalize all maintenance actions. This will ensure proper utilization of manpower and resources to consistently provide maximum available indirect firepower to the maneuver commander.

Spartans from 1st Platoon, Alpha Battery, 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division fire their M777 howitzer to calibrate on Forward Operating Base Lightning, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2014. The 4th Battalion, 25th Artillery Regiment are currently deployed to Regional Command East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo courtesy of Regional Command-East)

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Maintenance in the Brigade Engineer Battalion

NTC Lessons on Maintaining at Pace

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Success throughout any National Training Center (NTC) rotation often directly reflects the rotational units’ emphasis placed on maintenance operations prior to and during the training event. Maintenance operations are often the primary shortcoming of Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs) at Fort Irwin. The following article provides observations, best practices, and potential solutions for Echo Forward Support Company (FSC) maintenance operations, Engineer specific problem sets, and Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Reconnaissance Platoons’ challenges within the Brigade Engineer Battalions (BEB) of ABCTs during Force on Force operations in a Decisive Action Training Environment against a near-peer threat.

These pioneers provide expert surveillance and reconnaissance putting in over 130 flight hours. These Soldiers have an incredibly important mission for the 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion and the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
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Things I Learned in Combat

Part I: Fighting

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The most important thing any Army Leader will ever do is lead their soldiers into war.  It is the ultimate reason we exist. It can also be one of the most costly things one can do as a human being. Preparation is vital and lessons should be learned and shared widely. This is part one in a series of posts covering the hard lessons I’ve learned in combat.

A Texas Army National Guard paratrooper assigned to the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade prepares for a static-line jump on a Hawaii Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III, June 14, 2019, over Boboc Drop Zone, Romania. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman John Linzmeier)