First Army supports National Guard units, active Army during warfighter exercise

By Staff Sgt. Nazly Confesor, First Army Public AffairsDecember 4, 2015

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1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Daniel Saelens II (sitting), a field artillery automated tactical data systems specialist assigned to the Colorado Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 169th Field Artillery Brigade, receives guidance from Maj. Reinaldo... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Acting Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning (left) listens to Maj. Gen. Brian McKiernan, commanding general of First Army Division East, during his visit to Warfighter Exercise 16.2 at Camp Atterbury, Ind., Nov. 17.

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3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Gen. Michael Tucker (left), First Army commanding general, speaks with Brig. Gen. Blake Ortner, commanding general of the Virginia Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Division, during his visit to a warfighter exercise at Camp Atterbury, Ind., No... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Gen. Michael Tucker (right), First Army commanding general, speaks with Maj. Gen. Brian McKiernan, Division East commanding general, during his visit to a warfighter exercise at Camp Atterbury, Ind., Nov.18.

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5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Kramer (center), director of the Joint Staff for the Maryland National Guard, briefs members of the Virginia Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Division during a warfighter exercise at Camp Atterbury, Ind., Nov. 16.

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CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. -- For the past three months, the 29th Infantry Division, an Army National Guard unit from Virginia, has been preparing its Soldiers to tackle complex situations in a fictional battlefield scenario.

Last month, the wait was over. The 29th ID came to Indiana, putting their skills to the test in an extensive warfighter exercise.

"In the past few days, I have been really impressed by the vast knowledge and skills these Soldiers have showed me. Their performance to work under pressure through some of the scenarios has demonstrated their proficiency that they are ready to fight," said Maj. Reinaldo Rivera, a First Army observer coach/trainer assigned to the 5th Armored Brigade out of Fort Bliss, Texas.

More than 3,000 Soldiers, Airmen and civilians from the Army and Air National Guard, Army Reserve, active Army and Air Force participated in a warfighter exercise at Camp Atterbury Nov. 5-22.

"This is the first warfighter exercise involving two division headquarters training together in more than six years," said Maj. Gen. Brian McKiernan, commanding general of First Army's Division East.

A warfighter exercise is a culminating training event where participating units incorporate their skills to respond to complex computer-simulated events as if they were in a real-world operation. The WFX builds and ensures readiness of Army National Guard and Army Reserve units while integrating active-component units during pre-deployment collective training. The primary focus of a WFX is to exercise the functions of commanders and their staffs.

During the WFX, the 29th Infantry Division worked side-by-side with the 101st Airborne Division and coordinated operational planning with the XVIII Airborne Corps, the overseer of this stimulated battlefield scenario.

The 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, 136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 169th Field Artillery Brigade, 43rd Military Police Brigade and the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade supported the 29th ID and 101st Airborne.

The significance of integrating the 29th with an active component unit is vital to the accomplishment of the Army Total Force Policy, which directs active-duty, Army National Guard and Army Reserve commanders to integrate their Soldiers and unit capabilities into pre-deployment training events. The integration maintains Army readiness standards; provides predictable, recurring and sustainable operational force capabilities; and prepares all Army units for deployment as multicomponent expeditionary forces. First Army, under the guidance of U.S. Forces Command, serves as the coordinating authority to implement AFTP.

McKiernan said he was pleased with 29th's staff performance and its partnership with 101st during the first half of the exercise.

"The exercise is going great, and it is stimulating all of the commander's training objectives," he said. "The staff's performance is improving every day and, despite some challenges, they have had significant improvement in subsequent operations within the exercise."

National Guard Soldiers are trained and capable of performing their duties just as their active-duty counterparts. However, they also bring additional talents to their units due to their civilian career skills and experiences.

For Sgt. Tyler Winchester, a nodal network systems operator-maintainer, assigned to the 29th ID, the exercise provided a great opportunity to work with active-duty Soldiers from the 101st and 18th Airborne Corps while building relationships with other National Guard units, such as the 169th FAB.

"The collaboration with the 101st and other National Guard units so far has been very helpful; they have maintained open communication to let us know what is going on, especially if there are unforeseen issues coming ahead," Winchester said. "They are also very open to hear troubleshooting ideas and recommendations based on my civilian job skill as a network operator."

A critical element of the exercise is the employment of dedicated observer coach/ trainers, experienced military personnel and contractors working within each of the sections. They not only observe and evaluate, but also offer guidance based on their own experience and knowledge of that field and the Army's standards.

As the commanders and their battle staffs executed the WFX, Acting Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning and First Army commanding general, Lt. Gen. Michael Tucker, visited the Soldiers and reviewed the exercise.

Tucker said he was impressed by the skills, professionalism and training these Guard and Reserve units demonstrated since the start of the exercise.

Brig. Gen. Blake Ortner, 29th Infantry Division commanding general, said he was pleased with the continuous guidance from First Army's OC/Ts, the enthusiasm of the Soldiers and the training.

"We have been preparing for this exercise for a while. With the guidance and feedback from First Army OC/Ts back in July and August, we were able to prepare for this WFX," Ortner said. "Over the last 15 years, National Guard units continue to show active components that we stand ready to fight hard and train hard."

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