FORT LEE, Va. (April 4, 2013) -- A few months ago, Gen. Raymond Odierno published a set of marching orders to guide the force in its transition to the Army of 2020.
Some of the key priorities laid out by the 38th Army Chief of Staff include the following:
• Provide trained, equipped and ready forces to win the current fight while maintaining responsiveness for unforeseen contingencies.
• Develop the force of the future as part of Joint Force 2020 -- a versatile mix of capabilities, formations and equipment.
• Adapt leader development to meet our future security challenges in an increasingly uncertain and complex strategic environment.
Many aspects of this "future force vision" are already being shaped within the Fort Lee sustainment community. One clear example is the Sustainment Warrior Field Training Exercise that culminates several Quartermaster, Ordnance and Transportation training courses here.
Conducted at Fort A.P. Hill near the town of Bowling Green, the SWFTX is a highly tactical event that gives participating Soldiers a hands-on opportunity to apply newly acquired leadership skills under realistic field conditions, according to the 244th Quartermaster Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Derell Bibbs.
"The diverse structure of the SWFTX task force (multiple branches and military occupational specialties) provides a unique opportunity for cross-discipline learning and partnership between the three major sustainment corps at Fort Lee," said Maj. Tanzie Landry-McGee, the 244th QM Bn. executive officer. "The dynamics of the exercise are enhanced also by the participating advanced individual training battalion and brigade leaders who provide command and control of the task force on a rotational basis."
During the exercise, Basic Officer Leader Course lieutenants, Army Leaders Course students and NCOs from all sustainment branches -- and sometimes Department of the Army Civilians -- are given company-level leadership positions or a task force staff position. They are supervised by the permanent party force as they lead AIT Soldiers to accomplish tactical objectives.
While the SWFTX is a "cyclic" event, Capt. Daniel Wilson, commander of Alpha Company, 244th QM Bn, said it's far from routine. "It's never the same old thing," he added. "This is a process where agile leaders challenge their Soldiers in both the garrison and tactical environment to expect the unexpected and be flexible to accomplish the unit's mission in a changing situation."
One of the integral and sometimes hidden strengths of the exercise is that it links new lieutenants with representatives of their future enlisted counterparts in the operational force. The officers and NCOs in the company and staff elements forge "sustainment teams" in every sense of the word. As they train, concepts are validated through practical application. Often, NCOs are able to provide context by sharing examples from their combat experience.
"The task force staff of the last SWFTX rotation, led by the 244th QM 'Guardian' Battalion, is a concrete example of this cooperative and multi-faceted learning strategy," said 1st Lt. Daniel Salley, 244th Operations (S3) Officer. "On this rotation, the permanent party executive officer was a Quartermaster, the BOLC lieutenants were Transportation officers and the ALC NCOs were from the Quartermaster and Ordnance branches. Many of the officers were representing the National Guard and Reserve components as well."
During the four-day exercise, the NCOs were afforded many opportunities to conduct short "hip-pocket" classes on radio etiquette, preventive maintenance checks and services, Soldier counseling and even how to use the ubiquitous "Green-Book" that most leaders carry. Sgt. Georgia Thomas (Ordnance), the task force S-2 NCO, directly applied some of her battle-staff experience in the tactical operations center and positively changed the dynamic of the exercise.
"The officers experienced hands-on training that was validated by their ALC NCO counterparts in the different staff positions," said Capt. Mike Burns, current Golf Company commander and former Task-Force executive officer. "Over those four, 24-hour days, the NCOs enthusiastically shared their past experiences as squad leaders -- an invaluable introduction to the officer-NCO relationship. The lieutenants and NCOs were battle-buddies as they stayed in the same tents, ate together, visited training sites and stood radio watch together. One lieutenant said this experience on staff was the absolute high point of his three-month training rotation."
The battalion commander contributed to the training experience by taking each task force staff group out of the operations center and into the field so they could observe the exercise without disrupting the battle-tracking and mission support process. In the early days of the exercise, Bibbs also conducted several hours of professional development training, which focused on joint staff relationships, application of the military decision-making process and military career development, among other topics.
This training technique enhances the lieutenants' and NCOs' conceptual framework of the overall battle-space, helps them visualize logistical and tactical relationships between the company and battalion, and gives them a rarely shared perspective with the battalion commander.
Additionally, their ALU instructor throughout the entire exercise is able to assess and mentor his or her lieutenants as they apply in the field what they learned in the classroom.
During each SWFTX, adaptive leaders and logisticians from diverse backgrounds integrate into an agile team that is versatile and flexible while retaining depth. They tackle a complex and dynamic set of missions. Their innovation and cooperative creativity yields high value results and well-ingrained lessons.
"The SWFTX builds leadership fundamentals and introduces lieutenants from all components (active, Reserve, National Guard) to their future NCOs and Soldiers," Golf Company First Sergeant Cornelius Marshall noted. "It strengthens noncommissioned officers as leaders and keeps them tactically sharp. It presents a unique opportunity for NCOs to influence and affect the mind-set of future platoon leaders and commanders.
"When it's over, the lieutenants and NCOs are always glad to return home to Fort Lee for their impending graduations, but they take with them valuable lessons, new skills, and often phone numbers and email addresses of fellow logisticians."
The SWFTX forges a unified team of warriors and logisticians who are ready to enter the operational force in the role the Army Chief of Staff clearly communicated -- having the ability to fight and win our nation's wars. "War-fighting is our primary mission," Odierno notes often, "and everything we do should be grounded in that fundamental principle."
Social Sharing