Warriors sharpen planning skills and unify diverse team during LTP

FORT POLK, La. -- On Jan. 22, the commanders and staff of the "Warrior Brigade," 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division traveled to Fort Polk, Louisiana to conduct leader training before their Joint Readiness Training Center rotation.

Warrior Brigade leaders spent seven days at the JRTC Leaders Training Program to sharpen their war fighting skills.

LTP is designed to review and enhance a brigade's ability to execute the military decision making process by publishing a tactical operations order based on a decisive action training environment scenario.

"My expectations for my team going into LTP were for them to refine their staff processes and prepare themselves to execute a decisive action training environment rotation at JRTC," said Col. Anthony Lugo, commanding officer for 2IBCT. "I also wanted the staff to come together as a cohesive team, bringing in all our enablers to ensure the brigade and Soldiers are fully prepared for our rotation."

All supporting and enabling units participating in the upcoming rotation also attended LTP, including Army National Guard and Reserve components, Marines, Airmen and a battalion from the British army.

The Warrior Brigade's rotation will be one of the first in recent JRTC history to include a battalion size element from one of our nation's allied partners.

"This is the first time for our headquarters that we have deployed out of our role in Cyprus and integrated within a U.S. brigade to conduct planning," said Lt. Col. Robert Driver, commanding officer for 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. "The integration of U.S. assets into a British battalion headquarters throughout the planning process has been a great achievement during LTP."

LTP brought new insights, a deeper understanding as well as an appreciation for other war fighting functions.

"The most value that I've gained was the ability to work with other staff sections and come together and make a product on a truncated timeline," said Cpt. Brandon Lacy, logistics officer for 2IBCT. "That alone is going to benefit us greatly when we are under a lot of pressure in our rotation at JRTC."

One of the goals for the brigade over the last year was to develop planning standard operating procedures during MDMP.

LTP gave the brigade an opportunity to validate these SOPs, which will be critical to their success during the upcoming rotation.

"I think our team's understanding of the military decision making process was very evident during LTP; they can turn an order quickly with the appropriate level of detail," said Col. Lugo. "A lot of times, staffs can get bogged down during MDMP, but I was very pleased to see all the excitement and motivation that the staff exuded throughout LTP."