Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion 506th Infantry Regiment, 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air assault) e the fire the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) during a live fire exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Johnson, La. May 20, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alexander Goff).

FORT JOHNSON, La. — Soldiers from the 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), recently completed a rigorous training rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center, JRTC, May 1-26, 2025. The rotation was designed to showcase the division’s capabilities of large-scale, long-range air assault, known as L2A2, sharpen combat readiness and test emerging technologies through the Army Transformation initiatives.

The L2A2 is the pride of the Army’s only air assault division, moving a full brigade’s worth of combat power over 500 miles from Fort Campbell, Kentucky to Fort Johnson, Louisiana.

From a strategic perspective, the L2A2 demonstrates the 101st ability to rapidly deploy its formidable combat power into the “backyard” of adversaries anywhere in the world.

The JRTC serves as one of the Army’s premier combat training centers, specializing in light infantry and air assault unit readiness.

Training scenarios include complex environments such as urban combat, counterinsurgency, and multi-domain operations.

Soldiers call the main training area “the box” — a vast, simulated combat zone where units conduct continuous operations under realistic conditions. Once inside, they face enemy role-players, improvised explosive device threats, urban assaults and complex missions with little-to-no breaks. Monitored by observer-coach/trainers, “the box” tests leadership, decision-making, and readiness in a high-stress, real-world environment.

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division take off at night with a sling of Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISV) at Intermediate Staging Base Alexandria, La. May 6, 2025 prior to providing troops with the equipment via air assault capabilities to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC). This air movement represents a Large Scale, Long Range Air Assault (L2A2) which moves a brigade worth of combat power over 500 nautical miles in one period of darkness, going from Fort Campbell, KY to Fort Johnson, La.

During the rotation, Soldiers employed cutting-edge equipment, including the Next Generation Squad Weapon system, that with its’ advanced optics and reduced weight improved squad lethality and speed.

CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters arrived with sling-loads of the Infantry Squad Vehicle, or ISV, to provide rapid mobility across difficult terrain, allowing airborne infantry to maneuver with greater flexibility.

“It’s definitely lighter and more mobile than a Humvee,” said Pvt. Sund Markus, assigned to 1-506th Multi-Purpose Company. “The ISV can rip through brush and tough terrain where Humvees would normally get stuck — especially during air assaults. Gas mileage is better, too, so we don’t have to haul as many fuel cans, which means more room for ammo and personnel.”

And the Small Multi-Purpose Equipment Tactical Drone, SMET-D, a lightweight, unmanned ground vehicle designed to support infantry squads by carrying gear, supplies or providing reconnaissance in rough terrain.

“The SMET-D took a lot of weight off our backs — literally,” mentioned Spc. Jose Morales from 1-506th C Company. “It followed us through the thickest terrain without slowing us down helping us reducing fatigue and enhanced mobility during extended missions.”

A key component of JRTC training is the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, MILES, which simulates real-time combat through laser sensors and blank ammunition. MILES gear registers hits on Soldiers and vehicles, reinforcing the consequences of tactical decisions in real-time.

In addition to physical demands, the rotation challenged Soldiers mentally and emotionally. Units operated continuously, often under conditions of sleep deprivation, communication breakdowns, and simulated casualties. Role-players portraying civilians, insurgents, and allied forces created realistic decision-making dilemmas within the training environment.

“The heat is the great equalizer out here,” said Sgt. 1st Class Aribey J. Aguilar, -1-327 Headquarters and Headquarters Company, “If you’re not physically prepared and acclimated, it’ll humble you fast. You have to understand your body, stay hydrated, and check on your battle buddies. There’s nothing happening in the field that’s worth someone losing their life overheat injury”.

Throughout the rotation, junior leaders were placed in high-stress scenarios requiring adaptive thinking and tactical discipline. After Action Reviews (AARs) followed every mission, enabling units to identify weaknesses and improve team cohesion.

JRTC prepares units not just for battlefield success, but for survivability and mission effectiveness in uncertain, high-stakes environments. For the Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division, the experience served as both a test and transformation.