FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Artillerymen from across 2nd Brigade Combat Team conducted Operation Commando Phoenix, a company-level fires support coordination exercise, Jan. 12-15 on Fort Drum's training areas.
The operation was the capstone event of a three-week training program aimed at educating company leaders about the planning and employment of multiple weapons systems in support of ground troop maneuvers.
"The primary audience is the company commander, the maneuver company commander, (the) fires support officer, (the) forward observer team and the joint terminal attack controller," said Lt. Col. Kevin Jackson, commander of 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment.
"The company commander has to give guidance for fires and aircraft task and purpose to the FSO for him to be able to engage targets within his guidance," he continued. "The FSOs have to learn to execute fires and worry about things like timing and how they will sequence their movements based on their maneuver timeline."
Capt. Andrew Radbill, commander of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, was prepared to integrate and synchronize efforts to attack enemy forces with overwhelming fire supremacy. He said the training, while different from his day-to-day mission, proved to be an essential change.
"Being an infantry maneuver commander, you generally focus on maneuvering three platoons; however, you really need to take that time out and focus on the other assets that are available to you," Radbill said.
Radbill readied his four-man team, mounted their humvees and traversed the snow-covered terrain to one of three observation points where they discovered enemy forces on a ridge line a short distance away.
The unit quickly gathered information on the enemy and coordinated a combined artillery and helicopter attack that provided cover for Radbill's troops, allowing them to move closer.
"Exercises like these not only cause you to think about how you're going to integrate them (multiple weapons platforms) into your operations, but gives you a chance to use them in an environment where you're not playing with 'real money,' so to speak," he said.
Radbill's team pushed forward two more times. At each OP, he coordinated attacks that escalated in complexity and eventually brou-ght his men within 800 meters of the enemy and incoming rounds before completing their objective.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Verschueren, range planner and targeting officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd BCT, observed Radbill and his Soldiers execute their mission and praised their performance that day.
"Today, I saw a little more synchronization, a little more communication, but I also saw some really good plans that came forward," Verschueren said. "Each one of the companies that come through is unique in their own right, but I think that today was one of the better days."
Ensuring their success on the range, Soldiers attended formal classes during week one where leaders trained on the use of indirect fires and integration of all assets available, and each unit attended the Virtual Battle Space 2 trainer the week before.
"Last week was the simulator, which is a phenomenal tool on Fort Drum where we can replicate this range," Verschueren said. "So, I think this was a great primer for them to come out here so they weren't completely blinded."
He added that the VBS2 trainer is a no-cost training tool for units that can be used in any weather and mimic any training area on Fort Drum. While the simulator is great for a refresher tool or for rehearsals, it cannot replicate the live rigors of a training event.
"I think (the simulator) was spectacular," Radbill said. "It gives you that confidence of running through the actual exercise for the first time even though it was in a virtual environment.
"The VBS2 is so well done that in your mind's eye, you see yourself going through the exercise even though you are not really there," he continued. "So, when you actually hit the ground, you can definitely draw parallels to it."
While the training event has ended, the lessons learned might shape the future of this brigade and the Army indefinitely.
"Our goal is to train the next generation of leaders to do decisive action and learn how to integrate all the different assets available to them in a brigade combat team," Jackson said.
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