FORT STEWART, Ga. Members of the 3rd Infantry Division headquarters and its 2nd Brigade Combat Team have spent the last six months re-fitting equipment and ensuring their Soldiers are refreshed. Now they are in their first steps of training to fight again.
A representative from each division staff section trained on command control system and processes during its first command post exercise Feb. 23-27 at the division headquarters building. Simultaneously, at Evans Army Airfield, 2BCT's Headquarters 0talions and one squadron headquarters also conducted CPX training.
The execution of battle command was the main purpose of the training for the division's command team, according to Maj. Kealii Morris, the Future Operations officer for G-3. "One of the top lessons learned was tactical patience at the division level to allow brigade commanders time to execute the fight at their level," Morris added.
Guidance for 2BCT for the CPX was that it was a noncommissioned officer-driven event. The brigade's HHC commander said the NCOs stepped up to the plate and successfully moved the CPX along.
"NCOs did what NCOs get paid to do," Capt. James Harvey, HHC, 2nd BCT commander said. "They made it happen."
The purpose of 2nd Brigade's CPX was to train the brigade's Soldiers about the basics of going to the field and preparing for a National Training Center rotation and ultimately deployment.
The CPX served as a way to plant a seed that will grow into a proficient, ready to execute brigade combat team.
"The CPX gives Soldiers an opportunity to train and (gives) leaders (the opportunity) to teach their troops how to execute," Sgt. 1st Class Sheron Davis, communications (S-6) noncommissioned officer in charge, said.
"This is our first time coming out as a unit and we really didn't know what to expect, now we have a good idea of what we need to work and improve on," Davis said.
Many Soldiers are new to the Army. Private James Purvis has been in the Army for five months. He is a combat engineer that works in brigade engineer cell. Purvis had never seen the process for getting a tactical operations center up and running. He was there to help set up the TOC tents and even presented during a brigade update brief.
"It was good to be here because I'm starting to learn how to work on the programs that I will use down range," said Purvis, a Tucson, Ariz. native.
Harvey said the young Soldiers should have learned the basics of a training exercise and were trained well by their leadership.
"The Soldiers stepped up, there was good leadership by their immediate NCOs and other section leaders," Harvey said. "Although there are a lot of new personnel in this company, some of the leaders instinctively knew what to do in this situation."
With the first iteration of the exercise complete, the Division is now working to get ready for CPX 2.
"CPX 2 will be a more robust training exercise incorporating BCTs both here at Fort Stewart and at Fort Lewis, Wash." said Morris. "This will allow the 3rd Infantry Division command team to provide command and control of subordinate units as we prepare for future operations."
Now that 2nd BCT CPX 1 is over, the brigade's sections will now work to improve areas to become more proficient for the next CPX, which will take place at the end of March.
Purvis said the experience of CPX 1 will help him for the next exercise. "I will know what to expect and have a little more knowledge of my job," he said.
"Now we're going to train," Davis said. "We'll assess the abilities of my troops and see how well we work together."
The next CPX will involve numerous 3rd ID units to include the division's staff.
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