Grafenwoehr, Germany (Dec. 15, 2016) -- 7th Army Training Command's Joint Multinational Simulation Center (JMSC), December 7-9, 2016 , here, hosted a command post exercise (CPX) with three different brigade-level units at the same time -- not just training the individual command staffs on their own battle rhythms, but also, how they interact with each other when they focus on a unified mission.
A CPX is a commander-driven exercise focused on a unit's functional and technical capabilities, requiring external support to replicate higher, lower and adjacent units. The training audience is usually one brigade- or battalion-level unit.
JMSC scaled up the CPX and focused on a different level of competitiveness said Andy Holland, an exercise planner with JMSC, adding that the larger CPX forced commanders to think about communication and movement in a real-world timeframe and also, how to interact with other brigade-level commanders.
"What it does is add a lot more levels of complexity to the controlling of the exercise and the development of the exercise, because we're looking at three separate commanders trying to meet their training objectives," said Armando Riveron, the JMSC lead planner for this exercise, who was working from Vicenza.
Units used existing tactical communication systems, but pushed JMSC's capabilities to span the geography of the battle space -- a footprint encompassing parts of Germany and Italy: the 173rd Airborne Brigade from Vicenza, Italy; and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 18th Military Police Brigade, both stationed here. Additionally, U.S. Army Europe served as the higher command out of Wiesbaden, Germany.
"Our job is to create a training environment that they can work in and try to get better" said Riveron. "If we can look back and say, 'yes, we hit every single training objective,' and 'we've stimulated every training objective,' I think we're a success."
A CPX is a training tool that is necessary to keep Soldiers battle-ready, and Holland said JMSC is reinforcing mission command and using the same systems units would use every day on an actual mission.
"We are losing the ability to control multiple brigade operations," said Maj. Shane Mantz, an Army reservist with 75th Training Command, who is supporting 173rd Airborne Brigade as an Observer Coach Trainer, or OCT. "We're not exercising those muscles, and it is a big leap for a major command staff to understand how to interface with the folks on the ground who need the assets that are available."
That's what JMSC sought to do with this CPX, and it's a tasking that Holland takes seriously.
"There's nowhere else in Europe to do this," Holland said. "This is the place."
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