TAC setup marks arrival of 3/4 ABCT to Germany

By Staff Sgt. Ange DesinorApril 4, 2017

TAC setup marks arrival of 3/4 ABCT to Germany
Soldiers of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, remove chock blocks before downloading their equipment from rail cars at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, March 29, 2017. The brigade established a fully operational tactical comm... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

By Staff Sgt. Ange Desinor

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, Public Affairs, 4th Infantry Division

GRAFENWOHR, TRAINING AREA, Germany - Shifting from initial Atlantic Resolve operations in Poland, Soldiers from 3rd Armored Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, have been arriving to Grafenwoehr Training Area over the last two weeks.

The movement of about 1,200 Soldiers to Germany for the upcoming U.S. Army Europe-directed multinational exercise Combined Resolve VIII was punctuated by making the ABCT's tactical command post (TAC) fully operational on March 29, within 48 hours of the arrival of the Soldiers manning it.

"We relocated the brigade's headquarters to further support our North Atlantic Treaty Organization Allies in a combined environment here in Germany," said Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Alvarez, a senior telecommunications sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd ABCT, 4th ID. "Our mission is to support multiple field exercises like Combined Resolve VIII and Saber Guardian 17. Those are multinational and joint operations."

Combined Resolve VIII is a 7th Army Training Command-executed multinational exercise running from Apr. 19 to June 16 designed to facilitate training among the Army's Regionally Allocated Forces (RAF) for Operation Atlantic Resolve - of which 3rd ABCT, 4th Inf. Div. is the current heavy brigade in rotation - and NATO Allies. The exercise will prepare forces in Europe to operate together to promote stability and security in the region.

"We jumped the TAC first," said Alvarez. "The TAC is always the expeditionary portion of the tactical operations center. The TAC pretty much has the same mission as the TOC; to control the fight and battle track, etc., while the TOC is moving."

The TAC proved to be a quick setup.

"We were able to deploy, show the lethality, quickness and rapid assembly of the 3rd ABCT," said Capt. Alex Carreon, the TAC officer in charge for HHC Brigade. "We were able to troubleshoot all equipment and have 100 percent accountability of all personnel, equipment and sensitive items in 48 hours."

The TAC is smaller, more mobile and more independent, said Alvarez.

"We are the first ones to go out, we establish any site that we will be occupying. We clear the way, set up and ensure proper clearance before the TOC gets there. Everyone who came out here with the TAC is specialized in their specific job. We have a way smaller talent pool, so everyone has to be engaged in the mission," said Alvarez.

During its nine-month rotation under Atlantic Resolve, the brigade will repeatedly mass and move around central and eastern Europe to demonstrate the ability to freely and rapidly maneuver an armored force across Alliance member-states. Participating in multinational exercises serves as the impetus to move an armored brigade's equipment - from TOCs to M1A2 Abrams tanks and M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles - around Europe.

During the railhead operation, the Soldiers ensured they had all their vehicles to set up the TAC. Before shutting down their network, the unit went to "warm status."

"The purpose of the TAC is to ensure that we are operational once we get to our destination before going to 'cold' status," said 1st Lt. Jessica Lopez, the provost martial officer for HHC Brigade. "Once we are good to go, the TOC back in Poland can shut down and go 'cold' as they move to GTA with the rest of us."

The 3rd ABCT, 4th Inf. Div., is the first of continuous "heel-to-toe" rotations of heavy brigades to deploy a full armor equipment set and personnel from the United States to Europe, and exercising the rapid mobility of a brigade and its more than 2,600 pieces of equipment has become muscle memory to the Soldiers who are deployed, said Carreon.