FORT McCOY, Wis. - Around 4,000 Soldiers with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and Joint Forces Headquarters-Illinois of the Illinois Army National Guard are among those participating in a 4-24 June eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise.
XCTC is an Army National Guard program focused on providing world-class training events through rigorous and realistic training scenarios to achieve individual unit readiness.
"First and foremost, it's an opportunity to bring the entire brigade, all of the battalions and subordinate units to a site at the same time and train collectively," said Col. Henry Dixon, Commander of the 33rd IBCT. "It's a three week immersive tactical environment in which we focus at the platoon level to establish proficiency in platoon tasks in support of companies and battalions."
The 157th Training Support Brigade (TSB), First Army Division East has partnered with the 33rd to help facilitate and assess training during XCTC 17-02. Soldiers of the 157th TSB primarily serve as what are called observer, coach/trainers, or OC/Ts, subject matter experts who support their partnered training units to help maximize their readiness to execute real-world missions.
"The 157th is comprised of true professional Soldiers, individuals who have an encyclopedic knowledge in their functional area, as well as the basic soldiering skills," Dixon said. "They provide valuable feedback."
Sgt. 1st Class Eric Gyamfi, a senior OC/T with 2nd Battalion, 307th Field Artillery Regiment, 157th, described his experience working with the 33rd.
"We've got a great relationship," Gyamfi said. "We've known the 33rd for quite a while now from working with them in the past. There is a good open dialogue between us that creates a positive working environment."
Gyamfi also related his personal approach to making sure a particular unit gains the most from training.
"Every unit is different," Gyamfi said. "You just have to understand their leadership style, their background and how they respond to certain things. You can't try to inflict change by your way. You have to adapt to that unit, become a part of it. Instead of saying, 'this is how it is, you need to do it this way,' you should say, 'we need to do this.' When you use the word 'we' instead of 'you,' it makes whatever you're trying to accomplish more of a team effort."
Seizing the opportunity to observe the 33rd IBCT's six battalions training throughout Ft. McCoy's extensive range complex, Col. Dixon talked about some of the things he witnessed.
"I've seen firsthand an eagerness to learn on behalf of my Soldiers and a willingness to share knowledge from the 157's observers," added Dixon. "Each day we are better than yesterday and each day we expect to be better tomorrow than we are today."
"The essential key element of training is to identify and assess our performance each day so that we can increase our fundamental capability and to ensure that when called, the brigade is ready and will support and achieve the mission we're assigned."
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