FORT DRUM, N.Y. - - Just one day after top Fort Drum leaders gathered to witness a new commander take the reins of a brigade, they assembled to rehearse an installation wide joint readiness exercise.
The U.S. Army Forces Command directed 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division to execute a sea emergency deployment readiness exercise last week, ensuring Col. Paul Larson, 2BCT commander, hit the ground running as soon as his boots touched North Country soil.
The exercise, tagged as Mountain Strike, aims to use the Commandos' upcoming rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center, at Fort Polk, Louisiana, as an opportunity to test the combined expeditionary capabilities of 10th MTN DIV and Fort Drum as an installation.
Instead of simply packing equipment ahead of JRTC, the Commandos are changing the script.
"This exercise will test our ability as a Brigade Combat Team, as a Division, and as an installation to rapidly prepare - (with) little to no notice - and out-load for movement to any (location) to conduct combat operations," said Maj. James Hubbard, the 2BCT senior logistics officer.
The end state of Mountain Strike is to get the Commandos gear ready and on trains headed to two U.S. ports, which will ultimately meet the brigade at JRTC.
"This obviously involves a lot of logistics horsepower, from coordinating for all the movement itself ... to preparing all of our equipment ... (and) our Soldiers for that movement," Hubbard added. "Everything from putting fuel into a truck, packing a Soldier's gear into a rucksack, getting the Soldier any immunizations he (or) she needs, and packing unit equipment into containers must be painstakingly accounted and planned for."
Soldiers have pushed through the weekend to move vehicles, bags and shipping containers ahead of rail operations. Trains will take the brigade's equipment transport by sea to the Port of Philadelphia then Port Arthur, Texas
"As one of the ready brigades we spent the last year qualifying ...and training ... ourselves to meet any requirement assigned," said Lt. Col. Thomas Smith, commander of 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2BCT, 10th MTN DIV. "What the SEDRE is doing is testing the means to get the (brigade) into the fight. This type of exercise will be an enormous benefit to our planners in estimating time and resources required to get into the fight."
The Commandos also set up a Soldier Readiness Processing site at Clark Hall to complete vision, hearing, and other medical screening before updating immunizations.
Though FORSCOM directed 10th MTN DIV to test the Commandos, other key players across the installation are lending a hand to make it happen.
"This exercise is testing all aspects of the division," Smith added. "From the division staff, garrison, other brigades and the civilian infrastructure here and at separate ports. This will give a great assessment of our capabilities and our limitations. Working through the issues will make the post and division much more capable to accomplish this difficult task."
The 10th Sustainment Brigade is providing material handling equipment like forklifts, and moving containers for the Commandos and the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, who will be along for the ride to JRTC.
Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat team are providing outload support at a staging area called the 6000 yard by loading vehicles and equipment onto rail cars and tying it all down.
Hubbard said leaders hope to gain insight from this exercise in order to improve processes ahead of real-world missions.
"It is important because if we can't get ready on little to no notice, get out the door rapidly ... with all our equipment and personnel fully mission capable, then how can we expect to fight and win our nation's wars and protect the homeland in a world where things change overnight?" Hubbard added.
Social Sharing