CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. - Thousands of National Guard Soldiers from Oregon, New Mexico, Washington and California completed intense combat exercises in the hot, harsh training environment of central California, July 21-Aug. 12, 2018. The 189th Combined Arms Training Brigade (CATB), First Army, tested the combat readiness of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), Oregon Army National Guard, during an eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) rotation at Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif.
Approximately 3,000 Soldiers with more than 10 units from multiple states converged in California to participate in this large-scale training exercise. XCTC is designed to simulate a realistic combat environment in order to test platoon proficiency through a variety of exercises and improve individual Soldier skills.
"XCTC's primary mission is to prepare units for federal mobilizations and to create skilled and lethal forces at a company, battalion and brigade level," said Col. Eric Riley, 41st IBCT commander. "It's important for the 41st Brigade to complete an exercise like XCTC because it builds unit cohesion and it enables units to train for their wartime mission by gaining experience in their MOS."
From live-fire exercises to simulated combat scenarios, Soldiers honed their tactical, operational, medical, communications and decision-making skills.
"By running us through these scenarios, it can humble us and allow us to see where we stand," said Spc. Joseph Curio, an infantryman with the 1st Battalion, 200th Infantry Regiment, 41st IBCT, New Mexico Army National Guard. "Personally, I hope to take home a better idea of how to become more effective in combat."
Active Duty Soldiers from the 189th CATB out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, served as coaches, mentors and operational controllers. They provided oversight and valuable perspectives for National Guard units that may not have had the time or resources to complete the training necessary for deployment.
"Our mission is to provide feedback and corrective training in addition to setting up and running training lanes, controlling battlefield effects and oppositional forces, and establishing standardized doctrinal operational statuses across the board," said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Schneider, team leader with 2nd Battalion, 357th Regiment, 191st Infantry Brigade. "We are embedded with the units 24/7, so they don't just see us as graders walking around with clipboards who are going to tell them what they did wrong. Instead, we have a more personal relationship where we can help a unit all the way through their planning process and into actual execution on the ground."
This is not the 41st IBCT's first XCTC cycle, however this year's rotation has newly integrated combat enablers such as unmanned aerial vehicles and aviation units to provide airlift and medical evacuation capabilities.
"This has been an opportunity to collectively dig deep," said Riley. "I look forward to where this brigade is going in the future, we've done a great job here and I only see amazing things for this brigade going forward."
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