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Cold Steel builds on partnership with 40th ID at CPX III

By Staff Sgt. Scott EvansSeptember 23, 2022

Cold Steel builds on partnership with 40th ID at CPX III
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Sgt. 1st Class Todd Youtzy (left) and Sgt. 1st Class Qualeem Green (right), both senior fire control OC/Ts assigned to 3-358th Field Artillery Regiment, 189th Infantry Brigade, conduct an After Action Review session with Soldiers of 40th Infantry Division, California National Guard Sept. 16, 2022 during Command Post Exercise III at Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Scott J. Evans, 189th Infantry Brigade Public Affairs Office) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Scott Evans) VIEW ORIGINAL
Cold Steel builds on partnership with 40th ID at CPX III
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Maj. Gen. Mark Landes (standing), the First Army Division East commander and exercise director for the 40th Infantry Division’s Command Post Exercise III, provides training guidance to Observer, Coach, Trainer (OC/T) warfighting function leads at Fort Pendleton, California Sept. 14, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Scott J. Evans, 189th Infantry Brigade Public Affairs Office) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Scott Evans) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – This month, the Cold Steel Brigade conducted its third Command Post Exercise (CPX) with partners of the 40th Infantry Division, California National Guard to prepare the division for operational readiness at the Battle Simulation Center at Camp Pendleton, California.

“What I love about these exercises is we get to train ourselves as OC/Ts,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Landes, the First Army Division East commander and exercise director. “Anytime we get feedback from a unit like the 40th Inf. Div., which is reacting so quickly. It’s a lot of fun.”

The progress the ‘Sunburst Division’ Soldiers have made since its first CPX earlier this year has not been lost to the Observer, Coach, Trainers (OC/Ts) of the 189th Infantry Brigade.

“The 40th Infantry Division has significantly improved in conducting rear command post operations,” said Lt. Col. Amanda Stambach the lead Sustainment OC/T for CPX III and commander of 1-357th Brigade Support Battalion, 189th Infantry Brigade. “With each exercise the team has made gains in refining their battle rhythm, assigning roles and responsibilities within command posts, and tailoring working groups to fit their needs.”

The intent of the training program was to have the training audience work as a team during realistic training scenarios.

“This training path has put this diverse group of National Guardsmen and women through a vigorous regimen focused on simulating a "first combat" experience,” said Maj. Lance Brender, a movement and maneuver deputy and executive officer of 2-357th Infantry Battalion, 189th Inf. Bde. “Shared understanding is knowing your own business then telling everyone else who needs to know too. It sounds simple, but the execution of it in combat is nuanced and difficult. It means distilling a great deal of raw data into pertinent information and, ultimately, a wise decision.”

Each warfighting function team had their own distinct role in contributing to the overall success of the training exercise.

“The 40th Inf. Div. Sustainment team was focused on building a common operating picture and integrating with the division plans cell in order to better anticipate sustainment requirements in support of future operations,” said Stambach. “The Forge team [Soldiers of 1-357th BSB.] conducted analysis to determine the best OC/T support package for the exercise, ensuring we had the right balance of experienced personnel to cover logistics, personnel, and medical functions, but not have an overwhelming presence in 40th Inf. Div.'s command posts.”

The Cold Steel Brigade prides itself on being a community of learning with a mantra of providing doctrinally trained OC/Ts who are experts in doctrine with interpersonal skills.

“The partnership between the active-duty federal force, in our case the 189th Inf. Bde. and the State Guards is a vital bond of camaraderie trust,” Brender said. “We approach our training days with the 40th Inf. Div. as precious opportunities to make them the most ready, most lethal force they possibly can be as they contribute to the security of the free world.”

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