Valuable training opportunities for Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve units, and the support First Army can offer those units, were the focus of a Training Support and Synchronization Working Group (TSSWG) hosted by First Army at its headquarters on Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, from Aug. 21-25.
The working group's main task was to determine which training exercises fit best with respective Reserve Component units to meet their commander’s intent, and so those units are aligned in the deployment cycle. Attendees also aimed to synchronize training support resources needed to build and maintain readiness for the next several years.
Further, the Working Group was designed to give the more than 100 attendees a better understanding of how available training exercises will hone warfighting skills, both collectively and individually. Attendees included officers, senior enlisted Soldiers, and senior civilian personnel from the Army Reserve, Army National Guard, and First Army units.
Brig. Gen. Jason Nelson, First Army deputy commanding general for operations, explained the working group’s importance in remarks to attendees.
“It’s going to be critical this week that we dig in and really assess where we are going to be next year and (beyond), and what is our capability going to be and what can we accomplish and support,” Nelson said. “Whatever we decide this week, we have to hold to. We need to go into this week with our eyes wide open with regard to our challenges we’re going to have in the next five years.”
The TSSWG amounted to time well spent, according to Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lorenzo Moody of the 188th Infantry Brigade.
“There’s a lot of good collaboration between all warfighting functions. This is a chance to iron out discrepancies or future concerns,” he said. “The biggest benefit is putting a face to a name. We now have points of contact we can reach out to.”
It’s all geared to making sure units and Soldiers are ready to go when called upon. “We’re discussing what events we’re going to support, what our roles are going to be, and we’re working with the National Guard elements here to come up with that,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Haney of Operations Group Wolf. “We are looking at upcoming events, such as the mobilizations and XCTCs.”
The process is an ongoing one, noted Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Prosser, First Army senior enlisted advisor, who advised attendees, “Capture those lessons learned so we can bring them back every year.”
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