FORT DRUM, N.Y. – Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) participated in a two-week command post exercise, March 19-28, in preparation for a field exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center located at Fort Johnson, Louisiana.
Soldiers began the training with CPX 1A, the inventory and loadout portion of the exercise, followed by CPX 1B, which consisted of live operations in the field. The exercise tests the division’s staff capability and readiness for training exercises or potential real-world situations.
“It’s a really difficult and long process; you have to do a lot of inventory of equipment that is needed to complete the mission,” said Staff Sgt. Juan Velez Palacio, operations noncommissioned officer, Headquarters Support Company, 10th Mountain Division.
Exercises like CPX are essential in empowering leaders and staff to be confident in light infantry operations. The exercise also gives Soldiers a chance to become masters of basic skills.
“I get to work with ranks higher than myself and also some lower; you have to communicate up and down the chain of command,” Velez Palacio said. “It will develop your talent and ability to speak to people to get the mission done without many obstacles.”
CPX gets the different shops to work together on large-scale combat operations more effectively in tactical situations.
“We understand how we can operate and what advantages we can provide our guys on the ground or any support that we need for those guys,” said Spc. Thomas J. Itoney, geospatial imagery analyst, Signal Intelligence and Sustainment Company, 10th Mountain Division.
After completing CPX 1A, Soldiers went to the O’Brien Readiness Training Center and Training Area 16A to begin CPX 1B, a three-day live field operation. During the second phase of the exercise, Soldiers simulated battlefield conditions to validate their skills.
The exercise gives the division a chance to work together and focus on systems that work well and those that need additional practice.
“This gives us the opportunity to pull some of those individuals that we may not work with on a day-to-day basis together and start building those small teams and large teams to help facilitate and meet the commander's intent of command tracking and C2 (command and control),” said Maj. Aaron Simonsen, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion executive officer.
Soldiers going through the exercise got a chance to use their skills and learn how to perform large-scale combat operations.
“Getting hands-on experience working on network systems and how signals operate with one another was interesting to see, said Spc. Tomas Kaiser, High Capacity Line of Sight radio operator, Signal Intelligence and Sustainment Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion.
The experience of CPX training gave Soldiers an opportunity to expand their knowledge and to be better prepared for future missions.
“It’s been amazing, I’m having a lot of fun out here,” Kaiser said. “I’m getting to learn new things. I get to meet and work with a lot of interesting people and equipment.”
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