Soldiers and leadership of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) work on continuous readiness by practicing field operations Sept. 12-20 during Command Post Exercise 1E on Fort Drum.
CPX 1E is a division-wide training event designed to refresh Soldiers on the fundamentals of combat operations, including command post management.
Lt. Col. Jeremy Fox, 10th Mountain Division (LI) senior communications officer, spoke about the purpose of CPX 1E.
“The command post exercise is a several months-long training progression that brings the staff through an iterative training roadmap that allows the headquarters the ability to refine our TACSOP (Tactical Standing Operating Procedure), systems, and processes needed to deploy the division headquarters into a tactical environment prior to our scheduled warfighter exercise next year,” Fox said.
CPX 1E promotes cohesive communication and combined arms support between different units and components of the Army, ensuring they can work effectively together in a joint environment.
“For combat environments, I think CPX 1E is helpful because a lot of Soldiers don't get a chance to really experience larger scale setups like this,” said 1st Lt. Cameron St. Andre, a fire control officer assigned to 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment. “For the most part, it’s normally training back in our units, so being able to come out here with other units, linking in with them, and to get all the systems together, that’s helpful for them.”
CPX 1E provides a valuable training experience for commanders and Soldiers, enhancing their knowledge and readiness.
“The best part of the CPX is the opportunity to train the new staff members how the division operates,” Fox said. “It brings together all warfighting functions, the battle captains, battle majors, and NCOs to execute the division mission in a simulated environment.”
By practicing essential combat skills in a realistic setting, CPX 1E helps units become more prepared for deployment and combat operations.
“It’s the most realistic we can get in a training environment to what we would do in actual warfare, so it is our opportunity to do our jobs,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Childers, 10th Mountain Division (LI) director of plans, operations, and training. “A division fights over hundreds of kilometers, and this is the best way to replicate that.”
By reinforcing essential combat skills, enhancing unit cohesion, and preparing Soldiers for future missions, this exercise helps to ensure that the Army remains a formidable force capable of meeting any challenge.
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