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Fort Cavazos's IRC Welcomes Fort Liberty's Reception Team

By Sgt. Adel Pacheco AlvarezNovember 22, 2024

Fort Cavazos IRC Welcomes XVIII Airborne Corps Reception Team
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Sgt. Joaquin Sanchez explains to Cpt. Toran Sanaro how the Copeland Center screens incoming Soldiers who are coming from Advanced Individual Training, a Military Entry Processing Station, One Station Unit Training or a permanent change of station on Fort Cavazos TX. Nov 20, 2024. The Copeland Center is responsible for screening Soldiers for their medical, dental and vaccination records and filling out their periodic and medical health assessments. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Adel Pacheco Alvarez) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Adel Pacheco Alvarez) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Cavazos IRC Welcomes XVIII Airborne Corps Reception Team
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Master Sgt. Nacona Oxendine, incoming first sergeant for the XVIII Airborne Corps Initial Reception Center, Cpt. Taran Samaro, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps Initial Reception Center, and Cpt. William Scott, commander for the III Armored Corps Initial Reception Center, discuss operations at the Copeland Center to observe how Soldiers are in-processed into their duty station at "The Great Place" at Fort Cavazos, TX. Nov 20, 2024. Fort Cavazos IRC sees around 15 thousand incoming Soldiers over the span of a year. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Adel Pacheco Alvarez) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Adel Pacheco Alvarez) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Cavazos IRC Welcomes XVIII Airborne Corps Reception Team
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Soldiers at the Initial Reception Center fill out documents to in-process into their duty station in the Copeland Center on Fort Cavazos, TX. Nov. 20, 2024. Soldiers come into the IRC for initial medical and dental records. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Adel Pacheco Alvarez) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Adel Pacheco Alvarez) VIEW ORIGINAL

Fort Cavazos, Texas — Fort Liberty XVIII Airborne Corps' In-processing and Reception Company (IRC) team and leadership from their G1 visited Fort Cavazos to learn and shadow the reception process here, Nov. 19-20, 2024. The visit focused primarily on how Fort Cavazos facilitates medical and dental readiness.

Day one was reserved for meetings and explaining how Fort Cavazos has the ability to facilitate human resource functions as well as medical and dental in-processing challenges. Day two, the Liberty team had the opportunity to tour the Copeland Center at “The Great Place.”

“No matter what time personnel arrive during the day, we manage our own staff duty here,” said the III Armored Corps IRC Commander. “We receive them (Soldiers), give them a room if they’re barracks Soldier, and then give them their in-processing checklist and tell them where they need to go from there.”

1st Lt. Mallory Mihelich, the IRC Officer-in-Charge, said the XVIII Airborne Corps IRC command team came to Fort Cavazos primarily for cross collaboration between installations across the army. "If the reception centers can perfect the process of making sure Soldiers are ready to be sent to units at higher echelons, it would eventually trickle down to the medium and smaller bases."

Both Fort Cavazos and Fort Liberty have the largest size by population in the Army. At Fort Cavazos, they in-process 15,000 Soldiers in a year. Each organization has set standards they need to hit, and if one installation has a more efficient way of doing a task or has created new positions to make in-processing run smoother, then it's communicated and tailored to that organization.

“I learned that we have to build on our relationships with these TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command) installations,” said Scott. “When we crunch the numbers, about 49-50% of those Soldiers coming are first term Soldiers.”

Fort Liberty’s and Fort Cavazos missions may differ as far as warfighting operations, but reception and the integration of Soldiers is the biggest commonality. Fort Liberty not only has United States Army Special Operations Command, but they are home to the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, Phantom Village: DPW gives fresh start to reopened barracks and the United States Army Forces Command. Fort Cavazos houses the III Armored Corps, 1st Cavalry Division, 3rd Cavalry Regiment and also smaller units. Based on size, both Cavazos and Liberty have the biggest population and concentration of Soldiers in the Army.

"The purpose of the visit was to share knowledge and ideas and develop ways to improve in-processing for incoming Soldiers at both installations," said Capt. William Scott, the commander of the III Armored Corps Fort Cavazos IRC. “Our mission statement is to facilitate the reception and integration of newly arrived Soldiers and to make sure their families are set up for success.”Fort Cavazos, TX — In a pivotal move to modernize its capabilities, the U.S. Army recently conducted the first Mobile Training Team (MTT) Data for Leaders Course at Fort Cavazos, Nov. 8, 2024. Marking a significant shift toward integrating data literacy and real-time data analysis into its operations. The 4-day training program aims to provide senior military leaders with the tools they need to harness data effectively to make timely, informed decisions on the battlefield.

“By the end of the course, participants leave with practical skills and tools they can immediately use to support their units, including the ability to create real-time dashboards that commanders can use to make data-informed decisions,” said Captain Derrick Kozlowski, Chief Data Officer at the U.S. Army Signal School.

The program’s ultimate goal is to foster a “data-driven, data-informed, and data-enabled organization,” according to Kozlowski. The course, previously only offered at Fort Eisenhower’s Cyber Center of Excellence, brought data training directly to Fort Cavazos, making it more accessible to soldiers in different commands and ensuring broader implementation.

“They leave the school, the MTT, building a dashboard that they bring back to their organization, and already instantly provide return on investment to their organization,” said Kozlowski.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Danny Burns, Chief Technology Officer for the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6, observed the training and emphasized the importance of data for military readiness.

“The most important part of the training is helping our formation understand the value of data, the power of data that’s available, and how to cultivate the data so that it can be used by commanders to make decisions in a faster-paced environment,” Burns explained.

By equipping commanders with the right information at the right time, he added, “they can make a decision faster than our adversaries.”

In one session, participants learned to use Power BI, a data visualization tool, to analyze and present information relevant to their units. The training allows soldiers to practice compiling and presenting such data in ways that are coherent and actionable, directly supporting readiness. A key takeaway from the course is the importance of time in military operations.

“If we can be faster, we can be more lethal,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Kristie Brady, Army G-6 Sergeant Major at the Pentagon. “It’s really about time for our soldiers.” Lt. Col. Lisa Halverson, Deputy Brigade Commander for the 11th Signal Brigade, remarked on the value of data literacy as a means of closing knowledge gaps across various aspects of military operations, from personnel to logistics. “What we’re trying to do here with the Data Literacy Course and Power BI is to present relevant information to the formation and to the commander, so they can make informed decisions.

By ensuring that leaders at all levels are equipped to work with data, the Army can better track and respond to the ongoing needs of its soldiers and operations. With the first course iteration at Fort Cavazos complete, the Army plans to expand the program and incorporate data training across other posts and commands.

“The return on investment is huge for the Army,” Burns said. He added “the training ensures soldiers will maximize the existing capabilities at their disposal.”

A data-centric organization creates lethality, survivability, and tempo – empowering leaders and Soldiers with the right information at the right time to gauge risks, optimize combat power, fully employ national means, and attain decision dominance at all echelons.

To achieve this, the U.S. Army will continue to evolve the way it communicates – converging networks, unleashing data from embedded silos, and enabling the secure and effective transport of information wherever it is needed.