Mission Command Training Program's Operations Group Charlie deployed more than 75 observer/trainers, analysts and support personnel to Fort Campbell, Ky., from May 5 -- 16, 2012 to help prepare the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division for their future deployment to Afghanistan.
This was the second time in the past two months that Operations Group Charlie has travelled to Fort Campbell to coach, teach and mentor a 101st Airborne Division brigade combat team as they prepare to deploy to Afghanistan.
Similar to the March 2012 training mission at Fort Campbell, the exercise took place in a simulated battlefield located in eastern Afghanistan. Unlike previous exercises that primarily focus on stability operations, the "Bastogne" brigade began this exercise with a large-scale kinetic operation against an entrenched enemy in the fictitious Almar province. Paying homage to their division's legacy as a helicopter and airmobile-centric division, the brigade conducted a two-battalion air assault mission in the early morning hours of May 12 to rapidly insert men, weapons and equipment upon the unsuspecting enemy.
"What's important about this exercise, and what (the Bastogne brigade staff) really needs to take advantage of is to get the tactical operations center set and staff processes right," said Major General James C. McConville, 101st Airborne Division Commander. "We are going to give (the staff) some stimulation that puts some friction to this exercise and will help you get your processes down."
The 1st Brigade Combat Team partnered with the Afghanistan National Army while conducting the offensive and stability missions, thus setting the conditions for future independent ANA operations.
After intense offensive operations and securing key infrastructure, the brigade rapidly transitioned to performing stability operations where there focus was on reinstating the legitimate Afghanistan government and providing much-needed basic and essential services to the local population.
While Operations Group Charlie's observer-trainers focus on assisting their "Bastogne" counterparts for the execution of the missions, behind the scenes are countless Soldiers, Army civilians and contractors who maintain the simulated environment.
The exercise control team -- commonly referred to as EXCON -- runs all the moving parts and behind-the-scenes functions that provide a realistic experience for the training unit. EXCON's range of influence and control impacts the overall operational environment by providing guidance to the higher headquarters response cell. In this case, a 101st Airborne Division headquarters element issued subsequent mission orders to the brigade staff, controlled the placement and movement of adjacent units and coalition forces, and provided simulated and realistic news articles through international and adversarial replicated media on the battlefield.
"Our primary focus is to train the brigade commander and his battle staff, and to a lesser extent the battalion leadership "and to meet the commander's training objectives.," said James Weiser, Operations Group Charlie Exercise Control Chief.While the brigade commander dictates the training objectives his brigade and subordinate units need to accomplish, he is also an active player in the exercise and therefore needs help to oversee the direction of the exercise. A retired U.S. Army general officer serves as the senior mentor, a senior ranking officer from the training brigade's higher headquarters (historically the division chief of staff) and the chief of the operations group all collaborate to help guide the direction, tempo and adjustments to the exercise.
In addition to the design and control of the exercise, a world renown and free-thinking opposing forces team of soldiers and contractors provide a realistic and relevant threat, such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban, to the exercise. The OPFOR continually incorporates real-world trends and practices by such actors and other aggressor actors into the exercise to replicate real-world actions.
"The OPFOR provides hybrid threats -- both conventional and asymmetrical -- as a means to stimulate the brigade combat team staff during their planning processes and battle command," said Major Randall Davis, Operations Group Charlie's OPFOR Commander.
While the OPFOR is given the freedom to maneuver and position forces within the design of the exercise, their actions also are limited by the COG and OPFOR commander to ensure they are not interfering with ongoing storylines and desired training objectives.
The end-result for both EXCON and the OPFOR is to provide a training environment conducive to meeting the brigade's training objectives, add friction to stimulate decision making, and according to Mr. Weiser, "provide realism to the exercise."
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