Home » Archives » "Warfighter keeps soldiers ahead of the tech curve"

Warfighter keeps soldiers ahead of the tech curve

Dec-17-2004 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

[Link to Full Article] with photos

Spc. Tiffany Levesque
20th Public Affairs Detachment

U.S. Army Alaska – The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team took part in the Warfighter Exercise at the Battle Command Training Center and Soldiers learned how to set up new digital networks and manage the digital information from those systems.

“We now have a faster and better flow of information out on the battlefield,” said Sgt. Iran Torres, during the exercise, Dec. 7-13.

“This exercise is helping us to familiarize ourselves with the new technology, but it is also telling us where we stand in our training,” said Torres, a fire support sergeant with 172nd SBCT.

This virtual training exercise was designed to prepare Soldiers to use new technologies, said Col. Paul Reoyo, U.S. Army Alaska chief of staff.

Four missions were simulated during the exercise, Reoyo said. Played out through the upper echelons of the 172nd, the command had to seize and secure an airfield and cordon and search the perimeter while fighting insurgents.

The brigade operated beneath a higher headquarters, which allowed it to focus on its command and control methods with its subordinate units while taking directives from a higher command.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, an opposing force challenged the brigade by staging fictional attacks on troops through computer simulation, which set conditions for the brigade to execute counter measures.

“The OPFOR is told to simulate attacks on the friendly forces similar to the attacks Soldiers face daily in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Reoyo. “This is done so that friendly forces are simulated as close as possible to a real battle.

Additionally, the brigade had the capability to track its forces, as well as other friendly forces in the area, and keep an eye on enemy movement.

Information was passed with split-second timing and kept everyone informed, said Col. Robert Ball, USARAK deputy commander.

“The WFX saves the Army money, time and resources that are used in FTXs (Field Training Exercises),” said Reoyo.

During FTXs, Soldiers usually fire live ammunition, eat MREs, wear miles gear, use batteries, and expend many other costly items. Soldiers in the WFX don’t use nearly a quarter of the costly resources as units in the field would, Ball said.

The benefits of this exercise were worth all the weeks of training and preparation, said Torres.

“The main goal of this training is for the units involved to take the lessons they will learn and refine their jobs before their deployments,” said Reoyo.

Warfighter is now a mandatory exercise for units deploying, Ball said.

Contact the writer at tiffany.levesque@wainwright.army.mil


Advertisements