Stryker Brigade News

The transformation to brigade combat teams is meant to integrate artillery, engineers, cavalry, surveillance and target acquisition, and other specialties in the same unit. There are plans for three types of brigade combat teams: light, heavy and Stryker.

By using units by themselves or in combinations, the proper level of force can be brought to bear, Vane said. The heavy teams have tanks and Bradley vehicles, and the Stryker units are based on a recently developed 19-ton, eight-wheeled armored vehicle that can be outfitted for 10 tasks, including command, medical evacuation, infantry transport and combat. [...]

One of those newly formed units is the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, stationed in Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Part of the squadron participated in "Operation Bootheel" recently, which paired them with U.S. Border Patrol agents in southwest and south-central New Mexico. The brigade was converted from an infantry unit.

The assignment allowed the unit to practice reconnaissance, which is its primary mission. Its 40-plus vehicles were equipped with "Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance Systems" that allow observations day or night and during bad weather. The system has a range of more than two miles, which puts the soldiers out of the range of direct fire weapons and sensor systems.

With only 21 days of formal training, the unit arrived in the high desert of New Mexico for a 60-day mission coordinated by Joint Task Force North. When the mission ended earlier this month, the unit had assisted in nearly 2,500 undocumented immigrant apprehensions and the seizure of more than 6,000 pounds of marijuana. [...]

Another challenge for the Stryker unit soldiers is to get accustomed to the new vehicles.

Maj. Richard Rouleau, the unit's executive officer, said he was formerly a tank operator. He said the Stryker vehicles have a longer range and can conduct three-day missions without resupply.

"We have been able to measure our oil and gas consumption," Rouleau said of the training in New Mexico. "Now we know what our limitations are. We have a better idea of logistics. In our planning process, we were on a 72-hour cycle. This allowed us to validate that we can function 72 hours without resupply ... to be comfortable working three days without fuel. We got to see that it works."