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10 High Desert Warrior www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin
April 1, 2016

In the Box

Brave Rifles experience TOC operations during NTC rotation

Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Tomora Clark, Public Affairs NCOIC

3rd Cavalry Regiment Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Gendron, tactical operating center operations noncommissioned
officer in charge with 3rd Cavalry Regiment, records grid coordinates in the regimental
If battlefield operations had to be looked at in terms of the human anatomy, then the TOC TOC while on rotation here, Feb. 20.
would be the brain.
Serving in the TOC at the NTC provided a good developmental opportunity, according
That is according to Capt. Deanna Tran, operational and administrative law attorney for 3rd to Gendron.
Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Hood, Texas.
“It was a great experience to use the information the other sections provided to coordinate
“We [personnel at the TOC] control the whole operational picture like the brain controls the warfighting functions to maximal effectiveness on the battlefield,” he said.
the human body,” Tran said.
Tran added, “For me, TOC operations at NTC was a great learning experience; it was
Tran and other Troopers experienced operations in the regimental TOC during 3rd CR’s very interesting to be a part of TOC operations because of all the moving pieces coming
rotation here in February. together as one.”

A TOC is a command post for all operations on the battlefield and includes a small group
of military personnel from different sections who guide several units through tactical missions.

“The TOC is important because it helps manage the fight, and it organizes all of the plans for
the lower echelons,” Tran said. “It’s crucial that the information that’s coming from the TOC is
accurate, because we are making decisions and providing support to the squadrons.”

Some of staff elements in the regimental TOC include administrative, logistics, plans and
operations, fires, aviation, intelligence, medical, and legal – among others.

Operations at the TOC never ceased, as Tran and her section stayed busy around the clock.
“We had to provide legal support for the TOC for 24 hours on operational law issues, which
included fire missions, internally displaced people missions, detainee operations and non-
combatant evacuation operations,” she said. “Any type of legal issues that arose in the TOC, we
would advise the commander or whoever was making the decision on a situation from a legal
standpoint.”
Each staff section adds a piece to a much larger puzzle, making every section essential to
operations. So, how did the regiment use information from different elements within the TOC?
Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Gendron, operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the regi-
mental TOC, helped to control all of the assets used on the battlefield with the information he
received from the staff sections.
Gendron’s position is one of many in a TOC; however, when it comes to engaging the enemy
on the battlefield, he is the person everyone looks toward.
“I manage all of the war fighting functions to ensure synchronization on the battlefield, so
the movement and maneuver element can move successfully to the objective,” Gendron said.

Leadership

ArmyTransportation command sergeant major visits NTC

Story and photo by Gustavo Bahena program training with industry. Army Transportation Corps and Transportation School Regimental Command Sgt. Maj.
She stressed that Soldiers are the best Cynthia Howard visited this installation, March 10.
Public Affairs Office
managers of their careers. An outline of her Transportation Corps. where you are, where you’ve been, I hear all of
The senior enlisted advisor for the Army’s guidance and recommendations to becoming “I want to thank all of you for what you these great stories about the Transportation
Transportation Corps and Transportation successful included: maximize leadership op- Corps Soldiers, non-commissioned officers,
School, headquartered at Fort Lee, Va., vis- portunities; participate in Soldier and NCO do, up front, for how you make the transpor- leaders, and officers.”
ited the National Training Center to meet boards; further education (military and civil- tation corps relevant,” she said. “No matter
with Soldiers and leadership, March 10. ian); volunteer for tough assignments; serve
as drill sergeant, recruiter, active component
Regimental Command Sgt. Maj. Cynthia to Reserve component adviser, observer
Howard attended several meetings including controller, equal opportunity adviser or ad-
a Warrior Time Training, the Women’s Men- vanced individual training platoon sergeant.
torship Network lunch, and a professional
development session with 1916th Support “I want to make sure that you got ev-
Battalion, 916th Support Brigade. erything you need to be successful for our
future,” Howard said about the support the
Soldiers of the battalion provide logistical Transportation Corps provides.
support to the training mission of the NTC
and the installation. Many of the Soldiers “You are the subject matter experts in our
hold transportation military occupational field, so we’re responsible for all of your train-
specialties in career management field 88. ing that you get, whether it’s at AIT, whether
They operate vehicles, coordinate movement it’s at (Advance Leader Course) or (Senior
of personnel, and oversee transport on trucks, Leader Course),” Howard said. “So, it’s our
rail and air. job to provide a joint-force, trained and
ready professional logistician. That’s the new
Howard spoke to battalion Soldiers and term – not motor transport operators, not
non-commissioned officers about progressing movement coordinators, but logisticians.”
in their career fields and provided informa-
tion about obtaining commercial driver’s Howard added that she enjoys getting
licenses and opportunities in the Army out to see Soldiers and what they do for the

For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil