Page 4 - Fort Irwin High Desert Warrior, February 2022

4 High Desert Warrior www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin
February 2022
News

From GHOST, Page 1
font, Commander of the National Training Center’s Opera- ment Personnel section, at its peak Ghost Brigade reported so we can actually support the Brigade Combat Team on
tions Group, to kick o the discussion was the same question almost 400 positive COVID cases in a 24-hour period, which the move,” he added.
designed before the rotation to guide the Brigade Task Force included new cases and those soldiers in recovery. Lt. Col. Tanvi spoke to what worked as the medical sta developed
from the start of the exercise. Tanvi Patel, 7ID Division Surgeon, said she and her sta a revised COVID risk mitigation plan citing the number
“How do we shape (deep) and combine arms (close) to were initially surprised — much like the general population one factor being the movement piece to NTC. Procuring
enable the Ghost Brigade to win,” stated Chalfont. Winning, — at the rate of infection. She explained the most notable enough antigen tests to meet demand — both before move-
in this scenario, meant compelling — through decisive action challenge for Ghost Brigade was their movement timeline to ment and after arrival at NTC — establishing a system to
operations — the ctional adversarial nation of Donovia to NTC in the middle of the Omicron variant surge. test and track, and a feasible plan to contain positive cases
withdraw their troops from Atropia, the ctional neighbor “Based on the rapidly increasing positivity rates, we in a close-quarters environment was essential to keep man-
they had invaded with intent to seize territory. had to quickly screen all symptomatic soldiers and develop power in the ght. Continuing to remind Soldiers of their
But to even get to the point where Ghost Brigade could an e ective plan to transport while minimizing further responsibilities to mitigate risk, as well as taking an active
ght and win against a ctional enemy, they rst had to win transmission,” said Patel who hails from Taylor, Mich. “We role in their care for positive cases, was also part of the plan.
the battle against a real-world adversary in the form of the continuously emphasized appropriate mask use and hand “ e challenge has always been self-reporting of symp-
Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. hygiene especially when social distancing was di cult,” she toms and [medical sta ] assessing if they’re improving versus
Maj. General Stephen G. Smith, 7ID commander, was said, stressing that continuous screening of soldiers in the not,” said Tanvi, citing the imbalanced ratio of medical
on the ground at NTC to observe 1-2 SBCT in action in eld was a key factor in appropriately isolating and following providers compared to the hundreds in COVID isolation.
the box. Smith recognized the signi cant impact Omicron up on positive cases. Sgt. Justin Wilson, an infantry team leader from
had on his units during the entire deployment process and Brigade and Division medical sta , with the help of NTC, Ooltewah, Tenn., talked about how COVID impacted his
movement into the training area. designed protocols with controls, measures, and procedures platoon just before they entered the box, and subsequently
“I think Ghost [demonstrated] their] ability to adapt to to minimize the risk of spread within the formation as well
not only operating in the COVID environment…[to com- as provide space and plans to care for the infected popula- when his unit planned a major assault on an Atropian oc-
cupied village.
plications] internally through leaders being taken out of the tion. Tracking and moving the shear volume of recovered
ght for up to ve days, but also as it a ected us externally personnel back into the ght was a major aspect of the plan- “One person in my squad — the other re team leader
due to transportation delays and rerouting of trains,” he ning process, and an aspect no one had anticipated before — and my weapons squad leader, they both actually ended
said. “So their ability to ght through those challenges is the e ects of Omicron was widely understood. It turns out up getting COVID — and my SAW gunner — all ended
very indicative of not just the brigade but the Division, the plans and procedures based on lessons learned from the Delta up getting COVID,” he said. “ ey are currently out of
Corps, and our whole Army to ght through any challenge variant and COVID as a whole to that point were not suf- the ght, so we kind of had to switch people around, move
to get the mission done.” cient enough risk mitigation measures for the new variant. people around to try and ll gaps … adapt and overcome.”
is particular challenge was readily apparent at the Cataldo, Idaho native, Maj. Frederick Alf, who serves During his introductory remarks at the Ghost Brigade’s
ground level of operations. When asked how her unit as Battalion Executive O cer for 296th Brigade Support mid-point AAR, Chalfont alluded to operational compli-
overcame Omicron, Capt. Dawn Ward, forward support Battalion, said at one point his unit had roughly 12 per- cations and challenges a ecting their ability to ght, and
company commander of E Co., 23rd Brigade Engineer Bat- cent of soldiers on the ground isolated or quarantined due that winning was a BCT-wide team e ort. e rst NTC
talion, said it was less a matter of overcoming the challenge to Omicron, degrading the BSB’s ability to accomplish all rotation of 2022 is the rst rotation to experience complica-
and more a matter of learning to live with it as a condition aspects of the mission. tions due to the Omicron variant of COVID, a complexity
on the battle eld. “It’s not something we get away from, it’s “We’re taking every opportunity to improve our aware- that was largely unavoidable. But for the commander of the
something we work with,” said the native of Oakland, Calif. ness and training,” Alf said about adapting their methods Bayonet Division, it isn’t his rst di cult experience in the
e Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently and procedures to ensure the combat formations receive the war ghting business.
reported the United States experienced the “highest daily critical logistics support they need. “ at may mean put- “ e standard remains the same, and the task remains the
7-day moving average” of COVID cases to date during the ting soldiers in the back of a troop carrier to do ips to go same. e conditions change. Fight through the conditions
Omicron period. According to the Division Support Ele- pick up more vehicles from one location to bring forward and make it happen,” said Smith.

From CSM, Page 1
“We met 150% of our reenlistment aggregate for Unit, Labor and Delivery and [Obstetrics and Gynecol-
scal year 2022 with many Soldiers reenlisting to stay ogy] as well as the [noncommissioned o cer in charge]
here at Weed ACH, 110 Soldiers and 38 o cers have for the Dr. Mary E. Walker Center.”
been promoted, more Soldiers are eager to compete for Burnard said he and his family enjoyed their time
the Soldier or oncommissioned cer o the ear, at Fort Irwin because of the installation and the people
we have more Soldiers training for the Expert Field
Medical Badge and we have the Region’s Best Medic and are excited to be back.
who in uences the Soldiers to compete in each of these “Weed ACH was my rst choice on the [centralized
events,” Blash explained. selection list],” Burnard said. “I wanted to be a part of
Burnard acknowledged the accomplishments of the this organization and work inside this state-of-the-art
organization during Blash’s tenure. medical facility.”
“Weed ACH is the best in the region in nearly every e community is one of the things Blash said she
measurable category and I want us to challenge ourselves
to continue that trend,” he said. “ is institution, under is sad to leave.
the NCO leadership of Command Sgt. Maj. Blash, was “Fort Irwin will always be a special place for me,”
known for being second to none, and I want to continue she said. “ e community is like family and it’s always
that momentum during my time here.” hard to leave family.”
Burnard, a Fullerton, Calif., native, joined the Army As Burnard and his family rejoin the Fort Irwin fam-
in 2002 and served throughout the Army at duty stations ily, he remains ready to lead.
including Fort Campbell, Ky., Fort Carson, Colo., Fort “If you would have told me 20 years ago that I was
Drum, , and ort rwin, Cali
“My wife, Kim, and I rst arrived at Fort Irwin back going to be anyone’s command sergeant major, I would
in 2008,” Burnard said. “We were here for two years, and have told you that you were crazy,” he said. “It is such an
I had the opportunity to work in Hospital Education honor and privilege to be a part of this great organization
and Training, Medical /Surgical Ward, Mother Baby and I look forward to learning every day.”

For more information go to home.army.mil/irwin