Page 20 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior March 2016

20 High Desert Warrior
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Greywolf units stick together, support each other
Story and photos by 1st Lt. Roque Mesa
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
Amid sunny skies and cool temps, 1st Battalion, 12th
Cavalry Regiment “Chargers,” 3rd Armored Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Cavalry Division came to wage “war” at the Na-
tional Training Center.
Chargers’ Soldiers arrived in the “box” Feb. 7 in support
of 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division’s decisive ac-
tion rotation.
While the training enhanced the Chargers tactical skills,
they did not go about their mission alone.
Much of 1-12 CAV’s success was based on their ability to
work with other 3rd ABCT “Greywolf ” enabler units such
as C Company, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regi-
ment, and A Company, 3rd Engineer Battalion, who worked
alongside 1-12 CAV during the month-long training exercise.
The Chargers made good use of his unit, said 1st Sgt.
Theodore Braunch, first sergeant of A Co., 3rd Eng. Bn.
“Some units forget how to use engineers,” Braunch said.
“Working with 1-12 CAV is a very good experience, and the
engineers have been supported far better than I’ve seen before.”
Charger and engineer coordination started with the plan-
ning process and continued during the NTC rotation to make
sure the training went off without a hitch.
For example, 2-82 FA and 3rd CR use two different and
incompatible logistics management computer systems. Since
NTC rotation introduces conventional warfare
to civil affairs teams
Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Gregory Williams
353rd Civil Affairs Command
FORT IRWIN, Calif. - Surrounded by sand and rocks protrud-
ing out of the ground like thorns, two civil affairs Soldiers prepare
for a key leader engagement (KLE) mission. As the Soldiers ap-
proach an abandoned building, a four-man security squad emerges
out of a dark corner to greet them.
As the group moves out, an observe controller walking five
meters back monitors how the Soldiers maneuver through the vil-
lage, watching how Soldiers interact with role players during the
aftermath of the previous day’s scenario.
In the Mojave Desert, civil affairs teams utilized skills and
doctrine that hasn’t been used in the last decade as they adapted
to training in conventional warfare exercises.
Soldiers with C Company, 411th Civil Affairs Battalion con-
ducted civil affairs operations training during the unit’s validation
for deployment at the National Training Center in February.
“Civil Affairs is a viable asset in any aspect of fighting, because
what we do here is important and we let the civilian population
know that we’re not here to take over, because all they might
see are big guys with big guns,” said Sgt. Jan-Michael Mohan,
a civil affairs noncommissioned officer with C Co., 411th Civil
Affairs Battalion. “When we go speak to them, they don’t have
that fear anymore.”
The civil affairs teams embedded with 3rd Stryker Calvary
Regiment elements – testing their civil affairs skills on role players, challenged the teams to show active duty Soldiers they we’re not to
who were caught in between the “fighting” of an opposing force
and the 3rd SCR.
As the scenario evolved, Soldiers from 3rd SCR did not gain
favor with the local population, as civil affairs teams learned dur-
For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil
Medics from 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd
Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
work together to assess, stabilize and transport a
“casualty” to levels of care at the National Training Center
during their support of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment’s
decisive action rotation.
1-12 Cav uses both systems, they were able to help 2-82 FA
order maintenance parts.
The sentiment among the Greywolf enabler units
was mutual.
“NTC is a learning experience among different types of
units, wherein communication is essential,” said 1st Lt. Maria
ing their KLE’s with governing officials. Monitoring the training
were observe controllers, who have gone on multiple deployments
focusing on the implementation of civil affairs techniques and
Soldiers’ attitudes.
“We’re looking to see how dedicated they are to a mission and
how knowledgeable they are with the doctrine,” said Staff Sgt.
Matthew Susko, a observe controller with the 443rd Civil Affairs
Battalion. “This mission is different from what civil affairs has tradi- civil affairs is, now it’s the idea that we’re enablers and we’re here
tionally done, where it’s a force-on-force decisive action engagement
[and] civil affairs over the past 10 years has been COIN-centric. The
change in mission and adapting doctrine are a bit of a challenge,
but most teams are stepping up.”
Susko said the teams were doing a good job integrating civil
affairs across their warfighting functions, but there have been chal-
lenges along the way.
“They’re supporting a heavy number of conventional troops
with armor battalions and … Stryker battalions and are engaging
an enemy that has equivalent equipment, so they’re not fighting a
counter insurgency war,” Susko said. “The enemy have their own
tanks and helicopters, so finding the civil affairs niche in this as
opposed to guerrilla warfare takes a bit of adjusting to.”
As the battle rhythm became faster for the 411th, the unit found
itself constantly on the move going from mission to mission, while
relocating their tactical operation center on a daily basis. Having Re-
serve Soldiers train alongside their active duty counterparts within
the Army affords both components to build camaraderie, but also
challenges Reservists to show how citizen-Soldiers can marry both
their civilian and military occupations. The unit’s command group
be taken lightly and prepared to prove their worth.
“They didn’t know we were Reservists,” Mohan said. “Some of
www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin
Spc. Mauro Perez, of 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment,
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division,
pulls security outside the unit’s command post during
decisive action rotation 16-04.
Buser, executive officer of Forward Support Company J, 1-12
CAV. “The 1-12 CAV has been doing many battalion-level
exercises, so linking in with higher units is good training.
Working with other types of units generates great combat
multipliers with unique skill sets that make a difference in
battlefield scenarios.”
Sgt. 1st Class Sean Boyle, a civil affairs noncommissioned
officer team leader with C Company, 411th Civil Affairs
Battalion, conducts a key leader engagement with a local
city official during training here, Feb. 17.
them thought that we had to go through a selection process, but
we explained that we have to be critical thinkers, intellectuals and
diplomats all at the same time. If these guys have any idea of what
to help them out by us painting a broader picture.”
Susko said having experienced Soldiers and officers to lead is
important, because conventional war exercises challenge civil affairs
troops to focus on their doctrine, warrior tasks and drills, medevac
operations, and combat life savers skills – which are meant to keep
them on their toes.
“We’re using doctrine and practicing scenarios that we haven’t
been able to practice in the last several decades, because we’ve been
so focused on counter insurgency warfare,” Susko said. “Relearning
how to support a unit in a conventional fight is a skill set that’s
fallen by the wayside after the Middle East, and we have to get it
back based on current geopolitical situations.”