Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Burger | Maj. Robert Mallett, lower left, Third Army intelligence officer in charge for...... read more read more
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by Staff Sgt. Carlos M. Burger II
Third Army/U.S. Army Central Public Affairs Office
FORT GILLEM, Ga. - Third Army/U.S. Army Central Soldiers tested their capabilities in contingency operations in the Lucky Warrior exercise held by USARCENT on Fort Gillem Aug. 20-23.
Lucky Warrior is a computer-assisted exercise conducted in support of mission essential tasks and responsibilities at the strategic and operational levels. The week-long exercise helped prepare Third Army's operational command post, the nation's only fully deployable army-level headquarters, to conduct potential operations around the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
In the exercise, U.S. forces, along with their coalition partners, charged into "Nilvia" province in an effort to restore the area to the nation of "Greeneland" and push back the forces of "Orangeland" as part of a counter-insurgency operation.
In real time, to successfully complete the operation, Third Army invited coalition representatives from Egypt, Germany, Jordan and the Netherlands, as well as its Central Command counterparts to participate in the exercise said Col. Dennis Jarosz, Third Army chief of operations.
Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb, USARCENT commanding general, said the exercise was a chance to build strong partnerships with coalition partners.
"Lucky Warrior is Third Army's opportunity to exercise our deployable command posts and integrate our coalition partners into our operations," he said. "As an expeditionary force we must be prepared to deploy and conduct full-spectrum operations within our areas of operation as we are currently doing with our headquarters in Kuwait and Atlanta. Exercises like Lucky Warrior help us hone our skills and capabilities to meet all of Third Army's mission requirements," Whitcomb said.
The digital exercise simulated wartime scenarios to test the Soldiers' abilities to handle battlefield situations. Throughout the exercise, senior military officials evaluated the battle staff's proficiency in employing its "battle drills," which are predetermined procedures used to react to specific situations.
For some of the coalition forces, the exercise provided a chance to work with new equipment and use tactics not currently employed in their own nations.
"We don't have systems like these in Egypt," said Lt. Col. Mohamed Esmail, a brigade commander with the Egyptian army. "This is excellent training for us. Learning how to operate with different cells is good, because you get critical information faster to make critical decisions."
Jarosz also believed this exercise was a good opportunity for the coalition forces to work together.
"To work with our partner nations gives us a chance to establish procedures and provides all our countries a chance to work more proficiently together," he said.
The exercise concluded with an after action review in which participants and their senior leaders discussed the lessons learned to determine where improvement is needed. This information will be implemented in the preparation for Bright Star, the biennial multi-national exercise scheduled to be held in Egypt this November.
Esmail, who will also participate in Bright Star, feels both Lucky Warrior and Bright Star help coalition forces in the Global War on Terrorism.
"We all want the same goal," he said. "Everyone here is working hard to make smart decisions to defeat the common enemy."
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 08.24.2007 10:45 |
| Story ID: | 11965 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 641 |
| Downloads: | 499 |
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