Ironhorse live fire exercise

Photo By Maj. John Farmer | A tank with 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division engages targets during the combined arms live fire exercise at Grafenwoehr Army Base, Germany, June 27.  

BAYERN, GERMANY

06.28.2014

Story by Capt. John Farmer 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – Artillery rounds pounded the impact zone while Apache attack helicopters and tanks engaged targets down range. Dismounted infantry maneuvered through the wood line as their Bradleys provided covering fire. The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, along with partnered forces from Georgia and Romania, conducted a combined arms live fire exercise at the Grafenwoehr live fire training complex, here, June 27.

“The [combined arms live fire exercise] is a dangerous event so synchronization is absolutely critical to ensure all our soldiers are safe,” said Sgt. 1st Class Ivan Alvira, the provost marshal noncommissioned officer in charge for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

With so many moving pieces on the ground, Alvira said there were several keys to success for a safe day of training while on the range. First and foremost is solid communication. With multiple units conducting multiple missions simultaneously it was critical that training observers checked in with the range safeties and officers-in-charge on a regular basis. Also important was maintaining accurate reporting throughout the course of the live fire to ensure every soldier was physically accounted for, especially considering the fact that they were moving so close to huge combat vehicles like tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

“We’ve got to make sure it’s all phased correctly… to make sure everything is coordinated,” said Maj. Rasheed Muwwakil, the brigade engineer officer for 1st BCT, 1st CD. Muwwakil is the officer-in-charge for two of the largest ranges during the CALFEX, encompassing tank main gun fire, Apache gun engagements, and TOW missile engagements.

Muwwakil wasn’t alone as he labored tirelessly to ensure safety for the soldiers. Observer / Control teams from the Joint Multinational Readiness Center and range safety officers added an additional level of safety to ensure soldiers weren’t unknowingly putting each other into harm’s way.

The combined arms live fire exercise was the culminating training event for the Ironhorse brigade during the multi-national training exercise, Combined Resolve II. The CALFEX involved synchronizing multiple weapons platforms as they engaged different targets either in conjunction with or separate from each other. Tanks, both U.S. and Romanian, Bradleys, artillery, attack helicopters, engineer breaching equipment, dismounted infantry, mortars and small arms all played a role in the massive six hour live fire.

The brigade staff, with input from the subordinate units, has been planning and preparing for the CALFEX for weeks. The staff managed the live fire on the ground as well as an additional portion of the exercise, which was virtually designed utilizing the Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation Enhancements, a software program which constructs battlefield simulations. JCATS allowed Ironhorse to fight a much larger fight, adding to the overall value of the live fire exercise.

The complexity of the exercise was further increased by the fact that there were several units participating in the live fire that aren’t part of the Ironhorse brigade like the Apache attack helicopters from 2nd Battalion, 159th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, a unit out of Illesheim, Germany.

“We made a pretty big effort, initially, in the planning process where we sent [liaisons] to Task Force Lancer (2-5 Cav) and Task Force Spartan (Romanians) and…having us involved in the planning process early made that a lot easier so we have all types of fire control measures to make sure that everyone is on the same page,” said Capt. Brian Haley, the assistant operations officer for 2nd BN, 159th ARB.

Haley, along with others from his battalion, played a key role during the live fire, providing Ironhorse soldiers a solid understanding of how we as an Army maneuver together in a combined arms fight.

“The way all the pieces work together is pretty cool,” said Pvt. Brandon Tyree, and infantryman with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “It shows you how great our Army is and lets you see the capabilities that we actually have.”

Tyree was one of many Soldiers training here in Germany who have been in the Army a short time. He, like others, will benefit greatly from the experience he’s gained since being here.
“I haven’t been in that long myself, so being able to do this, and all the experience I’ve gained, and all the knowledge I’ve gained will help me in the future,” said Tyree, a native of Pittsburgh.

• Date Taken: 06.28.2014
• Date Posted: 06.28.2014 08:36
• Story ID: 134799
• Location: BAYERN, DE
• Hometown: FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US
• Hometown: PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, US
• Hometown: WINNSBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA, US