Photo By Rodney Jackson | Lt. Col. Prentiss Baker, from Thomasville, Ala., information operations officer for...... read more read more
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By Pfc. Christopher T. Grammer and Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Jackson
US Army Central
U.S. Army Central recently took a big step towards being full-spectrum operations capable. Lucky Strike, a computer-assisted, command post exercise began with an alert on Feb. 22 and the first contingent of Soldiers from Fort McPherson, Ga., landed in Kuwait on Feb. 26.
According to Maj. Gen. Dennis Hardy, deputy commanding general, USARCENT, the purpose of Lucky Strike was to build upon and continue to foster an already-capable staff team's collective capabilities towards full-spectrum operations.
"This exercise will allow USARCENT to exercise full-spectrum operations to respond anywhere across USARCENT's AOR," stated Hardy.
After Lt. Gen. James J. Lovelace assumed command of USARCENT in December, the Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George Casey gave Lovelace a clear direction for the headquarters and this exercise is part of USARCENT's movement in that direction.
"We have a specified task from the chief of staff of the Army to transform this headquarters into a full-spectrum operations capable, command and control, war-fighting headquarters, forward-deployed, by this summer," Lovelace said. "In order to do that, you have to be able to assess how well you can do those command and control functions. Lucky Strike is a great exercise that affords us those opportunities to assess where we are. It allows us to stretch ourselves out, challenge our leaders, and assess the disposition and viability of our battle rhythm."
This Lucky Strike exercise was USARCENT's first big step to becoming a full-spectrum operations capable command able to deploy and operate as a joint task force war fighting headquarters when directed.
The training exercise demonstrated USARCENT's ability to quickly establish a forward-deployed warfighting command headquarters, known as the Early Entry Command Post, starting with the most essential elements. In previous Lucky Strike exercises, the EECP was quickly set up and communications were established with scenario-based higher command elements.
This exercise was different. The Main Command Post was activated at USARCENT headquarters at Fort McPherson until the EECP could be set up and begin functioning forward. Once the EECP was set up, it established communications with the MCP and assumed its role as the forward command post on the ground, while the MCP assumed its role as the command's overall information conduit and crisis action planning cell.
Connecting the EECP to the MCP, and synchronizing and exercising efforts through scenario events, greatly increased the USARCENT team's ability to tackle real world events from humanitarian relief to major combat operations.
While the MCP took control of operations, the EECP was able to concentrate exclusively on forward operations on the ground.
"As the exercise progressed the command accomplished two key events," said Col. Mike Simmons, chief of Operations for USARCENT's MCP. "First, the main command post took complete control of operations and operated continuously during the exercises, a capability that had never been done before. Second, during the course of the exercise, the command identified a number of deficiencies that will be used to design a training plan to enable us to become full-spectrum operations certified."
The Lucky Strike exercise gave the commanding general an understanding and appreciation of the deployable headquarters and our capabilities, said Maj. Edwin R. Corona, USARCENT Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander.
An important part of establishing a deployed headquarters is its communications and intelligence capability on the ground.
The first thing the Soldiers did upon arrival at Camp Buehring was set up the intelligence and signal sections.
As the most essential elements of a deployable headquarters these sections are set up first and built upon. Each section operates from an M934 expandable van which houses all the equipment necessary to perform that section's specific function, said Corona.
The intelligence section's mission is to provide communications to the garrison command as well as troops on the ground, said Staff Sgt. Devin Pandy, the 513th Military Intelligence Detachment (Forward) Joint Mobile Integrated Communication System noncommissioned officer-in-charge.
The capabilities provided by the intelligence section allow the commander quick access to real-time information via video teleconference.
"[The commander] needs to know what's going on and needs to know who the players are," said Pandy.
The signal section provides data communication to the commander and his staff to assist in making accurate and timely decisions necessary to assist the warfighter, said Montgomery, Ala., native Maj. Marion Dortch Jr., USARCENT C6 command information management officer.
"We provide the communications backbone that is necessary for voice communication and data communication," said Dortch.
The exercise, which ended March 7, is just one of a series of training exercises USARCENT will use to become full-spectrum operations capable.
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2008 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 17337 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 365 |
| Downloads: | 185 |
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