155th Armored Brigade Combat Team Jumps Their TOC

Photo By Cpl. Justin Humphreys | Soldiers with Headquarters Company, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, raise a tent after the unit moved their Tactical Operations Center June 9, 2016, at Fort Hood, Texas, during the Multi-echelon Integrated Brigade Training (MiBT). A MiBT is a multicomponent event that sustains readiness of reserve and active components in accordance with the U.S. Army’s total force policy. The 155th is one of two Army National Guard fully modernized brigade combat teams in the U.S. Army and is the largest unit in the Mississippi Army National Guard with approximately 3,000 Soldiers. It is headquartered in Tupelo, Miss., with battalion headquarters throughout the state. (Mississippi National Guard photo by Pfc. Justin Humphreys, 102d Public Affairs Detachment/Released)  

FORT HOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

06.09.2016

Story by Pfc. Justin Humphreys 

102d Public Affairs Detachment

FORT HOOD, Texas — The Tactical Operation Center is the heartbeat for the command on the battlefield and it must be moved, or “jumped”, periodically to stay hidden from enemies.
Soldiers with Headquarters Company, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, moved the battalion’s TOC at the Multi-echelon Integrated Brigade Training at Fort Hood, Texas.
“The reason we jump the TOC is because when we fight the enemy, they try to take out the TOC because it’s our control center,” said Sgt. Carolyn Walters. “When we jump the TOC, the enemy can’t track our location.”
The TOC is a place of work for command and operational staff who oversee the troops and give them direction.
“Without the TOC, we would not be able to track movements of troops on the ground, react to fire, or give commands on where to go,” said Sgt. Walters.
Jumping the TOC includes taking it down and rebuilding, which takes manpower as well as planning.
“The TOC is broken down into sections with equipment and every person has to be responsible for their own piece,” said Cpt. Adam Mayatt.
Throughout the MiBT, the Headquarters Company of the 155th will have to jump the TOC multiple times. The process takes over six hours to complete.
When jumping the TOC, troops have to break everything down manually. From folding tables to packing computers, manual labor gets every step done.
“Jumping the TOC benefits the troops by giving them a hands-on experience with tracking the battalion. That way, whenever we do go overseas, we’ll be prepared,” said Sgt. Walters.

• Date Taken: 06.09.2016
• Date Posted: 06.09.2016 22:24
• Story ID: 200578
• Location: FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI, US