Photo By Sgt. Benjamin Kullman | FORT CARSON, CO. – Soldiers from the 4th Sustainment Brigade receive a briefing from...... read more read more
Taking advantage of U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Army North’s yearly Vibrant Response exercise taking place at Camp Atterbury, Ind, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division along with subordinate units conducted a field exercise at Fort Carson, Colo. 28 April to 6 May. The exercise was intended to continue building the foundations of 4SB’s Defense Support of Civil Authorities Support (DSCA) mission as part of a 5,200 member joint service, multi-component force rapidly responding to a multitude of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents.
The VR16 main exercise simulated a nuclear detonation near Pittsburg, PA resulting in the appropriate response from a multitude of federal agencies and military assets. 4SB, in support of the 167th Theater Sustainment Command under Joint Task Force Civil Support, acted as part of the emergency relief effort in just sort of event providing logistical, sustainment, and reception, staging, and onward movement support to federal and state responders providing life-saving capabilities to meet the expectations of the nation.
By deploying their battalion assets to various locations across the Fort Carson training area, the 4th Sustainment Brigade was able to assess how the brigade as a whole would respond to an immediate crisis while partnering with other units. Setting up shop in tents and mobile command centers gave the battalion and company command teams an idea on how they were able to conduct operations quickly across three command nodes while keeping consistent and ongoing communications while supporting main relief efforts despite being in austere field environments.
“The 4th Infantry Division's Sustainment Brigade was tasked to establish and operate across three Mission Command Nodes in support of Army North Command,” said Maj. Christopher M. Richardson, 4th Sustainment Brigade Executive Officer. “Col. Ragin, the 4SB Commander, added to the demand by directing the 4SB to maintain materiel management and focus on operational readiness for the 4th Infantry Division. The team quickly developed a concept that allowed 4SB to deploy two like Tactical Command Posts, a Tactical Operating Command Post, and a Mobile Command Group for increased flexibly and the ability to conduct battlefield circulation. The DSCA exercises are very important, but are not one of our core tasks. VR is however, a critical training venue. It was the first time 4SB was able to deploy both TACs, the Mobile Command Group, while sustaining support to 4ID, it was an opportunity to prove several concepts developed by 4SB: our ability to deploy multiple nodes while maintaining situational awareness, demonstrate the level of proficiency within our NCO Corps and junior Soldiers, and to strengthen our partnership with our Reserve and a National Guard partners.”
Although the brigade’s focus over the course of the 12 day exercise was their DSCA operations, 4th Infantry Division home station support missions and other real world assignments required a balance be maintained with the simulated world of the Pittsburg disaster.
“Managing the simulation, with two deployed TACs, while sustaining 4ID was a challenge, as this was our first time exercising 4SB's multiple nodes concepts,” explained Richardson. “This was the sustainment community's first attempt to deploy several elements in support of three distinctly different missions - DSCA, the Brigade field exercise, and continuing to sustain the Army's only hybrid division. We had no historical data to revisit or best practices to learn from our fellow Sustainment Brigades. We executed the mission to the best of our ability and quickly adjusted to increase effectiveness and efficiencies. We relied heavily upon our NCOs, Junior Officers, and Enlisted Personnel, while demonstrating the attributes of a learning organization. This exercise was an overwhelming success, not only did we exceed our training objectives, we pioneered an untested concept that some believe is the new standard for future sustainment brigades.”
As members of the 4SB conducted their mission at their various Fort Carson locations a team of logisticians and support personnel were sent to Camp Atterbury to conduct mission essential tasks and support right in the epicenter of the exercise’s main effort. In addition to coordinating with the Rough Rider team at their home station these Soldiers were tasked with handling ‘Mayor Cell’ duties as well, providing for the welfare and living conditions of the exercise participants that had gathered in Indiana from across the country.
“We managed 130 personnel of various support units that provided sustainment to the exercise participants,” explained Maj. John Cannon, 4th Sustainment Brigade Deputy S3. “We managed the dining facility, fueling of generators and other military equipment, transportation of exercise participants to and from the Indianapolis airport, and the billeting of a total of over 1,400 exercise participants.”
As staff members, Officers, Soldiers, and Noncommissioned Officers of 4SB conducted their support mission they were augmented by Soldiers from the California Army National Guard. Representing the 224th Sustainment Brigade from Long Beach, CA these Soldiers were tasked with supporting 4SB while offering additional oversight and evaluations during the exercise.
“The 224th’s overall involvement in the exercise was to fill key positions in the Support Operations section where the 4th Sustainment Brigade was shorthanded during VR16,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Luis F. Arciniega, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 224th Sustainment Brigade Ammunition Warrant Officer. “We were received by the 4th Sustainment Brigade and integrated into the operations very quickly as one of their own. We were given the opportunity to work with very knowledgeable Soldiers”.
The ability for the California Army National Guard Soldiers to integrate with those of 4SB gave both units an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences with each other and take back what they learned to their home units and translate it into their future individual operations.
“Working with the 4th SB Soldiers was very beneficial not only to the National Guard but to the Army as a whole,” explained Arciniega. “It allowed us to fill the vacant spots and start working with 4SB personal as a team from the very start of the training event. We were able to work in different working groups and have input on the Military Decision Making process, mission analysis, Course of Action development, concept of support and orders production. We also participated in providing information on a Concept of Support recommendation of a proposed site for Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration.”
“Our partnership with 224th paid huge dividends during this exercise,” Richardson elaborated. “Col. Julian Bond, Commander of the 224th, deployed four senior NCOs that quickly proved to be invaluable to our formation. Our partners quickly grasped complex concepts and aided us by adding an unexpected level of DSCA expertise that we did not have within 4SB.”
Extending coordination between the brigade assets, their peers in Indiana, and the additional support from California required that Rough Rider staff to hit the ground running and learn quickly how to create a cohesive communication strategy and fulfill the requests for assets and supplies generated by the scenario.
“Some of the lessons learned involved the working relationship with Civil Authority representatives that needed to be established early in the operation, allowing the Brigade to know the assets that were available in a DSCA mission in order to coordinate support for the different classes of supply. Overall it was a great exercise to learn from and was very challenging. I would most definitely participate in type of mission again,” said Arciniega.
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2016 16:30 |
| Story ID: | 203773 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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