Photo By Sgt. 1st Class True Thao | U.S. Army Pfc. Felix Appiah and Chase Smith both with 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry...... read more read more
SMARDAN TRAINING AREA, Romania – Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division based out of Fort Riley, Kansas set up operations for Justice Eagle 19 at Smardan Training Area, Romania, May 23, 2019.
The 1-16 Infantry recently railhead their vehicles from Bulgaria to Romania and are establishing a Tactical Operations Center (TOC) to operate out of. A TOC consists of multiple platforms including vehicles or tents, comprised of integrated communications combining data, video, and voice communications networks, information management, and computing equipment designed for the tactical environment.
“We are setting up the TOC so that we can have command and control of our operations for Justice Eagle, said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Woods, operations non-commissioned officer with 1st Bn, 16th Inf. Reg. “It allows us to communicate to our higher headquarter.”
The Iron Rangers are preparing for Justice Eagle 2019, a multinational exercise with ally and partner nations to advance procedures and tactics, increase interoperability and to better prepare for coalition operations.
The Soldiers have been training rigorously since arriving in Eastern Europe and this was an opportunity for them to put their skills to the test; setting up a tactical operation center from the ground up in an austere environment.
“We have been training on setting up and tearing down the TOC, and it has definitely paid off,” said Pfc. Rhett Gerken, with 1st Bn, 16th, Inf. Reg. “We are assigned specific roles to make the process go quicker.”
Most of the Soldiers assembling the TOC had minimal or no experience prior to this deployment. Tasked with this duty gave them a better understanding of the significance of setting up a forward tactical operation center in a timely manner and they are grateful for the training.
“It was definitely helpful to time ourselves when training on re-assembling and disassembling the TOC,” said Gerken.
With Justice Eagle 19 involving various training events, the Iron Rangers will be working alongside their allies and learning from one another. Interoperability is a key component of being prepared to stand side-by-side with our allies and partners to maintain overmatch and increase lethality against future threats.
This is a first for many of the Soldiers being deployed overseas and working with their allies. Woods says that it’s a good opportunity for his Soldiers to see how their partner nations operate.
As Justice Eagle kicks off, training alongside allied forces will improve interoperability, strengthen relationships and trust among allied and partner nations, contribute to regional stability, and validate U.S. commitment to NATO.
| Date Taken: | 05.27.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2019 09:45 |
| Story ID: | 324042 |
| Location: | SMARDAN, RO |
| Hometown: | FORT RILEY, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | MANHATTAN, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 139 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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