FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – Recently, the Mission Command Training Program (MCTP) supported the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) exercise known as Austere Challenge 2024 (AC24), which was a hybrid warfighter exercise that was vastly different than the normal model.
The MCTP’s Chief of Operations Group - Alpha, U.S. Army Col. Robert E. Lee Magee explained the purpose of the training event.
“Austere Challenge 24 was an EUCOM exercise designed to train and develop staffs from the Combatant Command to the division level to effectively operate in Europe while integrating and synchronizing joint and national capabilities against peer threats from competition to crisis to combat,” he said.
Magee, who hails from Lansing, Kan., articulated how AC24 was different than a normal model.
“AC24 was vastly larger in both scale and scope than a typical warfighter. This exercise started in the competition phase,” he said. “This meant that EUCOM attempted to maintain deterrence while preparing for large scale combat operations.”
U.S. Army Maj. Jonathan Malabre, an MCTP Information Operations Observer Coach Trainer, added, “The scenario was global, and provided better insight on the impacts of how [a] theater fight could affect global operations.”
Magee continued, “The strategic ambiguity built into the exercise forced difficult discussions [regarding] authorities and subsequent operational and tactical planning. With EUCOM fully engaged as a training audience and operating within NATO, [U.S. Army] V Corps was not the main effort, forcing V Corps to compete for available joint assets to execute their deep and close fights.”
The principle unique feature of AC24 was that the V Corps Headquarters led two allied nation divisions in addition to two U.S. divisions: the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kan. and the 3rd Inf. Div. from Fort Stewart, Ga. during the training scenario in Europe from March 2 to March 16, 2024, making the large event a dynamic, multinational exercise.
Magee highlighted that his Operations Group “had the privilege to serve as coaches for the V Corps staff while our senior mentors supported the Corps leadership at echelon.”
The commander of the MTCP summarized the AC24 exercise experience. “The purpose of the MCTP is to enable professional warfighting,” said U.S. Army Col. Richard J. Ikena Jr. “AC24 is yet another example of our great team of teams enabling V Corps and the great NATO Alliance with a rigorous, impactful leader development experience for all involved.”
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.17.2024 16:11 |
| Story ID: | 471621 |
| Location: | LANSING, KS, US, DE |
| Hometown: | LANSING, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 401 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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