FORT CARSON, Colo. — Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with the 1st Battalion, 277th Aviation Regiment, attached to 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, land near the brigade tactical operation center April 17, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. An M1A2 Abrams tank with 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd ABCT, follows behind as it returns to the battalion forward line of troops. (Photo by 1st Lt. Tobias Cukale)
By 1st Lt. Tobias Cukale
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Maj. Gen. Matthew W. McFarlane, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, speaks with battalion commanders before a 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div. rehearsal April 17, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by Sgt. James K. McCann)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Every aspect of the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, is intended to test a brigade combat team (BCT) to the fullest. From the unforgiving terrain of the open Mojave Desert pushing a BCT’s ability to maneuver on complex terrain to the opposing forces (OPFOR) who challenge the Soldier’s tactical decision making on every front. A rotation to NTC is grueling during a normal training cycle, and as with many other training events, the advent of COVID-19 added a new level of complexity.
However, the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team “Iron,” 4th Infantry Division, was ready to face NTC’s challenges.
“It’s a lot about the culture of the organization, and really figuring out what you really want to get after and be good at — because everything can’t be a priority,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Chaney, senior enlisted leader, 3rd ABCT. “We worked a lot on the culture of the brigade day-to-day and getting bottom-up refinement feedback into what we wanted to do well at.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — An M1A2 tank from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, moves outside the fabricated city of Razish April 17, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by 1st Lt. Tobias Cukale)
Training for the rotation was extensive, including multiple gunneries, platoon and company situational exercises and tactical operations center exercises. Each event built on the foundation of individual, crew and squad skills that Soldiers train on daily.
“What we ended up with (as focus prior to NTC), was platoon live fire proficiency, troop, company, battery maneuver and what that did was gave us the ability to be lethal at the point of impact enough that you could survive first contact and develop the situation,” said Lt. Col. Tom Smith, commander, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd ABCT.
Additionally, the preparation training was unlike any other the unit has experienced, said 1st Lt. Richard Schimka, platoon leader, 3rd platoon, Ares Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd ABCT.
“Between lost time due to (restriction of movement (ROM)) and extreme weather trying to stop us at every turn … in the end, however, we were put to the test at NTC 21-06 and passed with flying colors,” Schimka said.
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, perform breaching operations April 21, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by Spc. Colton Pope)
Preparations didn’t stop with tactics. In a near post COVID-19 Army, mitigating the spread of illness played a formative role in the brigade’s planning. A two-week ROM followed by mandatory, unitwide testing occurred before departing.
“We did a 14-day restriction of movement which, basically restricted Soldiers to coming to work for essential activities,” said Capt. Terri Atwater, medical officer, 3rd ABCT. “Then upon testing, Soldiers were on quarantine and restricted to life essential activities, such as medical appointments. We also encouraged Soldiers to receive the vaccine.”
The intent of both the ROM and mandatory quarantine period was to limit the chances of Soldiers spreading COVID-19 once on ground at Fort Irwin.
The true test of NTC was not in how well-prepared a unit is prior, but how well it can adapt on ground. As the NTC observer coach/trainers (OC/Ts), who grade and mentor rotational units, said to the Soldiers, “it’s not about ‘winning’, it’s about learning and improving for the future and potential deployments.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — An M1A2 tank from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, moves outside the fabricated city of Razish April 17, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by 1st Lt. Tobias Cukale)
The modular scenario of ongoing “conflict” in Atropia, allowed brigades to face any threat, from a near-peer adversary like the traditional Donovian army or insurgency groups, such as the South Atropian People’s army (SAPA) or the Bilasuvarian Freedom Brigade (BFB). Civilian and media role-players add to the complexity and realism.
With the realistic training scenarios, the Soldiers had to learn how to make quick and accurate decisions.
Capt. Israel Guerrero, logistics planner, 3rd ABCT, told junior officers and Soldiers to learn from their leaders.
“Always be watching what your boss is doing, what meetings they’re going to, what they’re briefing and reporting,” Guerrero said.
That advice came in handy when some of the Soldiers had the chance to jump into leader roles.
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, don gas masks April 23, 2021, during a simulated chemical attack on the brigade administrative and logistical operations control cell during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by 1st Lt. Tobias Cukale)
“It’s problem-solving, and that’s what NTC does to you, you’ve got to solve problems,” said Col. Grant S. Fawcett, commander, 3rd ABCT. “We really had some junior NCOs and some junior officers step into positions that they had no idea they were going to step into. … Definitely some creative solutions to problems, and we were doing it on the fly. … You just have to get creative.”
The Soldiers had to remain positive and figure out the situation without getting frustrated as well, Fawcett added.
The lesson provided in continuity and the ability of junior leaders to take on the roles of their seniors was valuable.
“More people had to understand how to make that unit function, because we had a lot of cases where we had to do one-up drills,” said Lt. Col. Chris Manglicmot, commander, 1st Bn., 66th Armor Reg., 3rd ABCT. “Junior Soldiers who came out of this rotation are a lot better because they had to do that one-up drill and get experience on executing that. As a whole, they understand the impacts of a degraded crew … The challenge and hardships actually made the force a lot better because of that.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — An M1A2 tank from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, moves outside the fabricated city of Razish April 17, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by 1st Lt. Tobias Cukale)
One OC/T specifically complimented the ability of the brigade’s administrative and logistical operations center to sync and cover down for one another across sections enabling the sections most impacted to continue to provide the support required by the brigade. While several others commented that 3rd ABCT was the first to see the exercise to completion since the advent of COVID-19 and the restrictions that accompanied it.
“Everyone here, across the brigade, wants to work hard and do well,” said Fawcett. “(When you go to NTC) you’re an untested brigade. (Before NTC) you get to the level of training that you get to, even the night before, I still didn’t know what to expect. We were able to move long distances and sustain ourselves, and when our crews got into a fight, they were lethal. Those two things, I’m pretty impressed by the formation.”
In the face of the many varied challenges presented during NTC 21-06, it’s no wonder the brigade dubbed the cumulative exercise: Operation Iron Resolve.
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Lt. Gen. Robert White, commanding general, III Corps, speaks with Soldiers from 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, April 20, 2021. (Courtesy photo Operations Group, National Training Center)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, maneuver and pull security April 18, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by Spc. Colton Pope)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, maneuver and pull security April 18, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by Spc. Colton Pope)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, perform breaching operations April 21, 2021, during Decisive Action Rotation 21-06 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by Spc. Colton Pope)