Division Artillery Soldiers conduct a virtual command post exercise at the Mission Training Complex on Fort Carson, Dec. 9, 2015. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Craig Cantrell)
By Staff Sgt. Craig Cantrell
Fort Carson Public Affairs Office
Division Artillery conducted its first training exercise since the unit redesignated at Fort Carson earlier this year, at the Mission Training Complex Dec. 7-11, 2015.
“We are conducting the Division Artillery Command Post Exercise to establish processes, procedures and systems to conduct mission command — to determine how we operate internally as a division artillery,” said Col. Michael T. Oeschger, commander, DIVARTY, 4th Infantry Division.
The unit, known as the “Iron Gunners,” was redesignated at Fort Carson May 6, 2015, and had its colors unfurled on Founders Field May 14, 2015.
“We became initially operationally capable in October and the DIVARTY staff has been working this (exercise) heavy for two to four weeks, going through the military decision making process and standing up all the systems,” said Oeschger.
The exercise brought together a variety of Fort Carson elements to include DIVARTY, fire support element, 4th Inf. Div. chief of operations, military intelligence, airspace, joint air ground integration cell, 13th Air Support Operations Squadron and the 169th Colorado National Guard.
“Our goal during the exercise is to synchronize all the division fire support enablers, close air support, (4th Infantry Division current operations) and intelligence collection to posture us for a successful division warfighter exercise in February, 2016,” said Maj. Charles M. Knoll, executive officer, DIVARTY, 4th Inf. Div.
Instead of taking the units to a field environment to conduct training, the units opted to take advantage of the digitally based virtual integrated environment of the Mission Training Complex.
“Outside of a real decisive action battle, it is very difficult to replicate the volume of fires they are able to generate here in simulation,” said Knoll.
The MTC offers commanders the ability to conduct individual, leader and collective mission (digital) training.
“The ability to set, reset, conduct an after-action review and continue to train is the best asset the MTC has to offer,” said Marvin Weeks, live video constructive gaming integrative training environment coordinator, MTC, Fort Carson. “The micro and macroeconomics of resource assets the Mission Training Complex offers, with the ability to reset at any given moment, allows the unit to focus on a sound process and costs nothing.”
DIVARTY is unique because it essentially just stood up, its mission command had to be built from the ground up, said Weeks.
“Once the physical systems are established we can start to work on the human systems,” said Maj. Sam Linn, DIVARTY operations officer. “Once the Soldiers understand how the boxes operate, how they integrate and how they interact with those systems, the DIVARTY will start to function internally.”
DIVARTY is expected to be fully mission capable by February, when all of the brigade combat team field artillery units consolidate under DIVARTY.
“I am excited to see how much more successful the division will be with a DIVARTY because of the capabilities we bring to the battle,” said Linn.