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2IBCT fights, certifies during JRTC rotation

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A Soldier assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, scans for threats, weapon ready, while conducting a blank-fire rehearsal Nov. 4, 2017, at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)
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Soldiers with 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, take movement guidance Nov. 12, 2017, during the brigade’s rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

Soldiers with 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, take movement guidance Nov. 12, 2017, during the brigade’s rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

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A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, participates in a blank-fire rehearsal at the live fire iteration as part of more than 6,000 Soldiers who entered the “box” to take part in Joint Readiness Training Center Rotation 18-02 at Fort Polk, La., from Oct. 21, 2017 to Nov. 22, 2017. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, participates in a blank-fire rehearsal at the live fire iteration as part of more than 6,000 Soldiers who entered the “box” to take part in Joint Readiness Training Center Rotation 18-02 at Fort Polk, La., from Oct. 21, 2017 to Nov. 22, 2017. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

By Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division

FORT POLK, La. — In the wee hours of the night trudging chest-high through the murky, cold swamps and dense forest of Louisiana, hundreds of Soldiers viewing their surroundings through night vision goggles endured miles of extreme conditions to stay undetected from simulated enemy forces.

The movement was a part of a surprise attack that allowed Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, to engage the enemy 24 hours earlier than they had expected, allowing the brigade to secure and hold a key location, the training scenario’s embassy, from enemy control.

More than 6,000 Soldiers with the 2nd IBCT and other 4th Inf. Div. units joined together with nearly 2,000 service members from other active Army, National Guard and British Army units to take part in Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) Rotation 18-02, at Fort Polk, Louisiana, from Oct. 21, 2017, through Nov. 22, 2017.

JRTC is a scenario-based combat training zone that is 162-square miles and includes more than 10 authentic- looking towns filled with civilian actors who play roles ranging from police chief to the mayor.

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A Soldier assigned to 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, breaches a wire obstacle placed by opposition force members before a notionalattack at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., Nov. 12, 2017. Soldiers from 2nd IBCT, active, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers, and members of the Air Force and the United Kingdom took part in a new- style rotation with unexpected mission changes to truly push the units’ warfighting function. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

A Soldier assigned to 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, breaches a wire obstacle placed by opposition force members before a notionalattack at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., Nov. 12, 2017. Soldiers from 2nd IBCT, active, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers, and members of the Air Force and the United Kingdom took part in a new- style rotation with unexpected mission changes to truly push the units’ warfighting function. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

“The Army, and JRTC here at Fort Polk, has tried to create an environment that looks, feels, and smells like a foreign country; with a scenario behind it that makes us believe we’re conducting operations overseas,” said Col. Dave Zinn, 2nd IBCT commander. “We had a challenging fight. I think at various points in this training operation we had Soldiers who were tired, cold, wet, hungry and exhausted from walking long distances and living out in the woods for days on end.”

As the only light infantry brigade combat team in III Corps, the “Warhorse” Soldiers are well suited for harsh arduous conditions required to perform at the Army’s pinnacle training event that certifies them ready and capable of deploying to combat operations overseas.

“We were asked to accomplish some tough missions against a very determined and challenging enemy … that attacked us with chemical strikes, artillery and even had enemies disguised as civilians hiding in the towns,” said Zinn. “We were challenged across the board with a tough fight,” he added.

One of the primary milestones required of a brigade combat team is to certify during a battalion live-fire exercise that simulates large-scale combat operations.

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A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, holds position to scan for threats Nov. 7, 2017, during the brigade’s rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, holds position to scan for threats Nov. 7, 2017, during the brigade’s rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

“The live fire went very well,” said Lt. Col. Troy Mills, commander, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment. “We’ve really come a long way … at the battalion live-fire, allowing us to integrate, not only direct fire weapons systems but our outstanding Sappers, internal indirect fire assets as well as integrate with (2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd IBCT). The foundation that we have and the ability for us to be lethal through the training events that we conducted here allows us to fight any modern threat we may face.”

2nd IBCT headquarters sections had great success from the brigade aviation element, gaining control of air space within 18 hours — the requirement is 48 hours — to the electronic warfare section preventing multiple enemy fire missions, and the information operations cell shaping the civilian population’s perception of the U.S. troops.

According to Maj. Paul Schumacher, brigade intelligence officer in charge, his intelligence cell was highly successful in predicting where the enemy was located, which allowed the brigade to decide how and where to attack them.

“The end state is to improve and get better, to understand ourselves — have a better assessment of what our strengths are and to know those things we need to improve,” said Zinn. “We left JRTC more trained and better prepared than when we arrived.”

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Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, clear an urban environment while conducting a blank-fire rehearsal at the live- fire iteration Nov. 7, 2017, at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, clear an urban environment while conducting a blank-fire rehearsal at the live- fire iteration Nov. 7, 2017, at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

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A Soldier assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, scans for threats, weapon ready, while conducting a blank-fire rehearsal Nov. 4, 2017, at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

A Soldier assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, scans for threats, weapon ready, while conducting a blank-fire rehearsal Nov. 4, 2017, at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

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A Soldier assigned to 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fires an M240 machine gun (blank ammunition) at opposition force members during a notional attack Nov. 12, 2017, at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)

A Soldier assigned to 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fires an M240 machine gun (blank ammunition) at opposition force members during a notional attack Nov. 12, 2017, at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (Photo by Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office)


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