Fort Irwin OC's and OPFOR

[Stellaris]

Who can forget three inches of snow in the desert?  Brutal.  Seeing NASA Goldstone in the distance was cool though.  And the stark emptiness was haunting.

[dirtdart]

Indeed, the prevalence of Soviet Era weapons and tactics in the third world is the primary justification for continuing to train to fight a Soviet style enemy.  The theory is that this is the hardest possible adversary, and thus anything else we face will be easy.  Unfortunately, this is like training for hockey because it's the toughest team sport out there, and then showing up with skates and sticks to play tennis.  Yes, it's a much less demanding game, but you're still gonna lose.    Exhibit A - Vietnam.  Exhibit B - Afghanistan.  Exhibit C - Iraq.

Way to bring politics into a friendly meet the crew thread... cupcake. It is clear you have no understanding of national strategy and the relationships between the instruments of national power. In any of your "exhibits" how many tactical fights did the United States lose? Or.... was the failure political. Also, when was the last time you were at the National Training Center?

[Stellaris]

I was at NTC in 2010, and I finished the command and staff course in July.  It's that last experience which informs my comments, and they are political only in the degree that, to give the obligatory Clauswitz quote, "war is the continuation of politics by other means."  I think that also encompasses the relationship between tactical training and national strategy, so I'll leave it at that.

[gyrene81]

this thread has been very informational...not only do you army dudes get medals for successfully throwing a grenade far enough away to keep from killing yourselves, they give you belt buckles for playing around in the desert. 

[ozrocker]

this thread has been very informational...not only do you army dudes get medals for successfully throwing a grenade far enough away to keep from killing yourselves, they give you belt buckles for playing around in the desert. 

They give you guys Ribbons for hanging out with Seamen




                                                                                                                                        Oz

[gyrene81]

They give you guys Ribbons for hanging out with Seamen


                                                                                                                                        Oz

    ok somewhat true...we have do to something besides bellhop though.

[Arlo]

Ya'll have real neat ground-pounder call-signs.

Our P-3 squadron got stuck with 'Slimeball' ... 'Rawnuts' ... 'Schmedly' ... 'Rock' ... 'Mother.'

Ok, those were nicknames.

Our planes were 'Papa-Lima.'

[dirtdart]

I was at NTC in 2010, and I finished the command and staff course in July.  It's that last experience which informs my comments, and they are political only in the degree that, to give the obligatory Clauswitz quote, "war is the continuation of politics by other means."  I think that also encompasses the relationship between tactical training and national strategy, so I'll leave it at that.

in 2010, NTC was transitioning to the hybrid threat and trying to find a way to manage MCO and Asymmetric. In 2010 I saw my worst rotation ever, a brigade out of Bliss. Trying to merge the two threats to test BCT systems is more than challenging. I am hope I have read a professional article you wrote summing up your experiences and how to change the scenario to best suit modern combat .... somewhere.

Training Centers and the doctrine which supports them is not the problem. It is the leaders who see only bad things and focus on them instead of understanding the true purpose of a CTC. There is a certain BCT Commander I am thinking about now (thankfully drummed out of the Army as a toxic leader). My hope is that with a decrease in OPTEMPO we can finally get back to the basic and NOT have to go to a CTC just to get the unit fenced off so we can work SOP development.

Like most of us, regardless of the systems, when I showed up to fight we could shoot, move, and communicate better than the other guys and that counted for something. The collective training on that only came for us at places like a CTC.

[ozrocker]

Uh, are AAR's not performed? Especially critique after missions, as done in the past?
How can a Unit go to NTC and not be prepared on what's coming and Mission readiness?
Whatever happened to reviewing Combat Reports? Critical learning?
Oh well, what do I know? I was only a Cold War era 11C E-5 as Section Sgt (E-7 slot).
Had several rotations with 2 different Divisions 2nd AD & 1st ID
When I left my Instructor job at Ft. Dix, I actually had orders to Irwin.
Bums rescinded and sent me to Riley instead.

                                                                                                                                          Oz
                                                                                                                                     

[MWL]

Hey All,

  Bronco 28 (Ancient), Scorpion 02 (Ancient) July 1998 to September 2000.  I learned more here watching what other people did in the desert than in the rest of my career.

  Still stuck in the Mojave - current call sign is Wrangler 20.

  Remember - It is waaaaaay easier to be the OC / Red Guy than it is to be the Blue Guy!

  to the Players.

Regards,

[The Jekyll]

Ozrocker,  when did you leave 1-16??

[ozrocker]

May 95 when I got out. I was in HHC Mortar Platoon 4.2" 107 mm Mech
We had the crappy M106 A2's & M577 FDC tracks.



                                                                                                                                           Oz

              

[The Jekyll]

Wonder if you knew "Sparky" Stafford? He was probably a 1SG then. He had probably just came back from Germany where he and I were stationed together. I was in 1/16 from 2002 until retirement in 2005. I knew some 11 C guys down the street, Randall Fogg, and some others you may know.

[Wagger]

Hey any old Pershing Missile type guys here?  2/4 Inf, 56th Bde Pershing.  Nelson Kaserne, Neu Ulm and Von Stuben Cas Site.

[mthrockmor]

116th Cav, ARNG Summer of 2000. Awesome experience and we won one battle!

Boo