16th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs

Story by Spc. Malcolm Sales

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Soldiers from the Ohio National Guard's 16th Engineer Brigade Headquarters participated in a battle command seminar, Aug. 19-20, at Bush Armory in Columbus.

The purpose of the BCS was to teach the 25 officers and seasoned non-commissioned officers earned how to successfully disseminate, understand and carry out the commander's vision and intent in preparation for their yearlong tour to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The BCS also gave Brig. Gen. Glenn C. Hammond, III, the brigade commander, the opportunity to provide his staff with guidance and share his personal philosophy. The program also addresses how information can be utilized to make well-informed, prudent decisions while in theater.

The second day of training included a luncheon attended by the group's senior mentor, retired Lt. Gen. John R. Vines. The luncheon provided the brigade commander an opportunity to participate in a frank discussion with a subject matter expert.

"This was a great opportunity to observe the senior mentor, Lieutenant General Vines, interacting with our brigade commander and for him to be available to coach and counsel the leadership of the 16th Engineer Brigade," said Maj. Roger Lewis, the brigade assistant operations officer.

Battle command staff training is offered by the Department of the Army and is carried out by Operations Group Foxtrot, based at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The group has a staff of about 35, including the group commander, Col. Randy Smith, and the chief observer of training for the unit, Lt. Col. Daniel Goll. Lt. Col. Kevin Casey provided training specific to construction planning
during the workshop.

The BCS workshop teaches real-world doctrine and allows for discussion on situations that could present challenges while deployed. The program also works to increase staff cohesion and encourages a proactive approach to problem solving and information analysis.

"The workshop brought new people together and started the process of bonding as a team, while gaining valuable insight from the senior mentor at the same time," Lewis said.

The BCS workshop is only the beginning of a dynamic and complex process of preparing the 16th for deployment. The Brigade will continue its training at Fort McCoy, for about one month before embarking on their mission to Iraq, where they will work to build a stronger relationship with the Iraqi people by working with and through the Iraqi government on engineer missions that will support the transition of power back to the Iraqis.

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