2nd BCT participates in COIN seminar

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Mark Moore | Lt. Col. Mark Ulrich, Seminar Chief assigned to the Army Irregular Warfare Center, in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., speaks to key leaders of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, speaks to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, key leaders during a Counter Insurgency seminar held Aug 20-24 at Fort Drum’s Missions Training Complex.  

WATERTOWN, NY, UNITED STATES

08.24.2012

Story by Sgt. Mark Moore 

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

WATERTOWN, N.Y. - Key leaders from 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, participated in a Counter Insurgency (COIN) seminar held Aug 20-24 at Fort Drum’s Mission Training Complex.

Members from the Army Irregular Warfare Center located at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. partnered with five addition agencies to facilitate the seminar and said their main purpose is to support units deploying to Afghanistan.

“We provide a weeklong interactive seminar, tailored to the unit according to their mission, deployment location, level of experience, and commander’s intent,” said Lt. Col. Mark Ulrich, a native of West Hartford, Conn., and seminar chief assigned to AIWFC.

During the first two days, leaders took part in group discussions focusing on the Afghanistan population and causes of instabilities in their environment, discussions gradually shifted into environmental threats.

Ulrich continued to say, “The way we want to attack the problem is to first understand the problem.”

Days three through five consisted of small group discussions focusing on solutions to issues this unit may encounter while deployed.

Deploying as a Security Force Assistance Brigade puts 2nd BCT in an advisory position where mind set is key to success.

“Mind set, not skill, set is key to a more successful advisory deployment, Halo and Scuba will not help you,” said Ulrich. “How to interact with the local population, how to advise, how to understand an irregular threat is what will help you accomplish your mission.”

Native of Fredericksburg, Va., 1st Lt. Kurt A. Carlson, Fire Directions officer for Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery, said “The seminar really highlights the rewards of being in an advisory position.”

Carlson continued to say that it helped him get into the advisory mind set.

“We should be mimicking a lot of what they do, eat, and how they train, really let them take the lead and set the pace.”

The seminar ended and Lt. Col. Ulrich closed with, “We are now an annex of your unit, if you need to reach back to us you can.”

• Date Taken: 08.24.2012
• Date Posted: 08.29.2012 08:27
• Story ID: 93967
• Location: WATERTOWN, NY, US