I-Troop, 3rd Squadron, 278th ACR completes 2014 annual training

CAMP SHELBY, MS, UNITED STATES

08.12.2014

Courtesy Story

278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard

U.S. Army National Guard story by Spc. Matthew Hill, I-Troop, 3rd Squadron, 278th ACR

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. - “In the civilian world almost nothing has lasting consequences, so you can blunder through life in a kind of daze. You never have to take inventory of the things in your possession and you never have to calculate the ways in which mundane circumstance can play out – can, in fact, kill you. As a result you lose a sense of the importance of things, the gravity of things. Back home mundane details also have the power to destroy you, but the cause and effect are often spread so far apart that you don’t even make the connection;”

Sebastian Junger wrote this while embedded as a journalist with the 4th Infantry Division in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. Although this is not Afghanistan, one day, it could be.

Each year, the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard, conducts its annual training at Camp Shelby in southern Mississippi. Like Junger wrote, the blunder through civilian life must turn to focus and the walking daze of the civilian world become focused. For some civilian Soldiers this is difficult, but not the 278th and certainly not Troop-I of 3rd Squadron.

The training is tedious, but of vital importance. The difference between success and failure is measured in inches. One incorrect move in the wrong direction and you don’t conceal your movements. One wrong report and the commander loses track of our position, improper vehicle and weapons maintenance causes a weapon to jam or a truck to fail a mission readiness inspection; and one careless, mundane task from the civilian life could lead to a real world casualty during training.

The difficult process of transitioning one’s mind from civilian to Soldier is critical. Each year, Troop-I proves it performs the disconnect best. This year is no different. Six days in the field, millions of dollars worth of equipment, over 100 priceless soldiers, countless sensitive items and many more complex tasks and decisions to be made combine to create one successful mission: Get everyone in motion, grow as a troop and bring everyone back safely. And safely, we did.

Troop-I, 3rd Squadron, was afforded the rare opportunity to conduct a six-day training exercise allowing utilization of the entire element as one. Unlike the majority of past training conducted at the platoon level, the entire troop worked cohesively with one another to create a realistic training event that produced an immense level of growth throughout the platoons.

Upon departure from the motor pool on July 29, we quickly realized our mission success, or lack thereof, would be based upon three keys tasks: Planning, preparation and execution. While all three are essential to any military movement, their importance is often underestimated.

Our initial planning lacked and our preparation was inadequate which, combined, temporarily weakened our execution.

The disconnect lie in counter insurgency (COIN) training and the redundant thinking of old maneuvers and simplistic, mundane operations of the past. We soon found ourselves embedded in an entirely new style of operations, one that required doctrine and decision making, something our troop had left back at garrison where the force on force mindset had previously been laid to rest.

The Army does not have failures. Rather, we have challenges. The first night out proved this issue.

The mission was a route to establish our initial tactical assembly area and maneuver the troop in to begin planning and preparation for follow on missions. The ball was dropped early and we found ourselves struggling to execute a simple maneuver down a pre-plotted route to our tactical assembly area, which immediately appeared to degrade the entire success of the six-day exercise.

Leadership instantaneously began to realize that the past was dead and we had re-assumed the roles of true scouts again. This was something everyone wanted, yet for which no one was prepared. Leadership had no time to panic and no need to reinvent the wheel, thus doctrine was broken out for the first time in years.

One the second day, the challenges began to turn into successes. Each ensuing challenge was countered by doctrine and, on day three, doctrine became the rule. The successes began with revised, specific and accurate construction and delivery of operation orders (OPORDs) from the commander to the platoons. What was originally the standard for the initial OPORDs merely became the standard for the warning order. The standard grew immensely by order of importance.

With each discussion of a needed improvement came a new troop standard operating procedure (SOP). Standard and mission specific loadout SOPs were established. Planning prior to receiving a warning order was implemented and conducted. Pre-combat inspections and pre-combat checks were done consistently throughout each day to ensure soldiers were ready at a moment’s notice. We were planning to plan, which allowed accuracy and intent to become a standard through the platoons and troop.

Our efforts and attention as a troop were never lacking. Rather, the implementation of COIN training had shifted efforts to areas outside a scout’s primary job description and made them much more difficult to utilize in urban operations. However, as simple as the shift was to implement, it was as relatively easy to shift back and re-assume our original roles as scouts.

Troop leading procedures (TLPs) became the standard. Precise SOPs were established for the first time in a long time and our troop began to realize that practice, in fact, does not make perfect. Troop-I had TLPs and SOPs and we practiced them often.

However, the revealed that the lowest standard had become the standard and practicing poor SOPs and TLPs produced equally poor execution. Basically, all mission-driven results have a direct correlation to the degree of attention and accuracy established in the troop’s SOPs and TLPs. Troop SOPs were re-accomplished and we were confident in our new and improved standards and directly correlate them with our mission success.

Key leadership realized the importance of the time management and staying on task. The necessity of continuous training was reiterated and any opportunity to execute TLPs was taken
advantage of during all available downtime. The importance of understanding precise, accurate, and detailed OPORDs was embedded in every soldier from the troop level to squad level. All of these elements factored directly into the increase of combat effectiveness throughout our field operations.

With every new challenge came an equal success and with each new TLP came a new standard. Movement during follow-on missions and decisive action became a direct reflection of these new and revised standards and the early problems among the components of Troop "I" were resolved.

Actions on contact became a stress-free battle drill, casualty evacuation became second nature. Bridge classification, obtaining radius of a curve, reacting to indirect, dismounted operations, reporting, communication both internally and externally, and vehicle utilization and maintenance, movement techniques, logistical planning, concealment, positive identification, health and wellness, call for fire and all of the many tasks of a scout began to grow as a direct reflection of the three revised key tasks. Precise planning, preparation, and execution led to the beneficial growth of all actions and tasks.

Each of these tasks and all of the progress made during our six day operation could have faltered without reverting to our basic military training precepts. Troop-I could have written the newest Army handbook on SOPs and TLPs and reinvent the wheel ten times over, but, without rehearsals, our maneuvers would surely fail. All the doctrine and combat knowledge in the world is useless without rehearsals.

Like SOPs and TLPs of the past, our rehearsals were practiced, but our assessment of unit standards lacked in detail. Prior to our new unit revisions, we would execute what we rehearsed and would rehearse what our prior TLPs and SOPs allowed us to plan. In turn, we had failed ourselves. Once again, perfect rehearsals make for perfect execution.

Leadership, flexibility, adaptation, personal attitude, humility and drive are the fundamental elements behind Troop-I’s success and we feel confident in our ability to perform. We feel confident in our training, and we feel confident and proud representing the state of Tennessee with the Tri-Star unit patch worn on our shoulders.

As scouts, we are artists. Our vision is the enemy and terrain. Our communication, equipment, and personnel are the brushes and paint. The overlays are our canvas. Placing all of the elements together creates the final masterpiece.

We were never bad painters. Rather, our tools were simply irrelevant in time. Our methods no longer worked and our assignments had changed. Upon minor revisions and relentless practice, we have become excellent painters again. In August of 2014, with the help of some outstanding observer controllers and trainers, the men of I-Troop, 3rd Squadron of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard, became better artists, more effective in our roles and proud of our accomplishments.

• Date Taken: 08.12.2014
• Date Posted: 01.07.2015 14:49
• Story ID: 151485
• Location: CAMP SHELBY, MS, US