Bronco Brigade participates in Leader Training Program

Photo By Staff Sgt. Catrina Herbert | The commanders and staff of “Bronco Brigade,” 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 25th Infantry Division, traveled to Fort Polk, Feb. 4, to conduct leaders training before their upcoming rotation to Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) this spring. The Bronco Brigade and battalion leaders and staff officers, along with the brigade commander, Col. Scott Kelly, spent eight days at JRTC Leaders Training Program to fine tune their war fighting skills in preparation for JRTC.  

NORTH FORT POLK, LA, UNITED STATES

02.18.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Catrina Herbert 

3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

NORTH FORT POLK, La. – The commanders and staff of “Bronco Brigade,” 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 25th Infantry Division, traveled to Fort Polk, Feb. 4, to conduct leaders training before their upcoming rotation to Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) this spring.

The Bronco Brigade and battalion leaders and staff officers, along with the brigade commander, Col. Scott Kelly, spent eight days at JRTC Leaders Training Program to fine tune their war fighting skills in preparation for JRTC.

The goals for the Bronco Brigade were to ensure all commanders and staff training objectives were identified, standard operating procedures were validated and refinements identified, and developed JRTC operation orders clearly outlined the start of reception, staging, onward-movement and integration to start the major training event.

LTP enhances the brigade’s ability to execute the military decision making process (MDMP) and conduct planning. The brigade’s staff, battalion/squadron staffs, and specialty company commands teams prepared and executed the tactical operations orders for a JRTC-based scenario.

All enabling and supporting units also attended the LTP to plan and coordinate with the brigade for upcoming training. This training primarily focused heavily on the orders production process and the delivery of clear, concise orders that enable units to effectively conduct their missions within the commander’s guidance.

“LTP was a tremendous training opportunity that greatly improved our battalions and BCT mission command capability particularly focused on the MDMP,” said Kelly. “The opportunity to focus the staff for such an event under the tutelage of seasoned coaches was invaluable and we are a more ready brigade for the experience.

“Additionally, we were able to introduce many of our leaders to decisive action conflict and executing planning in a time constrained environment.”

During the eight days, the focus of LTP was to prepare company through brigade-level commanders, staffs and command sergeants major in the execution of their war fighting duties. Units attending LTP accomplished training objectives by focusing on how the opposing force fights, while applying the use of doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures, troop leading procedures, parallel planning, reconnaissance and rehearsals.

Kelly said, “The BDE is much better prepared having done LTP at Fort Polk. Not only did we improve our planning capability, but we were also able to build the team by spending time with many subordinate units that will be part of the BCT during JRTC.”

The program first originated in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, LTP which primarily conducted as a leaders reconnaissance prior to a unit’s JRTC rotation. The program then moved to Fort Polk in 1993, and has been in existence for over 20 years. Since that time, LTP has expanded its curriculum to field grade commanders and their battle staff, company commanders and sergeants major.

Dwain LeBleu, a native of Louisiana, has seen many units come and go through LTP in his 14 years of service within the organization. LeBleu, who retired in 2009 as a colonel, the former commander of port operations in Kuwait, is the staff coach responsible for coaching the brigade information operations, civil affairs, PSYOP, and public affairs. LeBleu is one of many retired senior military leaders who bring a vast pool of knowledge and experience to the program and to the military units they coach.

The LTP coaches team consists of all retired military from the rank of brigadier general, colonels, lieutenant colonels, majors, and one command sergeant major.

Another experienced member of LTP is Brig. Gen. (retired) Edward Buckley, the LTP senior brigade coach. Buckley, who retired from the Army in 2001, has been a part of the LTP team for seven years, and coaches the brigade commanders. He worked closely with Kelly ensuring the brigade’s training objectives were being met.

“The ‘Bronco Brigade team’ was a great team to work with and the training went excellent,” said Buckley.

Buckley believes the Bronco Brigade will have an advantage coming to LTP early.

“LTP has been a great experience for the BCT and well worth the costs in time, travel and dollars to execute. It has been the single best mission command training event this BDE has executed in the last six months. I'm extremely grateful for having the opportunity to execute such training with the BCT and we are an exponentially more ready formation for it,” said Kelly. “The feedback I received was extremely positive as leaders began to see a whole new aspect of the profession of arms and the difficulty of synchronizing and orchestrating the combined arms fight.”

• Date Taken: 02.18.2015
• Date Posted: 02.19.2015 16:56
• Story ID: 154891
• Location: NORTH FORT POLK, LA, US