40th Infantry Division war-games battle scenarios in the desert

Photo By Capt. Christian Duplessie | Staff Sgt. Don Williams, 40th Infantry Division (ID), battle noncommissioned officer, monitors the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s (CBCT) movements on a Command Post of the Future computer system during the CBCT’s rotation, Aug. 18, 2015, at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, Calif. The 40th ID, headquartered in Los Alamitos, Calif., is conducting training while serving as the division tactical command post for the 52nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christian Duplessie, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs, Idaho Army National Guard)  

FORT IRWIN, CA, UNITED STATES

08.18.2015

Story by Sgt. Christian Duplessie 

116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team

FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Everyone is an expert when it comes to Monday-morning quarterbacking. In the Army, it’s called war-gaming. Set against the stark terrain and intense heat of the Mojave Desert, that’s exactly what the 40th Infantry Division (ID) is tasked with, and it’s serious practical training for a real world combat situation.

The 40th ID, headquartered in Los Alamitos, California, participated as the Division Tactical (DTAC) command post during a National Training Center (NTC) rotation at Fort Irwin, California, August 9-25.

Their role, as the DTAC, is to observe and track the movements of a brigade-size force during tactical training maneuvers at NTC, and then make notional plans based upon the data they see. This particular rotation is with the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (CBCT), headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

An NTC rotation is designed to test the abilities and proficiency of a brigade and requires thousands of Soldiers to stage. It also provides a training opportunity for divisions. This rotation revolves around a final force-on-force battle involving battalion level movements.

“It’s a requirement for each rotation to have a higher command at NTC,” said 40th ID Cpt. Varun Patel, DTAC Operations Officer. “We put this group together in January, and now we’re getting the opportunity to work together in a realistic training situation.”

In a real world situation, the DTAC would relay the plans and instructions between the division headquarters and the subordinate brigades.

“We’re just accepting what they’re giving us,” said Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, 40th ID DTAC Operations Sgt. Maj. “We’re part of the exercise but not in the exercise. We don’t have any control over what they [116th CBCT] do. We’re monitoring what they do and sharing that information with higher command.”

The 116th CBCT’s NTC Rotation is the first of its kind for the National Guard since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001. The exercise is comprised of more than 5000 National Guard Soldiers from 11 different states.

National Guard units like the 40th ID face unique challenges compared to the active component, due to their part-time training schedule. Despite these obstacles, the DTAC seems to be operating smoothly.

“I wouldn’t have thought so a few months ago,” Patel said, “but seeing how far we’ve come, we’re really getting things done and meeting or exceeding the standards set for us. Things are going to get more intense as we head into the final phase of the exercise, but I think overall, we’ll continue the current tempo and function as successfully as we have been.”

The 40th ID will take lessons learned in the heat of NTC to continue to sharpen their abilities and skills as a DTAC.

• Date Taken: 08.18.2015
• Date Posted: 08.20.2015 12:06
• Story ID: 173736
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CA, US
• Hometown: LOS ALAMITOS, CA, US
• Hometown: LOS ALAMITOS RESERVE CENTER AND AIR STATION, CA, US