38th RSG providing needed RSOI support for WAREX 78-16-01

Photo By Maj. Sean Delpech | Soldiers of the Army Reserve’s 38th Regional Support Group brief Brig. Gen. Vincent B. Barker, 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) commander, on 38th RSG tactical operations center (TOC) operations during a staff assisted site visit during WAREX 78-16-01 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Jan. 31, 2016. The 84th Training Command’s first WAREX of the year is hosted by the 78th Training Division at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif.; the exercise involves more than 40 units from across the U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Army National Guard and Canadian Armed Forces.  

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, UNITED STATES

02.01.2016

Story by Capt. Sean Delpech 

310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – The Soldiers of the Army Reserve’s 38th RSG, based in Cross Lanes, W.Va., were on mission to provide primary coordination and organization of reverse reception, staging, onward movement, and integration (RSOI) for this year’s WAREX 78-16-01 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst while running Contingency Operating Location (COL) Victory, an austere outpost of hundreds of Soldiers and the operational hub for the Fort Dix exercise location.

The headquarters element of the 38th Regional Support Group both provided support necessary for a successful WAREX and took the opportunity to sharpen their mission command and coordination skills during the multi-week training exercise in New Jersey this year.

“As the group headquarters, we have down-trace units that we normally don’t have a wartime relationship with,” said Col. Paul H. Fall, 38th RSG commander.

“WAREX is a venue where we can practice our go-to-war mission and a perfect opportunity for our Soldiers to put their skills to a practical application,” continued Fall.

“This is our first major field exercise in three years as a Regional Support Group headquarters, and we are actually training one year in advance of our training cycle,” said Fall. The challenges here let us get back to some blocking and tackling of our operations and communication processes, and it’s been a great venue in that respect,” continued Fall.

The realistic RSOI process provided by the 38th RSG ensured consistency in the movement of units and Soldiers from their exercise location to their home station without major delay or issue.

“We track client units around the geographical area, their timeline leading through the end of the exercise and their movement back to their home station, as well as their needs as far as different classes of supply,” said Lt. Col. Anthony J. Matney, the executive officer for the 38th RSG.

The WAREX is also designed to test Soldiers’ abilities to work as a team, away from the battle training assembly environment where Soldiers typically handle tasks within their area of responsibility. The Soldiers of the 38th RSG had to overcome obstacles through collaborative effort and ingenuity, both in the training exercise and real world situations.

One is the mandated use of chart based graphs and information tracking tools without digital aids. “WAREX provides the conditions necessary to train in detail on a daily basis,” said Matney. “Our staff see, as their skills improve and progress, how they contribute to mission success,” continued Matney.

Along with the training requirements, the unit received approximately 12 inches of snow during the WAREX, resulting in challenges to training, safety, and infrastructure, but especially challenging the 38th RSG G6 to maintain communications and connectivity.

“We facilitate the communication needs of my command team, but if you can’t communicate, there is no mission,” said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher M. Hagy, 38th RSG G6 operations non-commissioned officer in charge. “Without the ability to communicate, the unit would not be able to make educated decisions on how to maneuver next,” said Hagy.

“During WAREX, we came to the exercise without subordinate personnel in the signal section,” continued Hagy, “so performing the mission alone on this scale stretched my skillset and tested me on how far I can push myself to coordinate, lead and communicate at a deployed OPTEMPO,” said Hagy.

“It’s an opportunity to jump back into that deployed mission mode and get a taste of our wartime mission,” Hagy continued.

Another component of the training environment for the Soldiers of the 38th RSG is the Base Operations mission; accountability and day to day maintenance and care.

“Base operations, just trying to keep accountability, how many mouths to feed, people that need quarters, and jobs such as coordinating cleaning of the facilities and force protection is one of the most important components of our wartime mission,” said Spc. Misty L. Schillereff, human resources specialist with the 38th RSG.

“Leadership, taking charge of what we are tasked to do, are what we are out here for, to learn our flaws and what we need help with,” said Schillereff.

More than 2,500 service members from over 40 different units from across the United States participated WAREX 78-16-01, an exercise designed to test the capabilities of units such as the 38th RSG to exercise their staff and operational elements to a degree that is not normally possible.

• Date Taken: 02.01.2016
• Date Posted: 02.18.2016 18:39
• Story ID: 189228
• Location: JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, US