Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Sierra A. Melendez | Reserve military information operation support and civil affairs specialists based out...... read more read more
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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - On today’s battlefield, the enemy is much smarter than it was decades ago. Today’s modern insurgent is educated, knowledgeable and deliberate. To combat these advances, assets such as civil affairs specialist and military information support operators have been integrated into field, training and combat environments.
The Joint Readiness Training Center situated in Fort Polk, Louisiana is designed to give Soldiers near-precise situations they could possibly face on the battlefield. Leaders with 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), have fully utilized the aforementioned assets to assist in effortlessly assimilating the unit into the fictional town of Jaanan during their JRTC rotation.
The Blue Spaders are knee deep in their current JRTC rotation where they are attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Regiment stationed in Fort Richardson, Alaska. The battalion has been assigned with civil affairs and MISO assets from the reserve component to act as an integral part of their engagement operations cell.
“It’s been incredibly beneficial to have them here with us,” said 1st Lt. Daniel Johnson, information officer, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. “We’re learning we could save lives with these resources. Not only of our Soldiers, but the lives of the civilians we work side-by-side with.”
According to GoArmy.mil, civil affairs specialist identify critical requirements needed by local citizens in combat or crisis situations. They are primarily responsible for researching, coordinating, conducting and participating in the planning and production of civil affairs related documents, while enabling the civil-military operations of the supported commander.
“Our main focus is to connect the local populace with the military maneuver element in their country,” said Sgt. Richard D. Garcia, a reserve civil affairs specialist with the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) based out of Upland, California. “We try to make the civilians as comfortable as possible.”
Garcia said he’s been highly impressed with the quality of leadership he has witnessed working alongside the Blue Spaders. He said he wishes more commanders would see the importance of his trade as an asset and apply it more frequently.
“Civilian considerations should be something every combat maneuver command team takes into consideration,” said Garcia. “Unfortunately, war causes damage. We’re needed to help the civilians in the area see the good in what we’re doing because it’s hard for them to grasp that when all they see and hear is the bad. We help with building those solid, positive relationships and sustaining them.”
Garcia is grateful for the opportunity to assist the Blue Spaders, and is taking all the experiences he’s learned back to his unit to teach others.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity,” said Garcia. “I love working with these younger infantry or artillerymen to help them get a better understanding of what we do. It’s important to not only look out for yourselves and your battle buddies in the battlefield, but the civilians being effected as well.”
As members of the Army’s special operations community, MISO is primarily responsible for the analysis, development and distribution of information to create a psychological effect.
“Warfare is on a multi-dimensional level these days,” said Sgt. Adam B. Tate, a reserve MISO specialist with the 301st Psychological Operations Company, 7th Psychological Operations Group headquartered out of San Diego, California. “We tackle it more on the non-lethal side, while the combat maneuver elements hit the other side.”
West said they are very different dynamics, but the Blue Spaders have made the integration process fluid and seamless.
“They’ve displayed an unmatched level of professionalism,” said Tate. “They allowed to jump right on board. They started including us in meetings, we worked together to highlight objective and themes we’ve found and we’ve been integrated into the planning process with ease.”
Although the rotation is based on a fictional location and enemy, leader within 1-26th fully intend to employ these assets, if available, during 2nd Brigade Combat Team’s upcoming deployment to Iraq and Kuwait in support of operation inherent resolve.
“We are without a doubt applying any training we receive to this deployment,” said Johnson.
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.02.2016 17:38 |
| Story ID: | 190892 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KY, US |
| Hometown: | CLARKSVILLE, TN, US |
| Hometown: | FORT CAMPBELL, KY, US |
| Hometown: | FORT JOHNSON, LA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT MEADE, MD, US |
| Hometown: | NASHVILLE, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Winning hearts and minds: Blue Spaders use engagement assets to win, by SFC Sierra A. Melendez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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