Mission Transition Ceremony

Photo By Sgt. EJ Woodard | COL Charles T. Lombardo, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team and CSM Kevin DaGraca cut the cake during the mission transition ceremony. The ceremony highlights their return to the Army's Force provider, and returning as one of nine active duty armored brigades in the U.S. Army.  

FT. BLISS, TX, UNITED STATES

12.08.2016

Story by Sgt. EJ Woodard 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

EL PASO-Ft. Bliss' 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division held a mission transition ceremony to highlight their return to the Army's Force provider, and returning as one of nine active duty armored brigades in the U.S. Army.
"Adding the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team to FORSCOM's available units is a huge gain in Army combat readiness," said Gen. Robert "Abe" Abrams, Commanding General, U.S. Forces Command. "This is a tremendously lethal and agile fighting force that provides increased armor capability and flexibility for Combatant Commanders to conduct worldwide operations."
Readiness is the Army's number one priority, and adding an armored brigade to U.S. Army Forces Command provides additional capabilities to shape the global security environment. With the return of 2/1 ABCT to FORSCOM, the Army now has 14 ABCT's to provide flexibility to geographic combatant commanders and meet national strategic objectives.
"Our transition from the Army Evaluation Task Force mission with Brigade Modernization Command to U.S. Army Forces Command has provided the foundational tools essential to our combat mission, and begins our home station gated training strategy next month," said Col. Charles T. Lombardo, commander, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team. "Upon completion of our training center rotation, we will be prepared to provide the Army with its first Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Increment 2,equipped armored brigade that can execute decisive action."
Since 2011, 2/1 ABCT, known as the "Iron Brigade", supported semi-annual Network Integration Evaluations with the BMC held at Fort Bliss, Texas and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. These exercises let to the fielding of mission command, network and network capability sets of tactical vehicles to seven divisions across the Army. The NIE's provided the Iron Brigade with the opportunity to train in a realistic multi-domain environment on simulated combat missions, to include combined arms maneuver, counterinsurgency and stability operations.
The experience 2/1 ABCT has gained through the last five years of training, has prepared them to take on a deliberate and rigorous training progression. The culminating event in this chapter of initial service with the BMC was participation in the inaugural Army Warfighter Assessment 17.1, held at Fort Bliss, Texas and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The assessment allowed 2/1 ABCT the platform to train and fight as a joint, inter-organizational and Multinational warfighting team, and provide the Army feedback on future force development.
The Iron Brigade will continue to assess new concepts and capabilities, to include mobile mission command and leveraging cyber, electronic warfare and signals intelligence to be more effective in the multi-domain battlespace. The deliberate training and assessments will give 2/1 ABCT the ability to continue to mold and refine C4ISR capabilities and analyze gaps to provide feedback to U.S. Army Training, and Doctrine Command in implementing solutions to affect future conflicts.
"This is a great day for the Army and 1st Armored Division," said Maj. Gen. Pat White, Commanding General of 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss. "Our 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team officially returns to the pool of operational forces for the Army-greatly enhancing the Army's armored capacity. I am proud of the important service the men and women of the Iron Brigade provided to improve Army modernization, and I am excited to have them back."

• Date Taken: 12.08.2016
• Date Posted: 12.08.2016 23:52
• Story ID: 216989
• Location: FT. BLISS, TX, US