LTG Charles D. Luckey visits 84th Training Command's WAREX 78-17-01 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

Photo By Master Sgt. Mark Bell | LTG Charles D. Luckey, Commanding General of U.S. Army Reserve Command, talks with Army Reserve Soldiers who are participating in Warrior Exercise 78-17-01 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., on March 23, 2017. LTG Luckey spent time with Soldiers from the 200th Military Police Command and the 411th Engineer Brigade and answered questions about the future of the U.S. Army Reserve. Roughly 60 units from the U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and Canadian Armed Forces are participating in the 84th Training Command’s joint training exercise, WAREX 78-17-01 from March 8 until April 1, 2017; the WAREX is a large-scale collective training event designed to assess units’ combat capabilities as America’s Army Reserve continues to build the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal Federal Reserve force in the history of the Nation. (Army Reserve Photo by Master Sgt. Mark Bell / Released)  

FT. DIX, NJ, UNITED STATES

03.23.2017

Story by Master Sgt. Benari Poulten 

80th Training Command (Reserve)

Lt. Gen. Charles D. Luckey, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, visited Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst on March 23, 2017 to get a first-hand look at the 84th Training Command's Warrior Exercise 78-17-01, a large-scale joint training exercise. Roughly 60 units from the U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and Canadian Armed Forces are participating in the WAREX and rely on the oversight from the 78th Training Division to enhance their war fighting capabilities. Luckey met with reservists out at several tactical assembly areas, witnessing the breadth and scope of their readiness training and taking a moment to provide some inspirational guidance.

“Where we're going is not where we've been,” Luckey told Soldiers from several different units he visited, including the 724th Military Police Battalion, 304th Military Police Battalion, and the 411th Engineering Brigade. He emphasized the need for adaptability, urging Soldiers to pay close attention to the evolving nature of modern warfare and the innovative ways to counteract menaces around the globe. “We're going to a different environment and it's going to force us to think differently about how we train, how we prepare, and how much time we have if we need to go some place and get ourselves fully combat capable.” In terms of combating terrorism around the world, however, Luckey expressed his firm belief in the overall strength of America's military, especially the reserve component. “We will win because that's what we do, we get paid to win!” he said.

Luckey has made it a priority to ensure that today's Army Reserve is ready to rapidly react to ever-changing threats from increasingly aggressive adversaries and the Army Reserve's capabilities were on full display during WAREX 78-17-01. From engineers setting up the infrastructure of base camps to medical units establishing combat support hospitals in the field to military police units practicing the capture and detention of enemy combatants, troops participating in the WAREX remained engaged in the full spectrum of combat support operations.

While addressing members of the 724th in their tactical operations center, Luckey put the importance of collective training in a broader context, noting that each individual service member is important to the overall mission. “We got two things that most people in this world don't have. We have a mission, which is to support and defend the constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” he said. "It's a pretty cool mission. Most people wish they had something to devote their lives to like we do. And number two, we got a team. We got each other.”

The idea of being part of a team and having a clear set of goals resonated with the assembled Soldiers, including 1st Lt. Louis Santiago Avila of the 724th MP Battalion. Avila had the opportunity to brief the USARC commanding general on key aspects of his specific mission as the battalion's S2, tracking and assessing the patterns and trends within the enemies' significant activities. Thanks to Luckey's visit and his experience at the WAREX, Avila gained a greater perspective on how interconnected the various operations are to the overall mission, especially how it all ties into his civilian job as an identity analyst for Central Command.

“I definitely feel more connected,” Avila said. “On both sides of my life, my army career and my civilian career, now I see how connected they all are through the military police operations. I definitely have a better sense of my role in both aspects of my life, so this is a great opportunity.”

Balancing a civilian career with military responsibilities is an ongoing concern for service members, and it's why a multi-faceted training exercise like WAREX 78-17-01 is so essential to helping reservists maintain technical and tactical proficiency. As a large-scale collective training event designed to assess units' combat capabilities as America's Army Reserve, the WAREX helps build the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal federal reserve force in the history of the nation through real-world simulations. Luckey addressed the importance of this type of extensive training, stating that one of his primary jobs is making sure that while reservists succeed in their civilian jobs, they are also simultaneously receiving the tools, training, and support they need to remain combat ready. He drove home this point as he spoke with reservists, expressing his utmost confidence in their unique abilities. “You are part of history and you are all members of the coolest tribe in the history of western civilization,” he said, referring to the U.S. Army Reserve. “200,000 soldiers spread across 20 time zones. Nobody but nobody does what America's Army Reserve does.”

• Date Taken: 03.23.2017
• Date Posted: 03.25.2017 12:41
• Story ID: 228071
• Location: FT. DIX, NJ, US