Urban operations: Soldiers engage in complex territory

FORT CARSON, CO, UNITED STATES

03.16.2017

Story by Spc. Anthony Bryant 

14th Public Affairs Detachment

“The importance of urban operations is that we may have to confirm or deny enemy presence within an urban area,” said Maj. Ryan R. Nugent, operations and training officer, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 1st SBCT. “It’s a complex mission set based on civilians on the battlefield (COB) and unknown enemies that are operating.”
As the officer in charge of the hasty attack lane, Nugent ensured all enablers were set. The enablers included 11 opposing force (OPFOR), 25 COB and a hybrid enemy set. The OPFOR was a mixture of special purpose forces and conventional military.
Staff Sgt. Philip J. Grawzis, infantryman, Company B, 4th Bn., 9th Inf. Reg., led the OPFOR and COB as platoon sergeant. His previous assignment was serving as a Ranger instructor working the final phase at the U.S. Army Ranger School. He was in the OPFOR platoon for a year and a half at Ranger School before becoming an instructor.
“A lot of people are used to a style of OPFOR that pops a couple shots off at them and then they’re dead,” Grawzis said. “I have my guys be more of an aggressive OPFOR to try to teach these (companies) how to fight against a smarter, more aggressive enemy because future wars will be fought against a smarter enemy.”
The previous day, the OPFOR repelled the assaulting company from reaching the second floor of the “embassy” building for 45 minutes because of where the OPFOR was emplaced. The building provides a real-world scenario if the Army was to go to war with a more developed country that has multi-story buildings.
The goal of the lane is to build confidence in the companies conducting the hasty attack. After completing all company situational training exercises (STX) such as the hasty attack lane, guard lane and zone surveying lane, the company would then move on to day and night iterations of the combined arms live-fire exercise (CALFEX).
This training prepares 1SBCT for certification at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, this summer.
According to Nugent, the STX and CALFEX being conducted by the brigade are giving the Army a good look at what a brigade can be like in the future. The Army will use the data points, after-action reviews and lessons learned to help develop the force of the future.
Think of the old cavalry regiments prior to the Global War on Terrorism, Nugent said. Their mission was to be in front of a division or corps as a forward element that would feed pertinent information to the leading commander. That regiment was also tasked with providing security for the larger main body force so the larger element could amass, under protection, to destroy other objectives based on the intelligence provided.
“We’re training up to deploy worldwide, and we’re making Army history here by reviving old concepts and providing feedback to the Army on capabilities it needs for the future,” said Nugent.

• Date Taken: 03.16.2017
• Date Posted: 06.05.2017 17:02
• Story ID: 232616
• Location: FORT CARSON, CO, US