Army Reserve military intelligence Soldiers conduct TOC EX during training exercise

Photo By Todd Pruden | Soldiers of the 321st Military Intelligence Brigade set up, activated and successfully launched the Trojan secure communications satellite system at Camp Bullis, Texas, recently during a tactical operations center exercise held during Exercise Always Engaged, an Army Reserve MI training mission.  

CAMP BULLIS, TX, UNITED STATES

07.21.2017

Story by Todd Pruden 

Exercise News Day

Soldiers with the 321st Military Intelligence Battalion out of Orlando, Florida, are conducting a tactical operations center exercise while participating in Exercise Always Engaged, an MI training mission aimed to ready the unit for an upcoming deployment. This was the second year in a row the 321st has participated in this exercise at Camp Bullis.

"We also brought our (Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment) out here to conduct a TOC EX … right now, we have a TOC set up and we've been going through a TOC EX at the same time while this is occurring here at the (U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command's) Detention Training Facility and also at the Southeast Army Reserve Intelligence Support Center," said Lt. Col. Bill Putnam, commander of the 321st MI Bn. "My guys are really getting at it, extremely motivated … so I wanted to be able, in conjunction, accordance with the Military Intelligence Readiness Command and the leadership at the MIRC agreed was, let's bring our support personnel out here so they can get the opportunity to go do a TOC EX and learn."

One of the main highlights of the TOC EX for the 321st was the successful setup, launch and activation of a Trojan satellite communications system.

"We're the first unit in the Army Reserve to ever receive a Trojan," said Capt. Omar Alvidrez, operations officer with HHD, 321st MI Bn. "Of course, anything that's new, we had to go through our growing pains and there were some bumps and bruises, but at the end of the day, we met the intent. And now we have our takeaways … and now we can build on that."

Another first for the unit during the TOC EX for the unit was inviting a training team to evaluate the unit's exercise on the ground as observer controller/trainers..

"It's the first time we actually leveraged the 75th to OC/T an HHD component with mission command," said Alvidrez. "You don't see a lot of mission command during an exercise at the MI, especially at the MIRC level and we wanted maneuver guys to come in here to show us what that looks like so that way if we do support a (brigade combat team) and thee way we deploy … that's a first for the MIRC."

Col. John Hubert, commander of 1st Brigade, Southern Training Division, 75th Training Command from Houston, said ever all, the Soldiers evaluated during the exercise are performing well and are exceeding expectations.

"The 321st battalion staff is working very hard to grow into the skillets that they need to operate as a staff," said Hubert. "They are the future of our Army. They are the future of our nation. They are the future of the United States Army Reserve and to see them coming up and being able to work with (the trainers) … it's an honor."

• Date Taken: 07.21.2017
• Date Posted: 07.24.2017 06:37
• Story ID: 242253
• Location: CAMP BULLIS, TX, US