Journey to California: Warhorse Brigade begins movement to NTC

Photo By Sgt. James Geelen | A Soldier with 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, ground guides a vehicle onto a train for the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., Oct. 12 at Fort Carson, Colorado. The movement of the brigade’s nearly 2,000 pieces of equipment signals the beginning of the Soldiers’ rotation at NTC, which is expected to last approximately 30 days. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James Geleen)  

FORT CARSON, CO, UNITED STATES

10.13.2021

Story by Sgt. Gabrielle Pena 

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

Soldiers with 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, continue rail load operations ahead of their deployment to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, Oct. 13 at Fort Carson, Colorado.

The movement of the brigade’s nearly 2,000 pieces of equipment signals the beginning of the Soldiers’ rotation at NTC, which is expected to last approximately 30 days.

“The Soldiers are tasked with loading the vehicles onto the trains,” said Maj. Aaron Hilty, operations officer for 52nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. “We are loading all of our equipment, our rolling stock.”

The loading of equipment is a training event for Soldiers as it prepares them for movement and rapid deployment at a moment’s notice.

“It is part of our (mission essential task list) tasks where we can move ourselves to any theater in support of any scale ground combat operations,” Hilty said.

Soldiers in each battalion are carefully trained to conduct rail loading operations and work together to get all of the equipment loaded onto the train to NTC.

“We are given five days to do this,” said 2nd Lt. James H. Brown with 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2SBCT, 4th Inf. Div. “We have to have all of the vehicles gone to get to Fort Irwin so we can train for NTC.”

Once the equipment arrives at NTC and is unloaded, the brigade will move on to the next step of the training rotation: certification of the brigade’s ability to respond to combat operations.

“The National Training Center is an exercise for us to certify that we have cohesive and lethal teams that are able to respond to our nation’s crises,” said Col. Andrew Kiser, commander of 2SBCT, 4th Inf. Div.

The brigade is expected to complete their deployment to NTC by the end of the month.

• Date Taken: 10.13.2021
• Date Posted: 10.18.2021 17:05
• Story ID: 407328
• Location: FORT CARSON, CO, US