Photo By Capt. Vira Miller | From left to right Captains Mark Von Cappeln, Garrick Ellwood, James Kubich, Daniel...... read more read more
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FORT SILL, Oklahoma (May 19 2022) — FACCC Class 1-22 participated in a brigade-level military decision-making process (MDMP) exercise that included other CCC classes from Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Lee, Virginia.
It was not the first combined MDMP exercise like this, said A Battery, 1-30th Field Artillery commander Maj. Brian Bales. However, “this iteration was the largest we have done in terms of some initial planning with maneuver CCC students.”
According to Maj. Matthew Millsaps, lead instructor for Class 1-22, it was not difficult to organize the event. He and the cadre of maneuver and logistics CCC set up the conditions before execution and chose the right students for the exercise – which made cadre following input minimal.
“We intentionally chose high-performing captains to represent the Fires Center of Excellence for this event,” Millsaps said.
Six students out of the class conducted the exercise, which benefited not only the select few, but everyone involved. The benefit for maneuver officers is a more substantial understanding of the capabilities of Fires in the planning process: regarding its potential and limits, said Capt. Garrick Ellwood.
“These future maneuver company commanders will not ask their Fire Support Officers for unrealistic fires effects and the operations element will be able to plan accordingly,” Ellwood said.
While showing maneuver students the capabilities of Fires, FACCC students witnessed the abilities and expectations of maneuver and sustainment, said Capt. Mark Von Cappeln. As a lieutenant in field artillery, it is rare when one plays any other role, he said. Consequently, working together with logisticians and maneuver is a crucial venue to understand how other branches affect Army operations.
“Conducting internal planning as an independent warfighting function and integrating with other subject matter experts allowed us to have a shared understanding with other branches,” Von Cappeln said.
“You start with your blinders on in the field artillery world and do not do much outside the war fighting functions except for artillery,” Capt. James Kubich added. “While doing this exercise, we not only shared our knowledge with them, but also saw how logistics work and what they can do for us. It broadened out our horizons and set us up for success when we go to work as brigade staff.”
Participants in the exercise communicated through Microsoft Teams and despite the time difference, most of the operation went smoothly.
“The challenges were there as far as not being able to integrate in person, and it would be great to have a digital system that seamlessly connects participants like Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE),” said Millsaps.
CCC is a mandatory six-month school for every officer in every branch and usually takes place around an officer’s fourth year after commissioning. Training in FACCC teaches junior captains “how to think”.
After the course the leaders should be capable of thinking critically, conducting Field Artillery operations planning, synchronizing fire support assets with maneuver, and demonstrating mastery of Battery level operations.
The usual final exercise for FACCC is a so called “Purge,” where students conduct MDMP, however, they do not interact with other branches, but simply act in the roles of other war fighting functions.
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2022 15:42 |
| Story ID: | 421099 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 110 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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