First Team conducts Command Post Exercise

Photo By Sgt. Jacob Nunnenkamp | Maj. Gen. John B. Richardson IV, 1st Cavalry Division commanding general, explains his strategy for warfighting to section leaders during Command Post Exercise 1.5 Oct. 20 at Fort Hood, Texas. The CPX was used to ensure the entire command team can work together and fight cohesively.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

10.21.2022

Story by Pfc. Jacob Nunnenkamp 

1st Cavalry Division

First Team holds command post exercise to build readiness and a trained cohesive team while practicing warfighting scenarios from Oct. 17-21.

"This is step one on our road to the Warfighter," said Maj. Gen. John B. Richardson IV, 1st Cavalry Division commanding general.

The Warfighter exercise is a yearly multinational warfighting simulation exercise, where the First Team will work with the British 3rd UK Division, in order to test how the division fights and wins in a joint environment.

"We're establishing our baseline and getting our communication systems to talk to each other," Richardson continued. "We're building our foundation so we can just keep getting better and building momentum."

This is the first exercise in a four-part series, focusing on building the Command Post capabilities. The Command Post establishes the physical communications hub for the division to synchronize every function of warfighting across the battlefield.

These exercises build the division's cohesiveness through simulated and real-world scenarios leading up to its culminating exercise, Warfighter 23-4.

"Our job is to set conditions for the brigades,” said Richardson. “The artillery, aviation and intelligence all have to work together and that takes practice.”

The exercise helps section leaders work through their ideas, coordinate efforts across the different staff sections, to improve warfighting cohesion and integration throughout the division.

"This is the crawl phase, we're bringing the team together, so everyone understands the battle rhythm," said Lt. Col. Frank Hooker, 1st Cavalry Division chief of operations. "From what we've been able to accomplish on Monday to today [Friday] is night and day. In these five days we've improved significantly."

First Team Troopers ability to practice and test their procedures and battle drills in a field environment, proved most beneficial.

"It was a difficult start, but once we figured out the weaknesses and came up with a plan the team was able to work much more efficiently,” said Spc. Elijah Hullinger, intelligence analyst, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1CD.

The division will continue to build readiness with the four-part series of exercises in February 2023 with another CPX.

• Date Taken: 10.21.2022
• Date Posted: 10.22.2022 07:45
• Story ID: 431814
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US