Photo By Staff Sgt. Jasmine McCarthy | U.S. Army Major Joseph Barnes, Chief of Operations for 1st Cavalry Division’s Main...... read more read more
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FORT CAVAZOS, Texas – Chatter and radio conversations echo in the large, dimly lit room. A large map is seen at the front, riddled with colorful tape and streaks of black marker. Officers and enlisted service members of all ranks fill up crowded tables, typing away sternly on their laptops. From the center of the room, a loud voice appears from the masses: “Attention in the TOC!” Silence quickly rains down, and everyone turns their gaze to the direction of the sound. The voice is of Major Joseph Barnes from the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. He serves as night Chief of Operations for Division operations on Exercise Remagen Ready.
Exercise Remagan Ready is the largest exercise in more than three years at Fort Cavazos. This year, it ran from October 30 until November 9, 2023, moving nearly 6,000 soldiers and 1,000 vehicles in the training area. Although Barnes is no stranger to field exercises, this is the first time he played a crucial role in maintaining the heartbeat of a Division Operations cell. His previous experiences included being an instructor of the Maneuver Captain’s Career Course and working with Black Horse at the National Training Center. The pressure and challenges posed to him in Remagen Ready developed his way of thinking and planning while simultaneously training him on the intricacies of a fast-paced war event.
“The biggest thing that impacted me from this exercise is understanding the authority matrix,” Barnes said. “This is also the first time I’m working at the level where you must be conscious of laws of war. You must be conscious that a single decision from a single major, on night shift, can have far-reaching impacts.”
Barnes continued to elaborate on the purpose of the training.
“The exercise holds many purposes,” Barnes said. “First off, it’s to exercise the Division staff’s ability to do that synchronization over time and space of all the different assets that the division brings to bear and to be able to support the close fight.
“Second, it’s a great opportunity for the brigades, specifically the live brigades, to conduct what is probably one of the most complex tactical operations we can do in the Army.”
Conversely, British Major Scott Russell of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in the British Army handles the Chief of Operations position during the day. Russell is a native of Falkirk, Scotland, a town northwest of the capital Edinburgh.
“I joined the British Army in September 2009,” Russell said. “I was studying to become a lawyer in Scotland, and the recession hit in 2008. As a result, the career didn’t seem as lucrative anymore. The war in Afghanistan was beginning to ramp up, so it felt like the right time to join, and I’ve never looked back.”
It is his first time doing a significant exercise, particularly with the 1st Cavalry Division, as Chief of Operations, also known as CHOPS. He is part of a three-year officer exchange program and has been at Fort Cavazos for four months.
“Part of what my role is supposed to be as CHOPS is staying on top of everything happening in the current battle, all the time,” Russell said. “In a way, it’s one of the best roles I can think of having because you’re just clued into everything going on.”
Russell enjoys his role, but he also acknowledges it to be challenging and different from his previous experiences working in an exercise like this.
“I’ve worked with the U.S. Army before, but at the same time, I’ll be the first to acknowledge a very steep learning curve coming into the division for the first time, especially a foreign division,” Russell said. “We did a CPX 1.5 as a build-up to this, but that was a fully simulated beast, whereas here, we’ve got a live brigade, obstacle crossing, and a wet gap crossing. I’ve certainly never done anything of this scale before.”
Different perspectives lie between the two officers on their respective shifts. While the general notion is the night lacks activity and the day is hectic, Barnes disagrees.
“A lot of people like to say the Army is solar powered,” Barnes said. “I think that’s something everyone is trying hard to escape. So, while there may not be a lot of fighting at night, there is a lot that we have to consolidate across all cells that drive commander decisions for maneuver throughout the day.”
Russell’s experience as being the day CHOPS, on the other hand, points to an intricate balance similar to yin and yang. One feeds into the other, and vice versa.
“I’ve always been in the day shift, but I think it’s important that we’re balanced, and we have a strong team, both day and night,” Russell said. “Certainly, if we look at what’s happening in the exercise right now, we may not have done much during the day, but we have teed up some big events to take place during the night.”
As the exercise continues to rumble into the next week, Russell reflects on his time.
“I’m proud to be an officer in the British Army, but you know, this is a tremendous privilege coming across and serving with the U.S. Army, particularly with the 1st Cavalry Division. They have a worldwide reputation.”
As the legend of the First Team lives on, the challenges turn into new mindsets for these two leaders.
“You are not the one that must always have an answer,” said Barnes. “You have many staff around you that are subject matter experts from their field. Leverage them and their knowledge, and you’ll be more successful.”
| Date Taken: | 10.31.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2023 15:19 |
| Story ID: | 457207 |
| Location: | FORT CAVAZOS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 164 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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