Photo By 1st Sgt. HollyAnn Nicom | U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Shaun Frank with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry...... read more read more
JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany – Bravo “Blackfoot” Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment at Hohenfels, Germany plays the part of the opposing force at Exercise Combined Resolve 24-2, battling tactics in the field against the rotational training units coming to train at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center.
Combined Resolve 24-2 is a multi-domain large scale combat exercise that allows the U.S. and its allies and partners to refine existing, and develop new battlefield-critical capabilities. JMRC is the only Army Combat Training Center outside the continental U.S. in the Hohenfels Training Area and has a multinational component in every exercise.
First Sgt. Shaun Frank has been with Bravo Company for six months, making sure his Soldiers are properly trained, fed daily and thriving in their profession. His company is one of two infantry companies in the 1-4 who play the part of notional enemies on the “battlefield” during Combined Resolve.
“My guys learn a lot during Combined Resolve because every time they do a rotation, it’s always against a different unit, so their tactics are different,” said Frank.
“The best part of being out in the field during a rotation is talking to the Soldiers after they get into a fire fight because they are super motivated,” Frank went on to say. “[That’s] why I like to serve the chow all the time because I get to hear the stories and see how motivated they are.”
Sgt. Edward Gathright, a training room noncommissioned officer with Bravo Company, was previously a member of a unit that went through a training rotation at JMRC. Being in a company that is OPFOR has afforded him the ability to see the perspective of both efforts: RTUs and the OPFOR.
“There is a lot of stuff that people don’t see the OPFOR doing, like emplacing obstacles. There is a lot of planning,” said Gathright. “It’s very beneficial to see both sides.”
The scenarios constantly change depending on the decisions of the RTU, and the OPFOR is forced to make adjustments and react to the terrain and the situation. Exercises like Combined Resolve are conducted to build strong and strategic relationships and improve interoperability for all those involved.
“This rotation of Combined Resolve has taught me the importance of having an alternate plan at all times,” said 1st Lt. Ethan Reynolds, an infantry officer with Bravo Company. “You have to have alternate and subsequent positions and routes planned already and be adaptable because, when playing OPFOR, the mission changes a lot.”
According to Frank, Bravo Company Soldiers are adept at their jobs and work well together as a company. This achievement stems from constant training. When they are not participating in an exercise with training rotations, Blackfoot Soldiers stay up to date on their own required infantry training.
“Bravo company has some really good [noncommissioned officers], and a lot of our lower enlisted know the systems and the vehicles really well and don’t have to be micromanaged,” said Frank.
Although Bravo Company has the advantage of knowledge of the terrain and passable routes through repetitive exposure during multiple rotations, they still have to make sound decisions quickly during the exercise. They strive to provide the RTU with the best scenario reactions possible in order to get the most training value out of Combined Resolve.
“We’re much smaller than your typical company, defending a huge area against a battalion-sized element,” said Frank. “We get to fight a larger force and we’re always outnumbered, so we have to outsmart them.”
Conducting world class training events such as Combined Resolve allows exercise participants the opportunity to train alongside allied and partner nations in dynamic and realistic training environments. Training at JMRC tests the capabilities of multiple echelons of leadership and their reactions to situational combat scenarios, which prepares the participants for decision-making when encountering specific threats.
“[Bravo company] gets to see every aspect of every different type of strategy, and our NATO partners have different vehicles and their own tactics,” said Frank. “My Soldiers get a taste of everything, and they end up being well-rounded Soldiers just by the job they have here.”
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2024 09:22 |
| Story ID: | 473086 |
| Location: | HOHENFELS, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 160 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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