Photo By Staff Sgt. Tristan Peete | U.S. Army Reserve Civil Affairs Officer from the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, 352nd...... read more read more
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CAMP SANTIAGO, PR – The 404th Civil Affairs Battalion (CA BN) under the 352nd Civil Affairs Command (CACOM) began their mission essential tasks training with support from the 1st Mission Support Command after a successful airborne operation on Apr. 11, 2025.
“Operation Taino Warrior provided a significant and diversified exercise opportunity for not only members of the 404th CA BN, but also members of the 346th Psychological Operations Company (Airborne),” said U.S. Army Capt. Rebecca Butler, exercise planner and BN S3.
The 1st Mission Support Command supported the exercise with units from the 407th Medical Company, 824th Quartermaster Company, and 941st Quartermaster Company.
“First and foremost, the presence of the 1st MSC at Fort Buchanan proved to be an invaluable asset enabling us to meet the finite requirements of Civil Affairs, Large Scale Combat Operations, and Airborne Operation Tasks in a new and challenging environment,” said Butler. “Likewise, the Camp Santiago Joint Training Center provided the setting to enhance the survivability skills of our Soldiers in an unfamiliar setting, while conducting Civil-Military Operations in support of Army and Joint Force requirements.”
“This mission established a platform to demonstrate the proficiency of our interoperability amongst sister forces truly mimicking the execution of Expeditionary Deployment Operations,” said Butler. “Operation Taino Warrior required advanced planning of complex operations while validating our collective training and execution of our battalion mission essential tasks (METs) in a realistic and cost-effective environment.”
The 404th CA BN trained on their METs in Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico as opposed to their usual location state-side.
“A thorough cost and time analysis showed us that training at Camp Santiago was more fiscally sound than conducting similar operations stateside, even when compared to major military installations within a five-hour drive," said (U.S. Army) Lt. Col. Aaron Dombroski, the 404 CA BN commander.
Civil Affairs units also utilized the 1st Mission Support Command’s Spanish-speaking Soldiers as role-players and challenged themselves in an unfamiliar terrain during their training.
“Being a civil affairs unit training in Puerto Rico, a location we haven’t trained before and had no pre-existing relationships established, allowed us the opportunity to exercise civil affairs skills in real-world situations,” said U.S. Army Capt. Brianna Abrams Kok. “We were out of our comfort zone in Puerto Rico. The convenience of running back to the reserve center, because we forgot to grab something, wasn’t an option. The unit was forced to be resourceful and intentional in our planning and execution phases to accomplish the mission and meet the intent of the training, while still prioritizing safety. Conducting training in Puerto Rico challenged us to think creatively to ensure we were prepared for the conditions, able to sustain that preparation, and be fully immersed in the training scenario.”
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2025 16:41 |
| Story ID: | 497444 |
| Location: | CAMP SANTIAGO, PR |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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