Photo By Spc. Mariah Aguilar | U.S. Army Soldiers acting as opposing force (OPFOR) return fire from 2nd Battalion,...... read more read more
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FORT POLK, Louisiana (Sept. 3, 2025) – The Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) plays a key role in preparing the U.S. Army to stay responsive and combat-ready. On August 12, 2025, the 10th Mountain Division (LI) began their 14-day JRTC rotation on Fort Polk, Louisiana. Here, units work to improve readiness, build stronger leadership, and operate more effectively in high-intensity environments.
Realism is essential to the JRTC experience. The training uses realistic scenarios that mirror the complexity of large-scale combat operations. Units move through rural villages and urban areas, adapting to diverse terrain and evolving tactical situations. They face extreme heat, thick vegetation, and logistical challenges that test their endurance and flexibility while engaging with opposing forces.
1st Lt. Derek Davidson, an officer with Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) states, "We come down here to face a dedicated OPFOR unit, which presents us with a range of dilemmas and situations we don’t typically encounter during training at our home station."
This type of training supports the Army’s goal of keeping forces combat-credible and ready to deploy. Each rotation challenges units to use joint capabilities, synchronize across domains, and carry out precise missions. These skills are critical for deterring threats and succeeding in multi-domain operations.
“The purpose of JRTC is to prepare units for the hardest day of ground combat.” Maj. Marc Howle, a Fort Polk Observer Coach Trainer stated, “Theoretically, if they are deploying and come here first, we aim to present them with the most difficult situations—more challenging than what they may face during deployment.”
“That way they’ve already endured these struggles and learned from it so that when it happens in real life—with real bullets flying instead of lasers—they are better equipped to handle and adapt to it.”
Commanders are pushed to lead in real-time situations that reflect the chaos of combat. They must make quick decisions, control decentralized units, and stay organized under simulated enemy pressure and supply strain.
Leader development and mission planning are also core to JRTC. Leaders at every level learn to make better decisions, coordinate more effectively, and plan under stress. The fast pace of the exercise exposes weaknesses, highlights strengths, and helps further test and develop their skills and knowledge.
“JRTC is a test center for brigades, we help them see their mistakes and improve from that so that they become better organizations and better warfighters overall,” said Howle.
In today’s ever-evolving combat threat, JRTC remains vital to Army readiness. By simulating real-world combat, it ensures that units and leaders are not just prepared to fight — but equipped to win.
| Date Taken: | 09.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.05.2025 10:25 |
| Story ID: | 547146 |
| Location: | FORT JOHNSON, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Commando Brigade Adapts and Overcomes JRTC, by PFC Abigail Stewart, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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