Photo By 2nd Lt. Bridget Pittman-Blackwell | U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade conducted a...... read more read more
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade conducted a Large-Scale Combat Operations exercise, Operation Carolina Surge, during the unit’s annual training in Morrisville, NC, May 30th through June 14th, 2026. The notional exercise combined aviation, intelligence, sustainment, fires and maneuver operations in a realistic scenario modeled on North Carolina terrain with North Carolina National Guard units and operational challenges.
"Large Scale Combat Operations training is essential to ensuring the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade remains ready to fight and win in a complex and contested operational environment," said U.S. Army Col. Daniel McAuliffe, 449th Combat Aviation Brigade commander.
Unlike previous command post exercises, planners developed a scenario integrating NCNG major subordinate commands. To create a more realistic training environment, specific qeographic locations and previously used training missions were used.
"The scenario we developed was imperative for demonstrating the interconnected nature of all warfighting functions within an aviation command post," said U.S. Army Maj. William Harvey, brigade S3 operations officer. "While the enemy threats were notional, the airfields, objectives and friendly forces were as real as possible," Harvey said. "Forcing intelligence to track real world terrain constraints while sustainment planned logistics for actual units on the ground completely changed how our warfighting functions synchronized."
Throughout the exercise, Soldiers operated in a challenging, high tempo environment. Information and communications were degraded on purpose to replicate modern battlefield conditions.
"The staff couldn't just rely on standard operating procedures,” Harvey said. “They had to look at the actual capabilities existing within our formation and figure out how to employ them differently to overcome communication blackouts.”
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Marco Calamaco, battle captain for Operation Carolina Surge, said the brigade relied on established processes. These processes helped to maintain situational awareness on operations across the battlefield.
"The synchronization of the warfighting functions in a high operational tempo environment was managed through the daily battle rhythm, shift change and the battle update brief," Calamaco said.
"Once a threat was assessed to have the ability to impact the mission, the unit was deployed to counter it, allowing freedom of movement for ground forces."
The training gave Soldiers a chance to practice their skills and work through real world challenges. Lessons learned during the exercise will help the brigade stay ready for future missions.
"The same mission command principles and decision-making skills developed during LSCO training directly enhance our ability to support Domestic Operations," McAuliffe said. "This training strengthens our readiness for both our federal warfighting mission and our state emergency response mission."
| Date Taken: | 06.16.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2026 17:39 |
| Story ID: | 569430 |
| Location: | MORRISVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 449th CAB Strengthens Readiness Through Large-Scale Combat Operations Training, by 2LT Bridget Pittman-Blackwell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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