Photo By Lt. Col. Michael Garcia | An all-source intelligence analyst assigned to the 388th Military Intelligence...... read more read more
SAN ANTONIO — Soldiers of the 338th Military Intelligence Battalion strengthened their ability to support joint interrogation and debriefing center operations during Warrior Engaged, a collective training exercise at Camp Bullis that tested the unit’s ability to operate through realistic battlefield friction.
The battalion’s annual training exercise, conducted Aug. 29 through Sept. 7, placed Soldiers in a simulated operational environment requiring human intelligence collection, detainee operations, intelligence fusion, collection management and dissemination, counterintelligence support, and command-and-control functions. The event is designed to prepare the 338th MI Battalion to operate at theater level in support of a Theater Interrogation Facility or as the Army component of a Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center.
Training through disruption
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Delk, a human intelligence technician who oversees interrogation operations for the battalion, said Warrior Engaged required Soldiers to draw on foundational skills rather than relying only on technology.
“We’ve become, as a military, more reliant on systems and technology,” Delk said. “This year, we’re taking a step back, going a bit to what we call the Stone Age, and working those skills that we developed to use pen, paper, analog [methods] and verbal communication.”
The unit’s response to information technology disruptions became a principal training opportunity, according to Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Ryder, the Military Intelligence Readiness Command command chief warrant officer and the senior MIRC command representative at the exercise.
“Due to some routine information technology issues we commonly experience as MI reservists, the 338th had to think quickly on its feet and pivot to a scenario where they were operating under DDIL conditions (Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Limited-bandwidth), which we entirely expect to frequently encounter in the modern, large-scale combat operations environment,” Ryder said.
Rather than stopping the exercise, the battalion adapted procedures and continued collecting, processing and communicating intelligence using available resources. Ryder said the ability to continue the mission despite limited network access is central to readiness for future conflict.
“I was impressed with the professionalism and skill of all the battalion’s Soldiers,” Ryder said. “It’s not surprising given the relatively high deployment rate of many of them.”
Staff Sgt. Matthew, a 35M intelligence collector serving as first sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 338th MI Battalion, said the exercise presented Soldiers with challenges not normally experienced during routine training.
“This exercise has given us an opportunity to confront skills that previously had been unchallenged,” he said.
Delk said human intelligence collectors must understand the operational environment and commander’s intelligence priorities before conducting questioning.
“We have to have an understanding of that, or else we’re going in there blind,” Delk said. “The difficulty is relying on our analysts to spin us up on what questions are important.”
Building the intelligence picture
Sgt. Brown, a 35M intelligence collector assigned to Bravo Detachment, 338th MI Battalion, worked in collection management and dissemination during the exercise. The assignment allowed her to broaden her understanding of how reporting is reviewed, quality-controlled and matched to commander requirements.
“There are a lot of challenges, but I do feel like they’re good challenges to have, especially in this exercise, because we’re here to train and practice,” Brown said. “We’re not being graded or anything. So this is the time to fail.”
Sgt. Abernathy, a 35F all-source intelligence analyst assigned to the battalion’s fusion analysis cell, said intelligence analysis connects reporting from human intelligence collectors and other sources into an operational picture for commanders.
“An analyst helps achieve that final end state,” Abernathy said. “The collectors will collect information from the source, and then it feeds into the larger picture. And then the larger picture is pushed up the chain of command for advising strategic operations.”
Abernathy said the exercise’s friction and unfamiliar systems reminded everyone that Soldiers must maintain analog proficiency.
“There is value — naturally there’s going to be lots of logistical nightmares,” Abernathy said. “If we had network issues, hypothetically, that would force us to master analog.”
The exercise included training objectives to manage HUMINT collection in support of Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center operations, conduct HUMINT collection at a detention facility, fuse intelligence, conduct counterintelligence activities and disseminate fused intelligence to the J2/G2 staff.
Team behind the training
Ryder credited the military and civilian partners whose technical expertise, scenario development and observer-coach-trainer support enabled the battalion to train under demanding conditions.
“The Foundry support at this Camp Bullis training site — provided by INSCOM — was top-notch; those folks really know what they’re doing,” Ryder said. “And don’t even get me started on the observer-coach-trainer support provided by several of our ARISCs; these types of exercises involve a wide range of unsung heroes to make them work, in my opinion.”
Abernathy described the Foundry’s support as essential to helping Soldiers navigate the scenario and clarify training requirements.
“They’re kind of like the Wizard of Oz,” Abernathy said. “They’re behind the curtains, but you can come find them if you need to.”
The battalion’s collective training exercise was supported by Camp Bullis Foundry personnel and observer-coach-trainers from the Southwest Army Reserve Intelligence Support Center (SW ARISC).
Recognizing performance
Ryder presented MIRC command coins to three Soldiers who distinguished themselves during Warrior Engaged:
* Spc. Angel Espinoza, Bravo Company, 338th MI Battalion * Spc. Nathaniel Gonzales, Alpha Company, 338th MI Battalion * 1st Lt. Zemoni Hopkins, Alpha Company, 338th MI Battalion
Ryder also presented a command coin to Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bethany Nash of the SW ARISC for helping keep computer systems and accounts at the nearby ARISC facility in a high state of readiness.
Regional commander visits
Maj. Gen. Linton, commanding general of the 99th Regional Division, visited the exercise site Sept. 2 and met with personnel from the Military Intelligence Readiness Command, Camp Bullis Foundry, and the 338th MI Battalion.
During the visit, Linton received an overview of Warrior Engaged, toured the training area, and observed Soldiers conducting detainee screening and an interrogation as part of the exercise scenario. He also visited the 505th Military Intelligence (Theater), SWARISC, and the AROG area of operations.
Linton spoke with Soldiers and thanked them for their continued service. He emphasized that noncommissioned officers must take care of their Soldiers and relayed a message from his command sergeant major, who could not attend the event, that he was proud of the Soldiers and their work.
For Delk, the exercise's value lies in its connection to the battalion’s enduring readiness mission.
“A CTE fulfills our responsibility to stand ready to answer any call that our country calls us to rise up to the task,” Delk said.
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2026 16:51 |
| Story ID: | 575017 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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