JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – For this year’s annual training, the 113th Sustainment Brigade joined thousands of Soldiers, sailors and airmen at Global Lightning, a broad-ranging sustainment exercise that centers here.
Approximately 12,000 Army National Guard and Reserve troops will work with components of the Navy, and elements of British and Canadian forces to conduct one of the largest combat service and service support training exercises in the U.S. Army Reserve’s history, June 6-26, according to a 78th Training Division news release.
“Participating in the Army Reserve exercise is a first for us,” said Col. Bernie Williford, commander of the 113th Sustainment Brigade, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. “Global Lightning will test the unit’s capabilities and readiness, and give the brigade’s troops the opportunity to learn in a virtual constructive exercise. Both components, units here and in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, will be getting constructive training.”
In doing so, the Steel Brigade’s central task is to give direct support to the 1st CAV Division. Situational or lanes training will start on June 9. And, about a week later on June 15, the exercise heads into the simulation phase.
“Units will continue to perform the mission here, but it will be more scenario driven,” said Williford, who intends to accomplish training in managing the distribution of classes of supply, executing operations at all levels, and maintaining the logistics posture of our supported units.
Not directly related to the support activities at Contingency Operations Location Victory, the brigade also will have gained experience moving by tactical convoy to and from New Jersey, totaling nearly 1,200 miles.
The 78th Training Division, 75th Training Division, First Army and 3rd Medical Training Brigade will train and evaluate participating units progressing through the Army Force Generation cycle. The exercise will occur on and between seven U.S.-based installations, including Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Lewis, Washington, Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
Global Lightning also contains two integrated exercises: QLLEX, an annual logistical movement event, will transport necessary petroleum and purified water throughout the United States, and Global Medic which will assess the medical functionality and interoperability of multiple U.S. services and their foreign counterparts.
“We’ve organized an opportunity of this scale to mirror the realities of real-world operational environments,” said Brig. Gen. Bruce Hackett, division commander of the 78th Training Division. “We’re looking forward to enhancing our readiness by sharing knowledge with our sister services and international partners.”
For more information about the Global Lightning, contact the 78th Training Division Public Affairs Specialist Staff Sgt. Nicole Dykstra, Nicole.dykstra.mil@mail.mil or 774-280-1292.
For more images and video of the exercise, visit www.facebook.com/113thSB.