Soldiers with 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, scrape carbon from the barrel of a M109A6 Paladin howitzer in preparation for a Decisive Action training rotation at the National Training Center. The M109A6 is a technologically-advanced self-propelled cannon system. The fire-control system is fully automated, providing accurate position location, azimuth reference and on-board ballistic solutions of fire missions. It has an unassisted range of 22,000 meters and fires 155 mm rounds.
The National Training Center is in the process of executing a Decisive Action training rotation with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division from Fort Carson, Colo.
During the past few days, 1st BCT Soldiers have been busy preparing M1A1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and M109A6 Paladin howitzers for the upcoming ‘battles’ to take place in the 1,000 square miles of terrain the NTC provides.
The “Raider” brigade rolls out to the training area, or “box,” tomorrow, to commence training Saturday. The brigade will remain in the training through Nov. 9.
The U.S Army Training and Doctrine Command developed DA to create a common training scenario for use throughout the Army. It features a hybrid threat reflective of the complexities of potential adversaries the nation could face in the 21st century. This threat includes guerrilla, insurgent, criminal, and near-peer conventional forces merged into one dynamic environment.
At the NTC, DA exercises provide a comprehensive approach to training brigade combat teams in a Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental and Multinational environment. In contrast to counter insurgency-based Mission Readiness Exercises, DA rotations will allow units to fully exercise their Mission Essential Task List that supports the Army’s core competencies: Wide Area Security and Combined Arms Maneuver. Scenarios during DA rotations will ensure BCT’s are trained and ready to win the current fight, while maintaining responsiveness for future contingencies.
It is imperative that the Army provide national security decision makers with scalable options and capable land forces to meet the nation’s security needs in a complex and uncertain global environment. The live, virtual, and constructive training environment of the NTC produces adaptive leaders and agile forces for the current fight, while being responsive to the unforeseen contingencies of the 21st century.
The NTC will continue to conduct MRE training rotations and rotations focused on the Security Forces Assistance Advisory Teams mission taking place in Afghanistan.
