Training Value of Reserve Brigade Exercises!

[dglad]

Actually, one of the great weaknesses of our generally brief (about 2 day) Res F exercises (regardless of level of the PTA or EXCON) is that we tend to teach our soldiers how to live in the field for, well, 2 days.  The TRAINING is generally (not always, but generally) good, dynamic, interesting and challenging.  Having participated in many, many exercises, however, I've noticed that it's the "ancillary" stuff that we tend to fall down on.  Frankly, anyone can live in the field for two days without shaving, washing, changing their socks or sleeping.  Unfortunately, these are the very things that are often glossed over, or even omitted altogether, because they require time that's always in critically short supply.  Exacerbating this is the fact that your average 18 or 19 year old isn't necessarily all that well-versed, or even motivated, in looking after him/herself (I have two sons, 19 and 21...between them and their friends, it's amazing how disgusting they can allow themselves to become--and that's in a home setting, with clean clothes and showers readily at hand).  The result is soldiers who become casualties on longer exercises, starting on day 3 or 4, because of exhaustion, rashes, blisters, etc. 

What's worse is that their chain of command ALLOWS this to happen; when I was a young 2Lt and commanding a platoon, I was (very firmly) taught by the RSM that I was responsible for those soldiers, so I'd better lean heavily on my Pl WO (who'd also been taught by the RSM) and let him ride herd on my young soldiers.  Every morning, the WO had the troops shave, wash down appropriate body parts, change socks, comb hair, brush teeth, etc.  I'd then inspect them, even if it meant crawling from trench to trench to check them out.  I also did foot inspections; I haven't seen one of those done in ages (I pulled them when I was a CO; although the first time, the soldiers looked at the "old man" like he'd grown a 3rd eye when he said he wanted to look at their feet, the concept did catch back on.  Not sure if it's still in the unit's lexicon, however).  Every exercise, no matter how long, should be treated as though it's a slice of a much longer ex or op, so all of that "boring routine" of washing, changing clothes, etc. should be done properly, every time.

 

[Deleted member 9665]

I think...that even the week-end ex., like dglad should use the cleaning, shaving, socks routine. I for example has to shave at least once a day...other wise...a bear would look better then me.

I never had done Brigade ex. but seen them often prepared since my Cadet unit is in a Amory and I think you people forget all about the planification and preparation that is done during the few days prior to the Ex. and the few days after. Perhaps for the combat arm's unit it is diffrent I could not say. But for a service battalion, it looks different.

Then again it is my point of view from some one who has not participated to that kind of ex. I sure hope Ill do it soon.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

dglad,

Good post.  When I was in the Reserves we called it the "disposable soldier" syndrome.  By that we went that you could go for 48 hrs and then be done with it, as opposed to maintaining self/soldiers/equipment over a prolonged period.  I even saw a bit of that in the Bde when I was a Troop Leader in the Regular Force.  Our month-long exercises were often conducted in our home training area and we went home every Friday and returned to the field every Monday.  Its pretty easy to pack for a week and if you forget stuff its OK.  We certainly felt it when we went to Gagetown or Wainwright for five to six weeks of non-stop field living without the ability to sneak off to the hangar to get things.

Still, weekend exercises can certainly have value.  If the training aim is kept rather focused you can get some good results.  Combine some of those with a two week concentration and you have a training plan. 

R031 Joe,

Great job writing down some points about your exercise.  After Action Reviews are very valuable when they are passed up the chain of command.  Its easier to write them here (and people do read them), but the trick can be pushing them up the unit chain.  The best AARs deal with the person making the comment.  Those are gold in my opinion (and its my job to read and publish AARs).

Cheers

 

[Osotogari]

I'm glad someone at least gets training value out of brigade exercises.  In 41 Bde, it turns into a smozzle as the non-infantry types get roled into "infantry-like" and the entire ex gets dumbed down to accomodate them.  That, and the rampant disorganization due in no small part to the fact that there's nothing disproving the assertion that 41 Bde HQ is made up of 1 CMBG's castoffs, there is a lot of cringing when going on Brigade ex on my part. 

Last year we were supposed to go to Pendleton but someone in HQ didn't get the border paperwork through in time so that we could cross over the border with weapons. 

Not to hijack this thread, but there's a case of beer in it for anyone can convince me that their CBG is less competant than 41 Bde.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Now there's a good challenge! Race you to the bottom... That sounds like it really sucked, no doubt causing some people to vote foot-wise

I've been more and more impressed with the efforts our Bde HQ is making at improving training quality. I was a big naysayer a few years ago, but they seem to be getting their act together. The things that seem to work best are:

1) Start planning at least a year in advance
2) Tell the units what's coming up far enough in advance so they can rehearse during normal training (gee, that sounds alot like a warning order, eh?)
3) Involve various levels of leadership in TEWTs and CPXs etc prior to the event. Include NCMs down to MCpl level if you can. Don't get too fancy, focus on good, basic battle procedure
4) Have one clear leader in charge (vs. a host of flunkies) who calls the shots
5) Don't over estimate your admin capabilities. For example, if the infantry needs to walk, then plan to make them walk vs. hanging around for 'trains, planes and automobiles' that never materialize
6) As the main effort, focus on delivering a high quality, high intensity training experience to soldiers at the section level. Build other stuff on top of that foundation as required.

The last couple of 39 CBG exercises have been pretty good by all accounts (I couldn't attend myslef due to work, of course).

Having said all that, a change of personalities at Bde HQ can ruin eveything. We'll see what happens next year.

 

[241]

Of all the 41 Bge Ex's I have been on at the Bde level, we (20th Fd) have never used our guns on the ex... '98 for example once word got around the unit that there where no guns going we had enough people for an FSCC and an 8 man enemy force for the remainder of the BDE, but I don't think it is necessarily a BDE problem because in '99 on TOTAL RAM we sat in the same gun Pos'n for the first 4 days. One more example of big ex's going bad Active Edge 05 we where suposed to have 1 or 2 days or dry deployments then go live but we ended up with 3 or 4 because somewhere along the line some one higher up forgot to tell the SVC Bn that not only did we need our bullets but we needed the fuses as well...So I don't think it is a BDE problem, but a problem on any ex over unit size...

 

[dglad]

Well, I'm not going to comment on the BTEs of Brigades I've never worked with.  However, a few comments below:

1) Start planning at least a year in advance

[For a Bde ex, absolutely.  If the Bde is running annual BTEs, then planning for the next one should begin immediately following the one just completed.  The BTE AAR can form a foundation document for planning the follow year's ex.

2) Tell the units what's coming up far enough in advance so they can rehearse during normal training (gee, that sounds alot like a warning order, eh?)

Actually, it's more fundamental than that.  The Bde Trg Plan should incorporate specific direction to units because, if a BTE is going to be held, then it should form the culmination of training for that year.  All unit trg should then be designed to lead progressively to the BTE "end-state".  Bde should be specifying BTS to be undertaken, including which ones are to be confirmed vs those practiced or only conducted to a preliminary level by the time of the BTS.  Units should be able to confirm to level 2 (section).  Ideally, they'd be able to confirm to level 3 (platoon), but most units lack the capacity to do so properly.  COs are accountable for achieving the training objectives given to them in the Bde Trg Plan.

3) Involve various levels of leadership in TEWTs and CPXs etc prior to the event. Include NCMs down to MCpl level if you can. Don't get too fancy, focus on good, basic battle procedure

Absolutely.  Professional Development Ex's (chalk-talk-walk format), computer-assisted ex's (e.g. JCATS), TEWTs and CPXs should all be included as part of the progressive training, and built into the trg plan.  They should allow leadership to discuss and practice concepts in a "troop-less" environment.  The troops can, concurrently, be practicing their individual battlecraft under supervision of 2ic's.

4) Have one clear leader in charge (vs. a host of flunkies) who calls the shots

I'd love to hear the back-story that made you feel you had to say this.  This is the army...ordinarily, the "one commander" thing is a no-brainer...but you've apparently experienced something different.  Leadership by committee...?

5) Don't over estimate your admin capabilities. For example, if the infantry needs to walk, then plan to make them walk vs. hanging around for 'trains, planes and automobiles' that never materialize

Don't overestimate ANY of your capabilities.  Don't try to train to level 4 (company) or higher if you haven't confirmed at level 3 and lower (but, I've seen it happen).

6) As the main effort, focus on delivering a high quality, high intensity training experience to soldiers at the section level. Build other stuff on top of that foundation as required.

If your main effort for a Brigade Trg Event is Level 2 (section), then you have a problem.  Whatever BTS are being undertaken should be confirmed at Level 2 long before the BTE, as these are gateways to level 3 (platoon).  BTEs should be focused on practicing and confirming at Level 3, otherwise, you're wasting a lot of command and staff horsepower on training Sgts and below.  That's what the units should be focused on (realistically, confirmation should be two levels down--company should confirm section, unit should confirm platoon, brigade should confirm company/company gp/cbt tm.  The reality of the Reserves, however, tends to force this all down one level, so units pretty much have to confirm section and brigades have to confirm platoon).  As for Level 4...well, it would be nice, but it's tough to work progressively up to that level in a single Res F trg year.

 

[geo]

One of the major problems with weekend exercises is that you never get an oportunity to train your supply/resupply line.  If you have 48hrs of rats & ammo on hand, who needs the following day's when it's time to go home.

 

[dglad]

Another good point.  That's why, as a coy OC and later as a CO, I tried to ensure an issue of much-reduced scale of combat supplies (except water) at the start of an ex--for instance, one IMP and five mags only of ammo per pers.  As long as the ex was designed so that events didn't "overrun" resupply too much, it gave the CQ, Pl WOs and sect 2ics a good workout shovelling supplies forward.  However, that's only good for integral support; it's REALLY hard to realistically exercise close support on a weekend ex and resupply the integral sp elements.  You really need a longer exercise for that (especially if you're going to incorporate lessons learned from Afghanistan, which are, I think, probably causing a major rethink/rewrite of sustainment doctrine).

 

[daftandbarmy]

If your main effort for a Brigade Trg Event is Level 2 (section), then you have a problem.  Whatever BTS are being undertaken should be confirmed at Level 2 long before the BTE, as these are gateways to level 3 (platoon).  BTEs should be focused on practicing and confirming at Level 3, otherwise, you're wasting a lot of command and staff horsepower on training Sgts and below.  That's what the units should be focused on (realistically, confirmation should be two levels down--company should confirm section, unit should confirm platoon, brigade should confirm company/company gp/cbt tm.  The reality of the Reserves, however, tends to force this all down one level, so units pretty much have to confirm section and brigades have to confirm platoon).  As for Level 4...well, it would be nice, but it's tough to work progressively up to that level in a single Res F trg year.


Dglad,

I agree with you, however, if a Bde Level ex is set up just to train only at level 2 and higher, then the troops can sit around twiddling their thumbs while the Pl/Coy HQs get exercised. There are ample opportunities to keep the sections busy, and therefore interested and keen to come back, as long as a little planning and imagination is put in to it. One of the best militia exercises I attended had us doing company level tasks in a round robin scenario over a week long cycle and I, as company commander, had enough time to make sure that we were ready to go on to the cbt tm attack, coy level FIBUA, ambush or whatever the next task was. Each 'stand' had loads of section level tasks embedded within the overall coy/pl level tasks e.g. '1 Pl left assault' translates into the two lead sections each clearing buildings or bunkers within their arcs etc. Luckily there wasn't much micro-management either, which was a refreshing change.

Where it can all go wrong is when some keeners in the exercise DS net are itching to get their hands on some troops and jump in and start telling your individual platoons and sections what to do 'for exercise purposes', especially when they are regulars and your sect/pl comds are reservists. With the obvious exception of safety issues, I relish squashing this type of hijacking activity. You'll probably agree that the best result, on training or operations, is always obtained where there is a commander to commander discussion resulting in the efficient accomplishment of the assigned tasks, and the admin echeleons support the commanders (not always easy to achieve, unfortunately).

 

[dglad]

I agree with you, however, if a Bde Level ex is set up just to train only at level 2 and higher, then the troops can sit around twiddling their thumbs while the Pl/Coy HQs get exercised.

If this is happening, then something has gone badly wrong.  Training level 3 and higher BTS implies exercising the troops, because, aside from some parts of the battle procedure (orders, recces), the troops should be fully engaged.  There are always concurrent activites needing to be done, and if the comd has his s**t together, his initial Wng O has listed probable tasks...and if his 2ic has HIS s**t together, he'll immediately begin rehearsing/exercising the troops on those probable tasks.  This can begin right at the start of battle procedure.  Or, to put it another way...if trg is well designed for a given level, it fully employs the levels below it.  I've never bought the criticism that training at, say, level 4 (coy or coy gp) means the coy comd and pl comds will be busy and everyone else will end up sitting around waiting for the comds to recce and plan and write orders and give orders, etc. 

Your round robin scenario is a good venue for some types of trg.  The thing to watch is trying to fill the time with too many stands, because then battle procedure gets compressed and comds now don't have adequate time to do their jobs.  Not only is the training for them degraded, but then the trg for the troops suffers as well because the comds are all f****d up.

I guess my point is that indiv and sect level (levels 1 and 2) should be confirmed before a BTE starts...but that doesn't mean levels 1 and 2 cease to be exercised!

Where it can all go wrong is when some keeners in the exercise DS net are itching to get their hands on some troops and jump in and start telling your individual platoons and sections what to do 'for exercise purposes', especially when they are regulars and your sect/pl comds are reservists. With the obvious exception of safety issues, I relish squashing this type of hijacking activity. You'll probably agree that the best result, on training or operations, is always obtained where there is a commander to commander discussion resulting in the efficient accomplishment of the assigned tasks, and the admin echeleons support the commanders (not always easy to achieve, unfortunately).

When DS or observer/controllers start stepping on the chain of comd, they need to be put back in their box.  Comds at all levels need to be allowed to succeed and fail on their own, while the staff observe and record.  Then everyone can learn from the results during the AAR.

 

[daftandbarmy]

dglad,

Yup. Agree fully. The biggest problems occur when the CO-Comd-Staff nets get this stuff wrong. There's only so much a measly OC can fix. So now you seriously need to consider coming to work for us out west.

 

[Sgt_McWatt]

Examples of disorganization, and what you'd do to fix it would be a start. How you would be prepared to handle the logistics of all arms and units combined in one area as a follow up, would be good. How 'bout it? Sometimes an untrained, junior outlook provides a fresh perspective to old, set in their ways experience and know how..

Don't bring a problem, unless you got a solution.

Ha ha I wont pretend my big one year of service gives me any say. And I also have not been on any tours. BUTT, from what I understand overseas. However I know for example I was in St. Marys. Simply moving the HQ (which consisted of 2 desks) to a class room you could fit an entire additional infantry company or armoured equivalent. I participated on Vigilant Guardian and even seeing the other units operating and running a proper FOB. The MPs 1st Hussars and service battalion all from London were located in other places. I just think that if we were to combine the resources it would be more effective. you would have more OP-For to work with and run better scenarios. Just a few thoughts.

 

[Osotogari]

Here's another one.  41 Bde is no longer going to Ft. Pickett, Virginia for a BTE, instead we're going to..................

Dundurn, SK. 

They give all sorts of excuses, but at least they won't have to worry about staff dropping the ball in trying to get the border paperwork sorted out, making one wonder what they'll mess up in the meantime.  All sorts of excuses are given, but it sounds like a combination of laziness, lack of vision, and budgetary problems. 


I love Saskatchewan in March, especially Dundurn with its incredibly modern training facilities. I can sure see people giving up vacation time from their jobs for this one.



Wankers

 

[geo]

well - your staff officers will save a bundle on insect repellent AND sunblock.

On another point, you have to take into account the fact that starting in Jan, all Cdns travelling to the US by air will need passports... staff checks to make sure everyone has a passport will be a bear....

There is the matter of our friends in the media.......... they will (might) read the couple of hundred guys going down south as a "junket"

Then there is the possibility that the US forces in Ft Pickett might not be in a position to receive ya all this year.......

Lots of reasons = some of em are good, some aren't

Enjoy Dundurn........... it's better than going to Wemindji on the James bay coast in Feb

 

[Prd_Cdn]

:warstory:Osotogari;

  I bleed your pain. I am too a member of 41 CBG and all it seems to me is that they make all these promises and they fall through all the time. I am tired of it. Remember the ex to California and we trained at Debney to shoot at a paintball field transported by minivans last year? Man was that FUN ;D
    Why are they so incompetent?? To many people in CBG dont want to do anything. They just want their 135% pay (ex Reg - 50% pension PLUS B Class 85%) just to work Tuesdays - Thursday, 6 Hours MAX. Ive seen it, I worked B Class for too long for this CBG.
   
  Good Luck.. see ya around the Armoury.

 

[JBP]

Interesting... Our unit goes down to Florida every couple years or longer to train with the Americans. Some even apparently drove Humvees and all that good stuff! And also apparently they used to have National Guard units come up with their helo's and do rapell drops and training w/us in our own parkinglot!!! A lot of that stuff went down the drain years ago I was told for some BS (Bureaucratic) reasons and others real.

I think a lot of it just has to do with manpower it seems... Our unit is (apparently) a pretty large reserve infantry unit. Regular parade nights we have about 2 platoons show up on a decent night. If it rains or is bad weather and some of these toolbags don't show up, then we get a platoon or so... But usually we have about 2 platoons+... We are severly lacking in SNco leadership though. But that's not a surprise at any reserve unit I've run across it seems.

So I figure the more grunts you have, and the more units around yours to train with the better overall ex's you'll have. Then again I've only been in for 2 years and really haven't seen all that much yet and from what I can tell have been spoiled already!

 

[Fishbone Jones]

On another point, you have to take into account the fact that starting in Jan, all Cdns travelling to the US by air will need passports... staff checks to make sure everyone has a passport will be a bear....

All that will be required for military pers on duty will be a NATO travel order and current ID card. No passport needed.

 

[geo]

(yeah - I know about the nato travel order.... but, again, it becomes documents that the Bde must generate)

 

[aesop081]

(yeah - I know about the nato travel order.... but, again, it becomes documents that the Bde must generate)

NATO travel orders originate from your Unit OR.......not higher, so brigade doesnt have to generate that perticular item of paperwork.