WARFIGHTER

Total Force Training ExerciseArmy components train as Total Force | HHB maintains readiness

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April 2015

Corps

I CorpsHeadquarters, Headquarters Battalion

3 I Corps hosts Total Force exercise

Contents

4 Reserve, National Guard increase readiness

5 HHB, I Corps trains for expeditionary Readiness

On the Cover Pfc. Paul Leva, a signal support systems specialist in C Company, Headquarters, Headquarters Battalion, installs communica-tions equipment during Warfighter Exercise 15-04 at the Mission Training Complex at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 7-15.

19th Public Affairs Detachment

Staff Sgt. Micah VanDykeContributing Journalist

Sgt. Ryan HallockLayout and Design

Sgt. 1st Class Jason AllgoodNoncommissioned Officer in Charge

Capt. Pete MrvosCommander

4th Expeditionary Sustainment CommandU.S. Army Reserve - San Antonio, Texas

420th Engineer Brigade U.S. Army Reserve - Bryan, Texas

17th Sustainment BrigadeNevada Army National Guard

67th Battlefield Surveillance BrigadeNebraska Army National Guard

362nd Psychological Operations CompanyU.S. Army Reserve - Fayetteville, Arkansas

8th Theater Sustainment CommandFort Shafter, Hawaii

Warfighter Exercise 15-04I Corps

Lt. Gen. Stephen R. LanzaCommander

Command Sgt. Maj. James P. Norman IIICommand Sergeant Major

Headquarters, Headquarters BattalionLt. Col. Christopher M. Rizzo

CommanderCommand Sgt. Maj. Garton E. Francis

Command Sergeant Major

2 | Warfighter April 2015

Staff Sgt. Nicolaas F. Van Drasek, the G-2 Intelligence Fusion noncommissioned officer in charge, Bravo Company, I Corps and chief warrant officer 4 Lawrence Renas III, the G-2 Intelligence Fusion OIC, build a map product during Warfighter Exercise 15-04 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 9, 2015. The exercise, April 7 - 15, pro-vided multi-component combined training for 850 active, reserve and National Guard component troops.

Interoperability between the Army components is critical.”“

I Corps hosts Total Force Exercise

3 | Warfighter April 2015

Active Army, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers trained together as a Total Force during Warfighter Exercise 15-04 at the Mission Training Complex

here April 7-15.I Corps hosted the multi-level training scenario designed

to prepare Soldiers for future deployments and further integrate the active Army, Reserve and National Guard in support of the Army Total Force Policy.

Nearly 850 Soldiers from I Corps, 4th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, 17th Sustainment Brigade, 420th En-gineer Brigade, 67th Battlefield Sur-veillance Brigade, 362nd Psychological Operations Company and 8th Theater Sustainment Command trained togeth-er during the exercise.

Over the 13-day exercise, Soldiers from the different com-ponents worked on improving their battle drills, building relationships and learning from one another.

“The Total Force training perspective is invaluable,” said Col. Vernon Scarbrough, the commander of the 17th Sustainment Brigade, part of the Nevada Army National Guard based out of Las Vegas. “When we deploy, you can’t tell whether a unit is National Guard, Reserve or active duty. We all have to perform at an equal level.” Throughout the exercise, Soldiers in tactical operations

centers rehearsed battle tracking and operational planning. The Soldiers worked on ensuring clear communication be-tween the units, regardless of component, by performing operations as they would during a deployment.

“This Warfighter exercise is providing us an opportunity in a training environment to practice the exact roles, mis-

sions and responsibilities that we will be performing on our deployment,” said Scarbrough.Sergeant Hannelori Cespedes, part of the civil affairs

section for the 17th Sustainment Brigade, said that commu-nication has been the biggest asset in working collectively with the Army components.

“We all need to work together,” said Cespedes. “Overall in this exercise, we’re Army, so you work as a team no matter what unit you’re in.”

Scarbrough stressed the importance of having shared reporting formats, a common operating picture and a com-mon language between the Army components so there is fluidity during deployments.

“Interoperability between the Army components is criti-cal,” said Scarbrough. “It is absolutely critical for a shared understanding of what is taking place by all.” In addition to providing logistical support to the exer-

cise, Soldiers from Headquarters, Headquarters Battalion, I Corps, set to work and trained alongside their Reserve and National Guard counterparts. “We’re all soldiers, we all have one common goal,” said

Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Swanson, command sergeant major of the 4th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based out of San Antonio. “I look at the NCO Creed: accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. We all follow the same creed.”

Story by Sgt. Ryan Hallock

Sgt. Hannelori Cespedes and Staff Sgt. Charles Rooker, who work with civil affairs for the 17th Sustainment Brigade of the Nevada Army National Guard, analyze refugee data during Warfighter Exercise 15-04 at the Mission Training Complex at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 13, 2015.

Reserve, National Guard increase readiness through Total Force

4 | Warfighter April 2015

Active Army, Reserve and Na-tional Guard Soldiers focused on Total Force readiness dur-

ing an exercise here April 7-15.Army reservists from the 4th Ex-

peditionary Sustainment Command and the 420th Engineer Brigade and National Guardsman from the 17th Sustainment Brigade and the 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade trained with I Corps as a Total Force during Warfighter 15-04. For 1st Sgt. Kyle D. Miller of Head-

quarters and Headquarters Company, 67th BFSB, taking part in Warfighter was invaluable because it gave him new ways to train his Soldiers. Miller said that Warfighter added training op-portunities because of the Total Force integration.

“Integrating with active duty troops here has been a wealth of knowledge, all future training needs to be this way,” he added.Warfighter incorporated all aspects

of military operations and included logistical elements and simulated com-bat operations. “This gives us the ability to train on

everything that is happening during real-world operations, it’s phenom-enal,” said Capt. Michael Schiemer, the intelligence and operations officer for the 17th Special Troops Battalion, 17th SB, based in Las Vegas. ““The value of this [exercise] is irreplaceable, especially for our network sections and other specialty MOSs.”

Schiemer said that incorporating dif-ferent kinds of operations forced the units to work closely together and im-prove communication.

Many sections within the reserve and National Guard units received men-torship from their active duty coun-terparts.“Having a chance to work with ac-

tive duty personnel that do this on a regular basis has been a great learning process for us and has helped us out a lot. They’re able to provide insight, suggestions and things that worked for them,” said Sgt. 1st Class Kristi R. Kenney, the G-1 plans and operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the 4th ESC based in San Antonio.

She added that working directly with the I Corps G-1 and receiving insight from them has taught her ways to help

prepare her section for any mission.Kenney said that working together

during Warfighter has fostered a team concept between the Army Reserves, National Guard and active Army units. The integration between components has helped to better prepare everyone for their mission. “You’re able to share knowledge

among each other and apply different aspects that altogether make it better, make the Army better,” she added.

Story by Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke

Sgt. 1st Class Kristi R. Kenney, the G-1 plans and operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the 4th Expeditionary Sustainment Command based out of San Antonio, mentors Spc. Cassie Blakeney, the G-1 strength management administrator for 4th ESC during Warfighter Exercise 15-04 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 13, 2015.

Capt. Michael Schiemer, the intelligence and operations officer for the 17th Special Troops Battalion, a National Guard unit based in Las Vegas and Spc. Rafael Ohprecio, the battalion commanders driver for the 17th STB, go over map overlays during Warfighter Exercise 15-04 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 13, 2015.

Active Army, Reserve and National Guard soldiers participate in Warfighter Exercise 15-04 at the Mission Training Complex at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 9, 2015.

5 | Warfighter April 2015

I Corps has made it their mission to continue strong and enduring partnerships with allies in the Pa-

cific region, and that commitment has demanded a high state of expedition-ary readiness from I Corps’ Soldiers.I Corps has made it their mission to

continue strong and enduring partner-ships with allies in the Pacific region, and that commitment has demanded a high state of expeditionary readiness from I Corps’ Soldiers. To meet these goals, Headquarters

and Headquarters Battalion, I Corps has participated in training exercises throughout the Pacific region and, most recently, in Warfighter Exercise 15-04 at the Mission Training Com-plex here April 7-15.

Warfighters are multi-echelon, train-ing exercises that integrate the Army’s active and reserve components, and HHB Soldiers took this opportunity to increase their proficiency and readi-ness alongside their Reserve and Na-tional Guard counterparts. “Everything we [are doing during

Warfighter] mirrors what we do down-

range,” said Capt. Christopher Con-ner, an operations officer in HHB, I Corps. “This is the exact same equip-ment we would load on a C-17.”With I Corps regionally aligned

with the Pacific, Conner said HHB is trained and ready to rapidly deploy to support future I Corps missions.“It’s very stressful to maintain that

constant state of readiness while you’re balancing your garrison envi-ronment, but it’s very effective train-ing at the same time, because it forces you to step outside of your comfort zone and accomplish the mission no matter what,” said Conner.

Soldiers of HHB provided logistical and medical support to the partici-pating National Guard and Reserve units, providing them with meals, fuel, maintenance support, and handling the real-life needs of Soldiers. “We’re supporting the Warfighter

Exercise by maintaining aid station operations,” said Spc. Raymond Trad-er, a health care specialist in Head-quarters Support Company, HHB, I Corps. “If injuries arise, we’re the first line of care that Soldiers are going to get.” Spc. Grace Barreto, an information

technology specialist in HSC, spent the exercise performing her duties as if she were forward-deployed. As a computer and network expert, Bar-reto ensured HHB’s IT equipment and communications were constantly operational in the battalion’s tactical operations center.“When I’m deployed, that’s what I

have to do,” said Barreto. “If your computer goes down, I’m the one who has to figure out why and how I can fix it.” Conner said that establishing and

maintaining communications was crucial during the exercise and that the units acted as if they were miles apart, exactly as they would be in a deployed environment. I Corps Soldiers are scheduled to

participate in Talisman Saber, a mul-tinational joint-exercise in Australia this summer. They will train alongside Australian forces to certify for joint-operational readiness. Like Warfighter, Talisman Saber will see I Corps Sol-diers performing operations as they would when deployed.“If you don’t train how you fight,”

said Conner, “you fail when you fight.”

HHB, I Corps trains for expeditionary readiness during Total Force exercise

Story by Sgt. Ryan Hallock