National Guard, active-duty units partner with 38th Combat Aviation Brigade for training

By 1st Lt. Tyler Mitchell
38th Combat Aviation Brigade

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. (1/27/14) - Headquarters Company of the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade completed four days of training and development at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind.,on Jan. 24 in preparation for their upcoming Warfighter exercise.

The 38th CAB partnered with National Guard and active-duty units from around the country in an exercise designed to give commanders and their staffs the experience of what large-scale operations require while using the Military Decision Making Process.

The MDMP is used to assist units at brigade or battalion levels in analyzing a given mission, what course of action to take, comparing courses of action and disseminating missions to subordinate units.
"Warfighter can greatly assist the CAB in validating our standard operating procedures, and how we plan for missions," said Lt. Col. Matthew Handy, the 38th CAB executive officer who has participated in three warfighters.

Instructors from the Mission Command Training Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., aided38th CAB Soldiers as they planned their operation. The team from Fort Leavenworth will later evaluate brigade Soldiers once their operation begins.

The exercise is conducted to simulate a full-scale military operation, complete with the technology and equipment necessary for commands overseas to coordinate and win a battle. The unit's Soldiers will be tested on their ability to handle any situation such as downed aircraft, enemy artillery fire, media interviews or rules of engagement.

"This is the perfect environment to make all the mistakes you can, so you can go ahead and learn from them and actually have a focused mindset for when you actually get mobilized," said Staff Sgt. Ivan Villasmil,an intelligence analyst participating in his first Warfighter.

The 38th CAB Soldiers have only started the planning phase of exercise. For the next three months, they will continue to develop how they will fight during the exercise.

The soldiers will start their battlefield scenario in May at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.