A1 - Fort Bliss Bugle

2A • April 9, 2015 • FORT BLISS BUGLE
GRADUATES Continued from Page 1A
commandant, said the course was a revelation.
“I have been to a lot of schooling that prepares NCOs for
different leadership responsibilities, but until this course I
hadn’t seen anything that prepared a commandant to be a
commandant,” Burton said. “What is great about this course
is getting with the mentors and the shared relationships
among the NCO academies. We have a lot of the same things,
problems, issues, and collaboratively can come up with good
solutions and it was great to see that we all share the same
approach to NCOES.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Clifford Ockman, Louisiana Army
National Guard, commandant of the 1st Battalion NCO
Academy, 199th Leadership Regiment, said the course enlightened him about the duties and responsibilities of a commandant.
“You spend your entire career, 26 years, learning how to
become a good NCO and advisor to your commander. Prior
to this course I had no experience with the command relationship that I have as a commandant,” he said. “There has
been a lot of self-study, a lot of mentorship from people who
have done the position in the past, but most importantly it is
just getting into the regulations and understanding the true
definition of what a commandant does. After attending this
course for the last couple of days I would make the recommendation that this be a mandatory course before you even
become commandant.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Nuuese Passi Jr., commandant of the
JRTC and Fort Polk, Louisiana NCO Academy, said that if he
had to rate the course between a 1 and a 10 with 10 being the
highest, he would give it an 11.
“I can’t say enough good things about it. It is one of those
higher education levels that is hard to describe unless you
experience it yourself,” he said. “Coming to this course you
learn how not so good you are, but in a professional manner where you are going to improve when you get back. I
have been in the seat for three years and I have filled every
capacity that is out there and I will tell you I am enjoying
this course very much from the professional standpoint and a
personal standpoint.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Shannon, 3rd Battalion, 6th Regional Training Regiment, who has been a commandant for
four months, said he learned very quickly he didn’t know as
much as he thought he did.
“It was very enlightening, very eye-opening for me. As a
command sergeant major you have responsibility, but now
as a commandant, being the commander and the command
sergeant major, it takes that whole responsibility to a new
level,” Shannon said. “We are responsible for our Soldiers
safety, their welfare and taking care of them, but now we
are also responsible for not just taking care of our Soldiers,
but the Soldiers that come to us for training from across the
force. From a legal aspect, it is very eye opening. I feel that
the protection level that I am getting now from the education
that I am gaining here – I can’t replace that with anything
else.”
Shannon also believes the course should be a perquisite to
becoming a commandant.
“No ifs, ands or buts; they should come,” he said. “The
relevant coordination, cross talk, and collaboration among
the different components that teach these same courses is bar
none. I have learned so much from talking with my peers that
it has made an enormous difference.”
The course began March 25 and consists of 50 hours of
instruction
David Crozier / Command Communications, USASMA
Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Shannon, 3rd Battalion, 6th Regional
Training Regiment, discusses a point during the Quality Assurance
portion of instruction. The Commandant Pre-Command Course
began March 25 and consists of 50 hours of instruction covering
15 different topic areas. The Proof of Principle class was taught in
September of 2013.
BUDGET Continued from Page 1A
maps and location data.”
Price said for Nett Warrior, the Army has
reached a level of robustness and readiness
with the hardware to field the system, but
added that the software component will continue to improve for a long time.
“As we continue to develop apps, it will
give you the capability to display information from the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System, unit data, war plans, operations orders and other things on the screen,”
he said.
Price said the Nett Warrior supports the
Army, and is critical in that it provides the
dismounted leader – the Army’s most critical
“resource” – with the information he or she
needs to do their job.
“It allows you to share information down
to the lowest tactical level, with the team
leaders on the ground, and allows you to understand from a location standpoint where
those team leaders are located,” Price said.
Price also said the Army wants to field
to three brigade combat teams the communications equipment included in the family
of networked tactical radios, including the
rifleman radio at the squad and platoon level,
the “handheld, manpack and small-form fit”
radios at the platoon and company level, and
the maneuver radio that connects everything
to Army command elements.
Also making the list in support of mission
command capabilities is the Warfighter Information Network – Tactical system, the Joint
Battle Command – Platform, and the Distributed Common Ground System – Army.
The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, a joint
program between the Army and the Marine
Corps, makes the list as a contributor to the
joint combined arms maneuver mission.
Right now, there are three commercial contractors competing to win the JLTV program
contract. Those contractors include Lockheed
Martin, Oshkosh Defense and AM General.
Col. Michel M. Russell Sr., Army G-8 FD
division chief for focused logistics, said the
Army expects to exit the current engineering and manufacturing development stage of
the JLTV competition, and down-select from
three contractors to one.
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Courtesy Photo
An Army Apache (AH-64E) helicopter hovers over a training area at an undisclosed location.
The Army plans to eventually purchase
49,099 JLTVs; initial operating capability on
the JLTV is expected in the fourth quarter FY
2018.
Russell said in light tactical vehicles, the
Army looks for three primary components:
payload, performance and protection. Those
three characteristics together, he said, are referred to as “the iron triangle.”
“What JLTV does is it meets the capability
gap that allows us to bring all three of those
back into balance,” Russell said. “We gain all
that back, and it’s deployable in all the different environments.”
Also included in the 12 critical programs
for the Army is the Maneuver Support Vessel-Light a watercraft intended to replace the
existing Vietnam-era Landing Craft Mechanized 8. The MSV-L supports the Joint Combined Arms Maneuver and the Army Operating Concept, Russell said.
“It’s a new start program, and is critical
because it is the lynchpin to the Army’s watercraft strategy,” Russell said.
He said the MSV-L will allow commanders to maneuver supplies, sustainment and
systems in and around their waterscape. The
watercraft can carry a tank, a JLTV, a Stryker,
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Publisher/Commanding General
1st AD and Fort Bliss
Maj. Gen. Stephen M. Twitty
1st AD and Fort Bliss Command Sergeant Major
Command Sgt. Maj. Lance P. Lehr
1st AD Public Affairs
Lt. Col. Lee Peters, Master Sgt. Joel Peavy,
Sgt. 1st Class Tawanna Starks
troops or supplies.
“With the current emphasis on this particular vessel, and how it anchors to the Army
Operating Concept for watercraft operations
for combatant commanders, there is a lot of
emphasis on getting this program moving,”
Russell said.
Also supporting joint combined arms
maneuver within the 12 critical programs
is the AH-64 Apache helicopter. The Army
resourcing for the Apache is mostly to convert existing D-model aircraft into E model
aircraft.
James St. Amour, a civilian working in
Army G-8 force development as a staff
synchronization officer for AH-64, said the
move is, “a huge underpinning of our modernization effort.” The modernization effort
is possible due to the cost savings and avoidance that the Army’s Aviation Restructure
Initiative provides.
Conversion from D to E models involves
“depopulating the airframe and rebuilding
the helicopter from the ground up. The aircraft gets a new fuselage, rotor system and
other component parts. It’s like a new aircraft
coming off the line,” St. Amour said. “The E
model resets the airframe to zero hours.”
Garrison Commander
Col. Michael J. Hester
Garrision Command Sergeant Major
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Mendoza
Acting Garrison Public Affairs Officer
Donita Kelley
EDITORIAL STAFF
Managing Editor: Jim Gonzales;
Assistant Editor: Wendy Brown;
Journalist: Sgt. 1st Class Michael O’Brien
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Right now, there are fewer than 100 E
model Apaches in the Army. However, the
goal is to have all 690 Apaches in the Army
modernized to E models.
With the Apache E model, AH-64E, the
Army will pair the combat helicopter with
the Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle to fill
the armed reconnaissance role filled by the
OH-58 Kiowa helicopter.
There are 104 Shadow “systems” in the
Army, each of which includes four aircraft,
two ground control stations, antennas and
data terminals. There are 416 Shadow aircraft in the Army, and as part of paring those
aircraft with the Apache E model, the Army
plans to upgrade those Shadows to V2 Shadow models.
As part of the Aviation Restructure Initiative, the Army plans to have all combat aviation brigades converted to the new structure
by 2019. Once fully fielded, the AH-64E provides Army Aviation with a much more lethal
and capable force.
Rounding out the Army’s Critical Programs that support joint combined arms
maneuver are the Armored Multi-Purpose
Vehicle, the Patriot Missile, the Paladin Integrated Management program, and the UH-60
Black Hawk. Both the Black Hawk and the
MSV-L also add to the Army’s broad joint
mission support capabilities.
Days of Remembrance
The 2015 Days of Remembrance Victims of The Holocaust observance is sponsored by the 11th Air Defense Artillery
Brigade. The observance is April 15, from
11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the Centennial
Banquet and Conference Center, Bldg.
11199 Sgt. E. Churchill Street, East Fort
Bliss. For more information, call Sgt. 1st
Class Brad Gregory at 203-6669.
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charge accounts and credit cards. Request a
copy of your credit report by contacting the
three major credit-reporting companies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, or by going
to www.annualcreditreport.com. This is the
only authorized online source for you to get
a free credit report under federal law. You
can get a free report from each of the three
national credit-reporting companies every
12 months. Some other sites claim to offer
“free” credit reports, but may charge you for
another product if you accept a “free” report.
If you feel the information in your credit history is inaccurate, it is your responsibility to
correct it. Soldiers helping Soldiers for 73
years. www.aerhq.org.
UNIT NEWS
UNIT NEWS
Louisiana engineers
ready for the Middle East n 6A
FORT BLISS BUGLE • April 9, 2015 • 3A
Training is the oil that keeps the
>> engine of our Army running
1st AD devoted climb
Mount Cristo Rey n 8A
‘Refuel on the Move’
1st AD conducts fueling mission n 10A
4th BCT
Soldiers
prepare for
ACP duty
By Staff Sgt. Killo Gibson
4th BCT, 1st AD Public Affairs
Photos by Staff Sgt. Killo Gibson / 4th BCT, 1st AD Public Affairs
A Soldier scans an identification
card at one of the Fort Bliss access control points, ensuring the
driver complies with entry and access requirements March 26.
(Right) Sgt. James Kennerly,
Headquarters and Headquarters
Battery, 2nd Battalion, 29th Field
Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, executes the shoot-no-shoot
portion of the access control point
certification at Fort Bliss, March
18.
(Right) Sgt. Myron Butler, HHB,
2nd Bn., 29th FA Regt., 4th BCT,
1st AD, pays attention to the rules
of engagement brief here, March
18. The training part of the access
control point certification for 4th
BCT was held at the Engagement
Skills Trainer 2000 on West Fort
Bliss.
Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Armored Division, prepare to assume duty as
the first line of defense for Fort Bliss, March 27,
as they pick up installation-wide access control
point duty.
Although these Soldiers are not military police, they may find themselves in situations
where they will have to make split seconds decisions that could mean life or death.
The 4th BCT Soldiers must be trained-up and
qualified before they can assume the guard duty.
The guards went through a variety of different
scenarios at the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000.
The EST 2000 is designed to allow service
members to be placed in realistic situations without placing them in physical danger, while saving money and building their confidence.
The theater-sized screen gave the guards an
opportunity to view the scenario through a first
person point-of-view.
For the first scenario, Soldiers were faced with
a shoot-or-no-shoot situation at the gate. Guards
were instructed to follow all rules of engagement
and were monitored closely by the instructor.
Fortunately, this was only training that allowed
the guards to make mistakes, because once they
are on guard duty there is no room for error.
During the scenario, an unarmed man approached the gate and punched the MP on duty
in the face, and the MP fell to the floor. The perpetrator then pulled out a pistol.
Before the assailant could turn around, the
gate guard fired shots, killing the aggressor.
“My first instinct was to draw my pistol and
fire,” said Sgt. Cory McFadden, Company B, 4th
Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
This ended the scenario and the guards took a
step back and watched the replay.
As the training progressed, the engagement
area was decorated with green, yellow and red
dots. Missed shots are green, shots that wounded
the targets are yellow and red dots mark hit-andkill shots.
Not only was the aggressor killed, but a bullet
struck an innocent vehicle.
“The scenario was a lot harder than I expected.
You have to think about all the different rules and
escalation of force policies, because they are different than being down range,” said Sgt. Myron
Butler, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery,
2nd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
After letting the scenario unfold, the assailant
put the weapon away and took off on foot.
“I’m glad we are experiencing these different
types of situations now in training, so we don’t
make them when we are at the gate. Luckily, I get
a redo, if this was real-life I would be in jail for
murder,” said McFadden.
By the end of the day, the Soldiers were confident using the M9 pistol and controlling situations at the gate.
“I feel confident after today’s training; after
all, we are the first line of defense for the post,”
said Sgt. James Kennerly, HHB, 2nd Bn., 29th
FA Regt., 4th BCT, 1st AD.
FORT BLISS BUGLE • April 9, 2015 • 5A
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Reserve engineers deploy
to Middle East
FORT BLISS BUGLE • April 9, 2015 • 7A
By Amabilia Payen and Adam Holguin
Mobilization and Deployment, DPTMS
The 244th Engineer Battalion and the 338th Engineer
Company deployed March 24 from the Silas L. Copeland
Arrival/Departure Air Control Group airfield to conduct missions in the Middle East.
Both Reserve units will work together to assist in missions
in the U.S. Army Central Command’s area of operations.
“I’m hoping that there will be a lot of work set out for us,”
said 1st Lt. Justin Nowicki, 2nd platoon leader, 338th Eng.
Co. “There’s a lot of troops moving around the area, so I
hope there’s lots of work for us there. I know once my guys
get to work, they love doing it, they love doing construction
stuff. The most satisfying thing as a lieutenant is seeing your
plan put into action and your Soldiers doing their job.”
The 338th Eng. Co. is from Attleboro, Massachusetts,
and the 244th Eng. Bn. is from Denver. Both units found the
desert conditions at McGregor Range, New Mexico, ideal
for training and preparing for the climate conditions in the
Middle East.
“For the mission that we are going to, I think (Fort Bliss)
is great,” said Nowicki.
“The training was really good here,” said Command Sgt.
Maj. Esley Gustafson, senior noncommissioned officer of the
244th Eng. Bn. “A lot of us were coming from Colorado,
New Hampshire and Massachusetts, which are a lot of colder
states, so it was nice to come some place warm to train before
we left. It was good to acclimate to a warmer temperature
before we left.”
Sgt. Jami LeBlanc, assistant squad leader, 2nd Platoon,
338th Eng. Co., believes her company has “jelled really well
together.” With one deployment under her belt, she believes
her unit can adapt and overcome.
“The process here has been very smooth since we arrived.
Everything is organized and it really makes the transitioning
a lot smoother and easier.”
Photos by Adam Holguin / Mobilization and Deployment, DPTMS
Sgt. Jami LeBlanc, assistant squad leader, 2nd Platoon, 338th Engineer Company, inprocesses March
24 at the Silas L. Copeland Arrival/Departure Air
Control Group as his unit prepares for a mission to
the Middle East.
(Left) Command Sgt. Maj. Esley Gustafson, command sergeant major, 244th Engineer Battalion,
briefs Soldiers of the 244th Eng. Bn. and the 338th
Eng. Co., respectively, at the Silas L. Copeland Departure/Arrival Air Control Group prior to departing
to the Middle East. Both units completed the mobilization process and pre-mobilization training at
McGregor Range, N.M.