SEPTEMBER 3, 2024 – The Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted an extended annual training at Fort Johnson, Louisiana’s Joint Readiness Training Center.
This intensive training rotation marked a significant shift in focus toward large-scale combat operations while preparing for upcoming peacekeeping deployments.
The 41st IBCT joined 4,900 Soldiers from 25 states and territories in July for a grueling two-week exercise to simulate the challenges of peer-to-peer warfare. This training aligns with the Army’s cornerstone doctrinal publication, Field Manual 3-0, Operations. FM 3-0 provides the Army’s vision for multi-domain operations and the Army’s role in joint operations, emphasizing LSCO against peer threats as the most dangerous form of external threat.
A key aspect of this shift is the move from brigade-centric operations to division-level fights. During the JRTC rotation, the 41st IBCT simulated operating as part of the 40th Infantry Division, practicing the complexities of large-scale combat operations.
The 40th Infantry Division, headquartered in California, is a diverse formation that includes three infantry brigade combat teams, a combat aviation brigade, and supporting units from multiple states, including California, Oregon, Hawaii, Arizona, Washington, Alaska, and New Mexico.
This shift toward preparing for LSCO while still fulfilling peacekeeping missions represents a significant change in focus for the National Guard. As noted in “Large-Scale Combat Operations: The Division Fight,” edited by Dennis S. Burket: “The Army’s focus on counterinsurgency operations for the last 15 years has atrophied the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct division-level operations in large-scale combat operations against a peer threat.”
The 41st IBCT’s training at JRTC addressed this concern head-on, ensuring that while the brigade can fulfill its peacekeeping obligations, it’s also prepared for large-scale combat.
“We talk a lot about shoot, move and communicate,” said Col. Peter Helzer, commander of the 41st IBCT. “But the reality is we need to flip that completely on its head. We have to be able to communicate and move in order to effectively shoot.”
Helzer emphasized the importance of focusing on low-density military occupational specialties — the support personnel crucial for maintaining the warfighters.
“Spending our limited training time on the ‘cool guy stuff’ only gets you so far,” he explained. “It’s easy to focus on squad and platoon infantry lanes and live fires, but all the low-density specialties that adequately support those operations are equally critical. We don’t always exercise these or we take shortcuts. Instead, we need to invest training time to ensure that support training is the best it can be.”
Lt. Col. Christopher Markesino, commander of the 141st Brigade Support Battalion, also emphasized the importance of logistics in LSCO.
“One of the key takeaways is to never underestimate the value of sustainment rehearsals,” Markesino said. “If you only have 100 minutes to rehearse everything, dedicate time to maneuver, sustainment and medical rehearsals.”
The training comes at a critical time for the Oregon National Guard. Elements of the 41st IBCT are preparing for deployments to the Horn of Africa, the Multinational Force and Observers mission in the Sinai Peninsula, and Kosovo Force. Additionally, the 2nd Battalion, 218th Field Artillery Regiment has just mobilized for deployment to Iraq and Syria to support Operation Inherent Resolve.
Brig. Gen. Eric Riley, the Oregon Army National Guard land component commander, noted the shift from low-intensity conflict to high-intensity LSCO scenarios.
“Out here, we’ve learned to be comfortable with the uncomfortable,” Riley said.
The lessons learned during this training, particularly the emphasis on logistics and support, will be crucial as these Soldiers deploy to maintain peace and security in some of the world’s most volatile regions.
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs Office