|
25 ID
2
|
XX
EECP
X ( - )
|
2 IN |
Combined arms live-fire exercise
Sea port of debarkation
|
Tactical assembly area |
Force package
– Division tactical command post – Stryker brigade combat team ( - ) – Aviation task force – Logistics task force – Enablers – Approximately 1200 people
– Forty-one Strykers
– Eleven helicopters
|
|
2
3
( - )
( - )
2 IN
25 CAB
CAB-combat aviation brigade EECP-early entry command post ID-infantry division IN-infantry
|
|
|
|
Joint forward arming and refueling point |
Objective |
|
Task force combined arms live fire exercise
– 125-kilometer road march – Strykers , artillery – Joint fires
Air assault
– 350 nautical miles – Four joint forward arming and refueling points – Four islands – Raid
All events occurred over ninety-six hours .
|
( Graphic courtesy of author )
Figure . Brigade Combat Team Pacific Pathways Training Exercise
Observation # 7 : Posture , presence , and purpose . The value of our presence in theater , expressed by our Pathways forces in continual operations , cannot be overstated , nor can its true readiness be accurately measured exclusively in metrics . One example is a simple exchange I recently heard between another senior official and a BCT commander in the Philippines . The official asked how long it takes to get the Pathways force from the air and sea ports of departure to arrival at Fort Magsaysay .
The BCT commander ’ s response was , “ Within seventy-two hours we are up and operating . We take forty-eight hours with the logistics TF to offload , marshal , and move equipment from the port . The aviation TF builds up and flies on its own timeline , coordinating routes and airspace as they go . Then we take another twenty-four hours to close the force of forty-two Strykers , eleven helicopters , nearly one thousand soldiers , and all other vehicles and containers . We then match up soldiers with equipment after a 130-kilometer ground move to the training area at
Fort Magsaysay . After that , we are ready to partner and train .” Impressive , to say the least .
Conclusion
In the end , the presence of the Army in theater matters . It matters to our partners , allies , and adversaries alike . It is a telling and strong message when we take our most-ready forces — who are certified at combat training centers and postured by training at home station — and then invest that readiness into the region to increase both our partners and our proficiency . This investment of readiness provides purpose for our soldiers and leaders ; you can see it in their eyes and their actions on the ground . Said another way , these operational deployments are being viewed at every level and by every soldier I engage with as a mission with a purpose .
Pacific Pathways is also a worthwhile investment of resources because it solves multiple problems for the Army and the Pacific Command combatant commander . Ultimately , it prevents conflict in the region ; our
112 November-December 2016
MILITARY REVIEW