An Cosantóir

| 9 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE from high intensity combat to simple CIMIC engagements with the local "civilian" populations, depending on how relations with the "locals" are of course. As in the real world, interaction with these local communities is important during exercise scenarios – particularly as not all villages are necessarily of the same political persuasion. Successful interactions with these communities can result in co-operation and valuable intelligence for the forces under exercise (BLUFOR); the same is true in reverse, and poor interactions can lead to hostile acts and even the development of insurgencies in co- operation with the OPFOR. It is the combination of the dynamic training environment and the OPFOR that truly makes the JMRC stand out as a training location. The U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment (1-4 IN) is permanently garrisoned in Hohenfels and provides the OPFOR for those forces training there. The 1-4 IN is a reinforced infantry battalion with a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, three primarily mechanised infantry companies, and a reinforced tank company. During exercise scenarios, 1-4 IN acts as a Sovietesque-brigade level formation. For SABER JUNCTION 23, the OPFOR was reinforced with a Polish tank company, an Italian tank platoon, Belgian reconnaissance elements, Bulgarian mechanised infantry, and Romanian and U.S. engineers, and U.S. special forces and aviation assets. It is important to note here that while not the "main effort" of SABER JUNCTION 23, each of these elements also had opportunities to realistically train individually as units, and together in combined-arms formations over a period of several days. As an example, the U.S. Army's 500th Engineer Support Company built a UAV airfield one day, and bulldozed a 900m long anti-tank ditch and berm defence over the course of 30 hours of continuous operation the next. As a dedicated OPFOR, 1-4 IN is specifically equipped and trained in non-standard Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) to differentiate itself from standard U.S. Army doctrine. For exercise purposes – and until recently for working dress – the 1-4 IN wore a distinctive black uniform, and was equipped with Visually Modified (VISMOD) vehicles, with M113s representing T-72s and BMPs, Stryker's representing BTRs, and a variety of non-standard vehicles. As the "home team" with plenty of experience as OPFOR and very good local knowledge of Hohenfels, combined with a very high level of esprit- de-corps, the 1-4 IN had a strong desire to "win" SABER JUNCTION 23. However, it is the BLUFOR's training objectives that are being assessed and important in terms of assessing the ability of the 2CR. Reigning in 1-4 IN's enthusiasm is the job of the JMRC's Observer Coach Trainer Teams (OCTs). The OCTs are permanent training staff of Officers and NCOs, most of whom have recently completed similar command appointments to those they are observing and assessing. As their title suggests, the OCTs observe, coach and train elements from individual crews and sections through to brigades during the planning, preparation and execution phases of exercises at the JMRC. They also collect and analyse data, and provide feedback to those units under exercise through comprehensive After Action Reviews and Take Home Packages. They can also instruct personnel and units directly in the field if necessary. In addition, the OCTs serve as the Exercise Control, ensuring that conditions are as realistic as possible – and ensuring that 1-4 IN didn't have too much of an unfair advantage. The tracking instrumentation used throughout the Box and a closed radio net ensures that OCTs have an up-to-date picture of what is actually happening throughout the battlespace – as opposed to what the troops under exercise think is happening. This critical difference is often only revealed to commanders during the detailed AARs, and can come as a surprise when presented with the hard of evidence of what they did as opposed to what they thought they were doing. The OCTs work ultimately feeds into the Centre for Army Lessons Learned (CALL), which is a dedicated lessons learned process and a library of resources made available to U.S. and friendly forces so that lessons are not forgotten. Throughout SABER JUNCTION, the Defence Forces team had the opportunity to closely observe and interact with elements of both the 2CR and 1-4 IN while traveling around with the OCTs in their "invisible" (for exercise purposes) Humvees. This was also an excellent opportunity to observe the OCT process in person, with OCTs testing and questioning individuals about their roles and tasks in the various exercise scenarios, and also offering advice here and there. At the conclusion of the exercise, the team toured one of the control centres for the exercise, where every move within the Box is tracked, recorded, analysed, and subsequently used for instructional purposes – likely in the next iteration of SABER JUNCTION, preliminary planning for which has already commenced. With the 2CR, the team got to observe very familiar Section, Platoon and Company- level activities taking place – ranging from FRAGOs, re-supplies, mounted and dismounted OPs, to tactical moves such as a mounted advance to contact and an obstacle breaching scenario by a reinforced mechanised infantry battalion. Aside from the obvious scale difference, all of the above and most of the TTPs would be familiar to Defence Forces personnel. As would the drama, excitement, exhaustion – and yes, at times, boredom – of any exercise. Patrol harbours and vehicle leaguers scattered throughout the forested Hohenfels terrain were equally familiar. At the higher levels, the team was able to observe battalion-level Command Posts including both the Squadron Commander's Advance HQ of a few vehicles and key personnel, and the main HQ hidden in the forest under camouflage nets (of both the visual and electromagnetic kind). As a trial of command and control, communications, and dispersion for SABER JUNCTION 23, other elements of 2CR's Regimental and Squadron HQs operated away from the exercise area at their home base, 60+km away. With the 1-4 IN, the Defence Forces team observed disparate elements of the OPFOR, ranging from U.S. Army Special Forces operating in the villages, through to a combat engineer company emplacing obstacles, and even a last-ditch stand by a lone "T-72" (VISMOD M113) defending against a wet gap crossing by 2CR. While deliberately different from NATO-standard TTPs (and at times a mix of free-play and fun), it was good to see that the essentials were readily familiar to the Defence Forces team. The smooth integration and interoperability of the many non-U.S. forces into the exercise was very interesting, and shows the benefit of standard operating procedures utilised by many militaries, including the Defence Forces. Perhaps a future iteration of SABER JUNCTION will see participation by an Irish Defence Forces contingent. OPFOR Engineers prepare an anti-tank ditch and berm A 'disabled' Stryker blocking a junction following an OPFOR ambush Stryker Dragoon IFV Saber Junction logo 2nd Cavalry Regiment – Always Ready

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