Preparing for Large-Scale Combat Operations

Preparing for Large-Scale Combat Operations

Spc. Kenneth Barnet

FORT RILEY, KANSAS - The 1st Infantry Division executed the second iteration of its Danger Gauntlet training exercise during which the division staff test their communication and tactical maneuver skills on Fort Riley, Oct. 20-25, 2024.

The Danger Gauntlet series is designed to prepare the division for a rotation at the National Training Center in California. The NTC rotation gives First Division an opportunity to train in large-scale combat with combat arms brigades and enablers in a cohesive scenario, which prepares the division for the complexities of managing lines of communication and logistical support in combat.

"It is imperative that we know how to communicate between the different mission support commands, as well as the division staff, that are both subject to rapid change. It's important for us to be able to communicate with our higher headquarters," said U.S. Army Maj. Viola Alexis, an operations officer assigned to 1ID Sustainment Brigade.

Communication is crucial for ensuring operational effectiveness, safety, and tactical advantage on the battlefield. As locations for designated command posts changed and tactical jumps occurred, large numbers of Soldiers had to organize and move to coordinate supplies and equipment as they relocated.

"The hardest challenge to overcome is to properly integrate all the new personnel after people come and go from the division, communication has to be maintained as we sync back up as a division staff," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Gibson, a construction and engineering technician with the division protection cell.

The Army is always in a state of change and participating in these dynamic training events provides the perfect opportunity for Soldiers to become fully integrated within their teams and continue to refine and improve the organization.

"Training events like Danger Gauntlet allow us to bring together smaller teams into a cohesive unit where we test the skills practiced individually in a combat scenario," explained Command Sgt. Maj. Derek Noyes, the division's senior enlisted leader. "During deployments over the last 20 years, we occupied fortified FOBs [forward operating bases] and COPs [combat outposts] with no need to jump or move locations, we had everything we needed and were able to control the fight from there. Now we need to be more maneuverable and tactical to combat today's threats, on today's battlefield, and that's something the 1ID is actively working on."

As the U.S. Army and its sister branches transition from a counter insurgency focus of training to a large-scale combat operations methodology, so the type and frequency of training must change. For the past two and a half decades, the First Division has prepared its Soldiers and teams for the Global War on Terror. With new threats on the horizon, the division is looking to dust off the skills senior leaders learned in their initial training and apply them to today's security environment.

"Danger Gauntlet allows the 1st Infantry Division and subordinate brigades to stress, test, evaluate, and refine our warfighting systems to ensure we are prepared to deploy anywhere and win decisively on the modern battlefield. We are continually reevaluating how we plan, execute, and sustain the division's operations to adapt to the changing character of war," said Maj. Nathan Tarter, the division deputy operations officer and an exercise planner. He added, "Full scale exercises such as these ensure the Division is ready to meet any challenge, at any time, in any theater."

With the division headquarters and supporting units focused on preparing for their NTC rotation, those skills continue to be tested. In the upcoming Danger Gauntlet III exercise, they will hone those skills in preparation for a more thorough test of the unit's readiness, lethality, and resilience.

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