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The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-ninth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, the Brigade Executive Officer Observer – Coach – Trainer and MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts across JRTC’s Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control: MAJ Amy Beatty, the Senior G-4 Sustainment Planner and CPT Cody Kindle, an S-4 Sustainment Planner. (MAJ Beatty was formerly the TF Executive Officer OCT for Task Force Sustainment (CSSB / LSB).)
This episode continues the discussion on base cluster employment TTPs, diving deeper into how sustainment formations are adapting Brigade Support Area operations for survivability and effectiveness on the modern battlefield. The conversation focuses heavily on the realities of dispersing sustainment nodes, balancing survivability against operational efficiency, and the growing complexity of terrain management inside the brigade support area. Leaders discuss the challenges of deconflicting land with artillery positions, planning secondary and tertiary displacement sites, and integrating engineers into survivability efforts for sustainment formations. A major theme throughout the episode is that sustainment survivability is a brigade fight requiring close coordination between sustainers, engineers, fires, and maneuver staffs to properly prioritize protection, movement, and terrain allocation. The discussion also highlights how smaller, dispersed base clusters dramatically reduce vulnerability compared to the legacy “massive BSA” model, but at the cost of increased manpower demands, complexity, and command-and-control challenges.
The episode also explores the difficult balance between displacement and survivability in a battlefield dominated by drones, indirect fires, and persistent surveillance. Leaders debate whether sustainment nodes are safer moving or remaining dug in, emphasizing that displacement itself creates risk due to large convoy signatures and limited protected routes. Additional topics include work-rest cycles, security requirements, noise and light discipline, and the importance of conducting detailed manpower calculations before arriving at JRTC. A recurring lesson learned is that sustainment units must deliberately train base cluster operations at home station rather than attempting to improvise them during a rotation. The discussion highlights one Light Support Battalion that successfully avoided detection by OPFOR through exceptional camouflage, dispersion, and discipline, reinforcing that survivability on the modern battlefield often depends less on technology and more on disciplined fundamentals and thoughtful planning. Ultimately, the episode frames base cluster operations as a constantly evolving balance between protection, sustainment throughput, mobility, and operational tempo in large scale combat operations.
Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-eighth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Will Montoya, the Multi-Domain Effects Cell Chief for 1-509th IN (OPFOR), known as Geronimo, on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group. Today’s guests are subject matter experts on drone warfare within Geronimo: SGT Colin Rock, SGT Darius Shumpert, and SPC Collin Palm. SGT Rock is a Team Leader and drone operator for Able Company, 1-509th IN (OPFOR). SGT Shumpert and SPC Palm are first person viewer small unmanned aircraft systems operators for MDEC, 1-509th IN (OPFOR).
This episode dives into the evolving employment of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) from the perspective of Geronimo’s Multi-Domain Effects Cell (MDEC), focusing heavily on practical TTPs, rapid battlefield adaptation, and lessons learned from observing modern conflicts like Ukraine. The discussion explores the full spectrum of drone employment—from ISR and route reconnaissance to one-way attack FPVs, heavy-lift “mothership” drones, and autonomous strike systems. A major theme throughout the episode is the incredible pace of innovation in drone warfare, where countermeasures and counter-countermeasures evolve in cycles measured in weeks rather than years. Leaders discuss how cheap, expendable systems are reshaping battlefield economics by destroying million-dollar platforms, compressing the kill chain, and creating persistent threats that traditional formations are not yet fully prepared to handle. The episode also reinforces that drones are not replacing soldiers, but instead dramatically increasing the lethality, reach, and survivability of small units when properly integrated.
The conversation also focuses heavily on the Army’s current training and organizational gaps regarding sUAS employment. Topics include FPV pilot skill development, simulator training, procurement challenges, autonomous targeting systems, airspace integration, electromagnetic warfare threats, and the need for dedicated drone specialists at echelon. Geronimo operators stress that not every Soldier can effectively fly advanced FPV systems, arguing that drone operations should become a formalized specialty or additional skill identifier similar to sniper or joint fires qualifications. Additional insights include the importance of “mothership” resupply concepts, loitering munitions, fiber-optic drones resistant to jamming, and the requirement for units to develop realistic reactions to drone threats instead of treating them as novelty systems. Ultimately, the episode frames drone warfare as one of the most significant battlefield evolutions in generations, requiring the Army to rethink training, procurement, survivability, and tactical employment before facing these threats in real combat.
Part of S11 “Conversations with the Enemy” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast.
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-seventh episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, the Brigade Executive Officer Observer – Coach – Trainer and MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts across JRTC: MAJ Charles “Dave” Johansen, CPT George Slawski, and SFC Brian Reigle. MAJ Johansen is the BDE Senior CBRN OIC OCT for Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ). CPT Slawski is the BN CBRN OIC OCT for TF-5 (Enablers). And SFC Reigle is the CBRN NCOIC OCT for TF-2 (IN BN).
This episode explores Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) operations at the brigade level, focusing on the realities of integrating CBRN planning into Large Scale Combat Operations rather than treating it as a standalone specialty. A major theme throughout the discussion is that units consistently fail to plan for CBRN requirements before arriving in Torbia, particularly when it comes to sustainment, logistics, and protection integration. Topics include MOPP levels, decontamination planning, JSLIST forecasting, water requirements, toxic industrial chemicals/materials (TICs/TIMs), and the challenges of operating in contaminated environments while maintaining tempo. The panel emphasizes that CBRN should not exist in isolation; it must be integrated into MDMP, protection working groups, intelligence preparation of the battlefield, and sustainment planning from the very beginning.
The conversation also focuses heavily on the underutilization of CBRN officers, NCOs, and reconnaissance assets at echelon. Leaders discuss how many brigade and battalion staffs fail to integrate CBRN personnel into planning processes, often relegating them to secondary duties instead of leveraging them as subject matter experts during operations. Additional topics include chemical reconnaissance platoons, detection and contamination management equipment, command-and-support relationships, and the importance of home-station training that extends far beyond the gas chamber. The episode reinforces that success in a contaminated battlefield environment depends on aggressive program ownership, staff integration, confidence from CBRN leaders, and building foundational proficiency across the force before arriving at combat training centers. Ultimately, the discussion frames CBRN not as a niche capability, but as a core component of protection and battlefield survivability in modern warfare.
Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience’. Hosted by MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, the Brigade Executive Officer Observer – Coach – Trainer and MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are two of the Army’s most seasoned noncommissioned officers: CSM Raymond Harris, Command Sergeant Major of Transformation and Training Command (T2COM) and CSM(Retired) Todd Sims, the 23rd Command Sergeant Major of Forces Command (FORSCOM).
The Army is undergoing one of its most significant organizational transformations in decades with the transition away from the legacy structures of United States Army Forces Command and United States Army Training and Doctrine Command toward the newly established Transformation and Training Command and Western Hemisphere Command constructs. This shift is designed to better align Army force generation, experimentation, modernization, and readiness with the demands of large scale combat operations and regionally aligned combatant command requirements. Under the new framework, T2COM integrates force design, training, experimentation, doctrine, and leader development into a single organization capable of rapidly testing and refining future warfighting concepts, while WHC focuses on force readiness and operational alignment across the Western Hemisphere. Together, the changes are intended to increase speed, scale, and adaptability across the Army as it prepares for increasingly contested, multi-domain conflict environments.
This episode discusses Army transformation, modernization, and the importance of maintaining the fundamentals while adapting to the realities of the modern battlefield. The conversation explores how the Army is leveraging the Combat Training Centers (CTCs) as large-scale experimentation platforms to test new formations, equipment, and concepts before integrating them across the force. Topics include Transformation in Contact (TiC), experimentation with new technologies, and how the Army is trying to close the gap between emerging capabilities and operational readiness by getting equipment into soldiers’ hands earlier for home-station training. A major theme throughout the episode is that no amount of technology can replace disciplined fieldcraft, security, camouflage, and leadership. The discussion repeatedly reinforces that soldiers must still master the basics—digging fighting positions, reducing electromagnetic signatures, rehearsing battle drills, and maintaining security—even while integrating drones, autonomous systems, and other modern capabilities into operations.
The episode also dives into leadership development, sustainment in contested environments, and the evolving role of Noncommissioned Officers in preparing formations for Large Scale Combat Operations. Leaders discuss how modern warfare has eliminated the idea of “safe areas,” forcing every formation—including sustainment units—to think about survivability, protection, and electromagnetic concealment. Additional topics include lessons from Ukraine, the integration of drone threat response into Army training, changes to NCO Professional Military Education, and the importance of honest feedback loops between soldiers, units, and senior leaders to improve equipment and doctrine. Throughout the discussion, the speakers emphasize that effective leadership remains the decisive factor in combat power: leaders must be present, committed, and relentlessly focused on preparing their soldiers for the harsh realities of ground combat. Ultimately, the episode frames modernization not as replacing the human element of warfare, but as enhancing disciplined, cohesive teams capable of adapting and surviving in increasingly complex multi-domain environments.
Part of S01 “The Leader’s Laboratory” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast.
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, the Brigade Executive Officer Observer – Coach – Trainer and MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts within JRTC’s Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) task force: MAJ Michael Stewart, the BDE S-3 Operations Officer OCT; MAJ Steve Yates, the BDE S-6 Signal Officer-in-Charge; CW2 Christopher Puthoff, the BDE S-6 Signal Planner; and MSG Randell Conway, the BDE Intelligence NCOIC OCT.
This episode explores the challenges of establishing and maintaining a common operating picture (COP) in support of command and control during large scale combat operations. The discussion emphasizes that a COP is far more than a digital map with graphics—it is the collection of synchronized fighting products, graphics, timelines, and running estimates that enable commanders and staffs to understand and control operations across space and time. Leaders stress that units often become overly reliant on technology while neglecting the fundamentals of analog systems and collaborative planning. A recurring theme is that the best COPs are built through deliberate staff collaboration, standardized products, and continuous refinement, rather than simply relying on software or digital platforms to generate shared understanding. The episode reinforces that a COP only becomes “common” when every echelon understands, updates, and actively contributes to it.
The conversation also dives into the friction points that routinely degrade command and control at JRTC, including poor knowledge management, lack of standardization, excessive digital clutter, outdated graphics, and inconsistent reporting from subordinate units. Leaders discuss the importance of maintaining both analog and digital COPs, especially in austere environments where weather, terrain, or system failures can rapidly degrade digital systems. Topics such as operation synchronization meetings, battle rhythm discipline, layer management, graphic refinement, and bottom-up feedback are explored as essential practices for maintaining shared understanding across the formation. Ultimately, the episode argues that effective command and control is less about technology and more about disciplined processes, rehearsed SOPs, collaborative planning, and ensuring the entire organization—from brigade to company level—is operating from the same understanding of the battlefield.
Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-fourth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Amy Beatty, the G-4 Senior Sustainment Planner from Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control Task Force on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts across JRTC: CSM Edward Cummings is the Task Force Command Sergeant Major Observer-Coach-Trainer for TF-3 (IN BN) and CPT Cody Kindle the S-4 Sustainment Planner for JRTC’s Plans / EMC TF.
This episode explores the realities of brigade sustainment on the modern battlefield from both the maneuver and sustainer perspectives, focusing on how logistics directly drives tempo, survivability, and operational reach in large scale combat operations. The discussion highlights the growing tension between what maneuver forces want and what sustainment systems can realistically support, especially within the Army’s evolving force structure where combat logistics companies (CLCs) are significantly smaller than the legacy forward support companies they replaced. Leaders examine how inaccurate LOGSTATs, poor running estimates, and “lazy logistics” create cascading problems that can culminate not only brigades, but entire divisions. From the infantry perspective, the episode emphasizes that sustainment must remain synchronized with maneuver operations, because units that outrun their logistics eventually lose momentum, combat power, and freedom of action.
The conversation also dives into practical sustainment solutions and best practices observed at JRTC, including “no wasted calories” backhaul operations, trickle resupply concepts, standardized vehicle load plans, and the importance of continuously updating running estimates instead of blindly trusting planning factors. A major theme is that sustainment is fundamentally a human and leadership problem, requiring trust between maneuver leaders and sustainers at every echelon. Topics such as water distribution, casualty evacuation tied to resupply, sustainment node survivability, and balancing push versus pull logistics are discussed in detail. The episode reinforces that sustainers must think beyond simply delivering commodities and instead focus on generating options and decision space for commanders. Ultimately, the discussion frames sustainment as a decisive component of combat power that requires disciplined planning, accurate forecasting, adaptive leadership, and full integration with the maneuver fight to survive and win on a transparent, contested battlefield.
Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast.
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-third episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Amy Beatty, the G-4 Senior Sustainment Planner from Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control Task Force on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guest is the Battalion Commander for the 626th Light Support Battalion, LTC Adam DiGiovanni.
The 626th Light Support Battalion (LSB), formerly the 626th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB), serves as the sustainment backbone of the 3rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team “Rakkasan,” 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Carrying the Hollywood call-sign “Assurgam”—Latin for “I Rise Up”—the battalion traces its lineage through decades of airborne and air assault sustainment operations supporting the division across combat deployments, contingency operations, and large-scale training exercises. As part of the Army’s transition from the legacy BSB structure to the modern LSB construct, the battalion now synchronizes sustainment operations across dispersed formations through combat logistics companies (CLCs), while remaining directly integrated with the brigade’s maneuver fight and closely linked with division sustainment assets. Today, the 626th LSB continues to adapt for large scale combat operations, providing the Rakkasans with the logistics, maintenance, medical, and distribution support necessary to fight and win in contested, multi-domain environments.
This episode focuses on how the light support battalion (LSB) operates within the mobile brigade combat team under the Army’s new mobile brigade force structure, and the opportunities and challenges that come with replacing the legacy brigade support battalion (BSB) and forward support companies (FSCs). The discussion highlights how the transition to CLCs fundamentally changes sustainment relationships inside the brigade, requiring sustainers to balance centralized control with direct support to maneuver battalions. Leaders emphasize that the LSB is no longer simply a logistics provider in the rear, but a command-and-control headquarters responsible for synchronizing sustainment, protection, maintenance, distribution, and operational reach across dispersed formations in a contested environment. The episode explores how sustainers must now integrate more deliberately into MDMP, LOGSYNCs, targeting cycles, and current operations while managing significantly smaller formations and reduced manpower.
The conversation also examines how the new CLC construct changes the relationship between maneuver and sustainment units at echelon. Rather than functioning as permanently tied FSCs, the CLCs remain part of the LSB and operate in direct support relationships that allow the battalion commander to mass sustainment capability where needed most. Leaders discuss the cultural adjustments required on both the maneuver and sustainment sides, the importance of building trust between battalion commanders and logisticians, and the difficulty of sustaining operations with extremely small distribution platoons. Additional topics include sustainment at distance, sustainment culmination, base cluster operations, and the challenge of maintaining command and control while supporting deep and distributed operations. Ultimately, the episode reinforces that the success of the modern brigade depends on an LSB capable of synchronizing sustainment across the battlefield while remaining agile, survivable, and fully integrated into brigade operations.
Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast.
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-second episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by LTC Trevor Jones, the Battalion Commander of 1-509th IN (OPFOR), known as Geronimo, on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group. Today’s guests are subject matter experts on drone warfare: LTC Michael Roscoe, COL(Retired) Bill Edwards, CW2 Brendan Henske, LTC(R) Mark Leslie, and CPT Christopher Chelson. LTC Roscoe is the Tactical Analysis, Communications, and Simulations Support (TACSS) Chief. COL(R) Edwards is the Director of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Operations for ENSCO. And CW2 Henske is the Senior UAS Operations Planner for Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control (Task Force Zulu). LTC(R) Leslie is the Director of the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, & Security (DPTMS) for Fort Polk. CPT Chelson is the Innovation Officer within the Multi-Domain Effects Cell for Geronimo.
This episode explores the rapid evolution of drone warfare, framing it as a true revolution in military affairs and focusing on the dynamic competition between UAS employment and counter-UAS (C-UAS) responses. The discussion highlights how modern conflicts—especially Ukraine—have accelerated innovation, compressing the kill chain and making drones persistent across the battlefield for reconnaissance, targeting, and strike. Units are now facing a layered threat that includes ISR drones, one-way attack systems, and emerging capabilities like fiber-optic controlled UAS that are resistant to traditional electronic warfare. As a result, the battlefield has become increasingly transparent, forcing formations to adapt their tactics, survivability measures, and signature management just to operate.
The conversation then shifts to the C-UAS fight, emphasizing that defeating drones is not a single solution problem but a layered, multi-echelon effort that starts with detection and ends with mitigation or destruction. Key insights include the importance of early warning systems, integration of passive measures like camouflage and dispersion, and the use of both kinetic and non-kinetic defeat mechanisms. The episode underscores that C-UAS is an “everyone problem,” requiring integration across warfighting functions and deliberate ownership at echelon. Ultimately, success in this fight depends less on chasing technological silver bullets and more on combining disciplined fundamentals, clear procedures, and integrated systems to outpace the evolving threat in both offense and defense.
Part of S11 “Conversations with the Enemy” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast.
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-first episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer – Coach – Trainer for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts across JRTC: MAJ Michael Stewart, the BDE S-3 Operations Officer OCT and MSG Jared Cawthon, the BDE Fires Support NCOIC for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ). CSM Edward Cummings, is the Task Force Command Sergeant Major OCT for TF-3 (IN BN) and MAJ Nicholas Cain, is the BN S-3 Operations Officer OCT for TF-5 (Enablers).
The conversation explores the evolution of battlefield geometry in modern warfare, focusing on the changing role of the brigade. The participants argue that, contrary to past structures, the modern brigade no longer possesses a "deep area" of operations. This shift is attributed to a reallocation of assets, where capabilities for sensing and shaping the battlefield at a distance, such as long-range artillery and reconnaissance, are now held at the division level. As a result, the brigade's primary function has been redefined to setting conditions for its immediate close fight and supporting the division's broader objectives, rather than influencing distant engagements. This change reflects a larger paradigm shift from a counter-insurgency (COIN) mindset, where brigades operated with more autonomy and resources, to a large-scale combat operation (LSCO) framework, where they function as a more integrated component of a larger division or corps-level fight.
To adapt to this new reality, the discussion emphasizes the need to return to fundamental doctrinal principles and clear communication. This includes using precise, standardized terminology instead of buzzwords to ensure shared understanding across units. Effective command and control requires simplifying the battlefield for subordinate units through clear tasking, limited and focused intelligence requirements, and disciplined use of control measures like boundaries and phase lines. The integration of new unmanned sensor technologies is also critical, requiring a deliberate framework to deconflict airspace and synchronize reconnaissance efforts to answer the commander's essential questions about the enemy, ultimately enabling the brigade to effectively execute its role within the larger operational plan.
Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fiftieth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, the Brigade Executive Officer Observer – Coach – Trainer and MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts across JRTC’s sustainment cyberspace electromagnetic activities enterprise: MAJ Brian Jones is the Cyber Electro-Magnetic Activities Planner for the Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control task force and CW2 Luis Alicea is the Senior Electromagnetic Warfare Targeting OCT for Brigade BC2.
This episode explores Army cyberspace electromagnetic activities (CEMA) from a tactical perspective, focusing on lessons learned at JRTC and how units can better integrate these capabilities into planning and execution. A central theme is that many formations still struggle to understand what CEMA can realistically deliver, often defaulting to complex deception or electronic attack concepts without first mastering the basics. In reality, the most effective employment at echelon is often through electromagnetic sensing and reconnaissance, helping build the enemy picture and feed the targeting process rather than attempting low-probability jamming effects with limited organic systems. The discussion reinforces that CEMA must be integrated early in MDMP and nested within intelligence, fires, and maneuver planning—not treated as a niche or standalone capability.
The conversation also highlights persistent friction points, including inexperienced and under-resourced CEMA cells, poor staff integration, and unclear command relationships with assets like the MFRC and EW platoons. Units frequently fail to empower junior officers and NCOs to contribute during planning, resulting in missed opportunities and “money left on the table.” Training recommendations emphasize building foundational understanding at home station, conducting capability briefs with subordinate units, establishing clear reporting and communications architecture, and rehearsing how CEMA feeds targeting and decision-making in real time. Ultimately, success in CEMA is less about advanced technology and more about leader education, disciplined integration, and owning the capability within the staff process to generate meaningful effects in a contested electromagnetic environment.
Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
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