Planning a CSS live-fire exercise in Korea

Army Logistician, July-August, 2004 by Leon G. Plummer, Eric A. McCoy

Conducting a live-fire exercise (LFX) may seem routine for most conventional combat and combat support units, but for combat service support (CSS) units, such an exercise can be challenging. LFXs are not emphasized in CSS units as much as they are in other units of functional branches. The fateful experiences of U.S. troops such as the 507th Maintenance Company in Iraq have generated a new emphasis on the importance of realistic live-fire training for CSS units.

The ability to react to enemy contact and engage weapon systems in response to convoy attacks and ambushes is essential to the overall success of any operation. Logistics plays a vital role in the combined arms fight, so it is imperative that CSS units be trained to survive on the battlefield and continue to provide supplies and services to the front lines.

The environment can play an important role in a unit's ability to survive on the battlefield, and Korea offers a realistic and challenging training environment. The 2d Forward Support Battalion (FSB), which supports the 2d Brigade Combat Team at Camp Hovey, Korea, is responsible for leading logistics units in LFXs in the 2d Infantry Division Support Command (DISCOM). With the ongoing political dialogue and threat of conflict with North Korea, it is imperative that the battalion live up to the division's motto: "Ready to Fight Tonight." The following chronology of events leading up to and through a successful LFX conducted by the 2d FSB is presented as an example that may help in equipping other CSS units to survive on the battlefield.

Planning

In his fourth quarter fiscal year 2002 training guidance, the 2d FSB commander directed the battalion to conduct a squad-level defensive LFX in conjunction with a battalion field training exercise. After a thorough mission analysis, the battalion executive officer and S-3 developed a precertification checklist and training plan for the battalion's subordinate companies. Precertification tasks were developed following the Infantry Company's mission training plan and the mission-essential task list (METL) directive to "Conduct a platoon defense." Subject-matter experts from the 2d Brigade Combat Team also provided guidance during the development of the training plan.

As a lead-in to the squad defensive LFX, training was conducted during weekly sergeants' time training and as part of company- and platoon-level situational training exercises. This training focused on troop-leading procedures, precombat checks and inspections, weapons familiarization, and fire-control and -distribution methods. Preliminary training also was conducted in the Camp Hovey Engagement Skills Center to give squad leaders and their teams confidence in engaging targets and controlling fires.

Resourcing the LFX was our first problem. The Standards in Training Commission (STRAC) typically does not allocate a significant amount of ammunition for CSS units to conduct training other than basic weapons qualification at category II levels (group headquarters, headquarters and headquarters company, and battalion-support units). (STRAC was established in 1982 by the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army to determine the quantities and types of munitions essential for soldiers, crews, and units to attain and sustain weapon proficiency.) We worked around this constraint by reallocating the unused division ammunition that was available after the year-end closeout.

Our second challenge was finding a range facility suitable for conducting an LFX. The Korean Training Center (KTC), also known as Rodriguez Range, is the only U.S. multipurpose range complex on the Korean peninsula. As such, the KTC is occupied, or in a "hot" status, more than 300 days of the year. Priority for use goes to armor, mechanized infantry, and cavalry units. As a result, it is hard to find time to conduct CSS defensive training. However, through coordination, we found that two of the KTC's larger range facilities were available between gunnery cycles--the Infantry Squad Battle Course for blank-fire operations and Cherokee Valley for live-fire operations.

Training

Our LFX training was conducted in three phases: crawl, walk, and run.

Crawl. The crawl phase, which was really the precertification phase, took place during July, August, and September 2003. During that time, squad and platoon training focused on the METL directive to "Defend assigned area." Battalion training events also were incorporated in a division artillery external evaluation, a mechanized infantry battalion gunnery, and a company field training exercise. The battalion staff's military decisionmaking process conducted during this time set optimum conditions for the LFX. The conclusion of the crawl phase was a movement rehearsal and an LFX concept brief to the DISCOM commander and the assistant division commander for support.

Walk. The walk, or execution, phase of the LFX began with the deployment of the battalion from Camp Hovey and the establishment of a brigade support area (BSA) at the KTC. Once the BSA was established, the battalion S-3, in conjunction with the battalion commander, executive officer, and range officer in charge, conducted a tactical exercise without troops (TEWT) with the company commanders, first sergeants, platoon leaders, and platoon sergeants. The purpose of the 2-day TEWT was to familiarize all leaders with the concept of training, the LFX scenario, and range safety procedures. During the TEWT, the 2d FSB command sergeant major also conducted a hands-on noncommissioned officer (NCO) development program on how to establish a squad defensive perimeter. The purpose of the program was to refresh fieldcraft skills such as constructing individual and crew-served fighting positions to standard, establishing communications, and developing a sector sketch. The walk phase concluded with blank- and live-fire iterations with squad observer-controllers (platoon leaders and platoon sergeants) and the battalion quick-reaction force to validate the LFX course.