Sorting by

×

Training gauntlet points Red Arrow toward future challenges

August 31, 2023 //
Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman
Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment and the 173rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, coordinate on a live fire exercise featuring squad movements, reacting to simulated enemy contact and the utilization of a Bangalore torpedo explosive charge during eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training July 27 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman
Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment and the 173rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, coordinate on a live fire exercise featuring squad movements, reacting to simulated enemy contact and the utilization of a Bangalore torpedo explosive charge during eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training July 27 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman

FORT MCCOY, Wis. — The Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Brigade Combat Team recently completed eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin in preparation for taking on the more challenging four-week exercise next summer at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC).

XCTC is the Army National Guard’s program of record that enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win battles throughout the world. The three weeks provided Red Arrow Soldiers with exercises that tested their skills and grew their knowledge base as the brigade prepares for JRTC next year.

Col. Jeffrey Alston, the Red Arrow’s outgoing commander, spent the past three years preparing the brigade for these large training exercises.

Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment partnered with the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment to conduct an air assault and medical evacuation as part of eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training Aug. 2 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Here they prepare a notional casualty for air transport. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman
Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment partnered with the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment to conduct an air assault and medical evacuation as part of eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training Aug. 2 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Here they prepare a notional casualty for air transport. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman

“This all started three years ago with a focus on individual and crew level training and has progressed from squad-level last year,” Alston explained. “XCTC is the stepping stone to and represents a progression in our training road to war for JRTC.  At XCTC, we focused predominantly on the platoon level in offense, defense and live fire, giving our teams time to perfect skills for the large-scale combat operations mission the 32nd will undergo at JRTC in 2024.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Aaron Johnson observed that XCTC was a time to get a look at the brigade as a whole and assess any readiness shortfalls.

“To do what our brigade has to do, we need everyone, every single Soldier, to maximize this time to prepare for JRTC,” Johnson said. “XCTC brought us resources we normally don’t have access to — a majority of the training areas at McCoy, OPFOR, instrumentation, fire markers, a large team of exercise support staff and facilitators, not to mention many other units of the National Guard supporting to maximize this training event.”

Making the OPFOR, or opposing forces, an effective part of eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training takes a lot of coordination, manpower and equipment. Vehicles are often camouflaged to look different than a normal Army vehicle, and Soldiers will sometimes wear different uniforms and camouflage face paint. This helps reinforce their status as OPFOR to the other XCTC participants. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman
Making the OPFOR, or opposing forces, an effective part of eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training takes a lot of coordination, manpower and equipment. Vehicles are often camouflaged to look different than a normal Army vehicle, and Soldiers will sometimes wear different uniforms and camouflage face paint. This helps reinforce their status as OPFOR to the other XCTC participants. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman

“This all started three years ago with a focus on individual and crew level training and has progressed from squad-level last year,” Alston explained. “XCTC is the stepping stone to and represents a progression in our training road to war for JRTC.  At XCTC, we focused predominantly on the platoon level in offense, defense and live fire, giving our teams time to perfect skills for the large-scale combat operations mission the 32nd will undergo at JRTC in 2024.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Aaron Johnson observed that XCTC was a time to get a look at the brigade as a whole and assess any readiness shortfalls.

“To do what our brigade has to do, we need everyone, every single Soldier, to maximize this time to prepare for JRTC,” Johnson said. “XCTC brought us resources we normally don’t have access to — a majority of the training areas at McCoy, OPFOR, instrumentation, fire markers, a large team of exercise support staff and facilitators, not to mention many other units of the National Guard supporting to maximize this training event.”

Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team worked as a team to create a defensive position utilizing concertina wire and a variety of camouflaged fighting positions during eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training Aug. 4 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman
Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team worked as a team to create a defensive position utilizing concertina wire and a variety of camouflaged fighting positions during eXportable Combat Training Center (XCTC) training Aug. 4 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kati Volkman

“This is a training exercise where our Soldiers get a chance to hone their skills as they prepare for JRTC along with their larger federal mission,” Patrouille said. “With opportunities and training like this, we can truly be the best IBCT in the country.”

Alston looked back on his time in command of the historic brigade.

“We have a phenomenal brigade,” he remarked. “In almost three years of command I have seen this brigade step up to every mission, training event or task given to it. Our Soldiers are dedicated and our leaders are able to quickly learn and adapt. I have no doubt whatsoever that the 32nd will return from JRTC as the most capable it has ever been.”

#NationalGuardREDARROWWINGWISCONSINNATIONALGUARDWisGuardXCTC

Always ready . Always there .

This web site is the official Web site of the Wisconsin National Guard, provided as a public service by the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs Public Affairs Office. For site management, information is collected for statistical purposes. This web site uses software programs to create summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this web site employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.