This is Part 7 of an 8 Part Series. The full and unredacted article with all enclosures is available on Milsuite at https://www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/abct-training
Company STX and CALFEX
Upon completion of the gap crossing and battalion STX, one company from the battalion proceeds immediately to the CALFEX while the other companies proceed to STX. The battalion establishes its CTCP, MCP, FTCP, and Main CP in their TAA. The FLE or BSA remains established throughout the execution of CALFEX to support units as they train. The battalion retains control of its companies executing company STX. The battalion has responsibility for planning, resourcing, and executing the company STX. The battalion should adopt a similar model as they did for platoon STX, including training on company mounted and dismounted maneuver, changing movement techniques, changing movement formations, movement to contact, attack, hasty defense, breaching, and battle handoff. Cavalry troops should train zone reconnaissance, screen, and reconnaissance handoff.
CALFEX is the single most critical training event to train companies and platoons to fight and win as a tactical formation. During CALFEX, the battalion has the responsibility to sustain the company executing the CALFEX, but the brigade runs EXCON and HICOM for each company with a cell including the Brigade S3, Brigade Operations SGM, Brigade S2, Brigade FSO, and BAE. The brigade executes CALFEXs for 38 days including the setup, validation, training, and retraining of companies. No single unit is committed to the field for the entire 38 days, but CALFEX decisively engages significant portions of the brigade staff and the brigade commander’s attention. The brigade assumes tremendous overhead to effectively execute CALFEX, but this overhead translates into world-class training that forges lethal companies capable of destroying the enemy through shock, fire, and maneuver.
The Brigade Commander is the senior trainer for each company. CALFEX enables brigade and battalion commanders to observe each company as they conduct rehearsals, uncoil, cross the Line of Departure (LD), maneuver during the FTX, the transition to LFX, execute the breach, assault, conduct LRP operations, and defend in their Battle Position (BP). Ideally, a single company executes a dry or live-run daily. However, in a time-constrained environment, two companies can train each day by conducting Forward Passages of Lines (FPOLs) and Rearward Passages of Lines (RPOLs) with each other onto and off of the ranges during the CALFEX, staggering their start times in the FTX by a 2-3 hours. Pushing two companies per day reduces the duration of CALFEX by as much as 15 days, but significantly increases the amount of support personnel required. Additionally, training two companies per day increases the load on the commander, S3, operations SGM, FSO, and S2. Pushing multiple companies through a quality CALFEX each day is not sustainable for more than a few days at a time.
For an individual company, the LFX takes three days. On the first day, a brigade planner and S2 analyst issue a battalion OPORD to the company leadership. The OPORD includes different tasks, purposes, and graphics for infantry companies, tank companies, and cavalry troops. Company teams receive a variation of the infantry company OPORD. The company spends the first-day executing TLPs. Linkup with OCs occurs no later than the company commander’s OPORD brief. After the first iteration, a new company begins its TLP day while the first company executes its live-fire day.
Figure 20: Concept of the Operation for a Company Team Live Fire; The Company Team LDs from their TAA, passes through their Task Force Scout Platoon, and attacks to clear or seize four objectives. The attack includes a combined arms breach of a mine and wire obstacle, an air assault of a dismounted platoon onto an urban objective, a transition to a hasty defense, and a counterattack.
Figure 21: A daily (micro) SYNCMAT for CALFEX. The company should spend one-day conducting TLPs, a second day on dry fire, and a third-day conducting live fire. The BCT HICOM controls the unit over FM and JCR as though they are the company commander’s parent battalion commander or S3.
On the dry fire day, the infantry company begins in their assembly area and uncoils to their Line of Departure (LD) under Weapons Control Status (WCS) amber/hold. They leave one platoon of dismounts at Pickup Zone (PZ) Tin for an Air Assault. The company crosses the LD, which marks the beginning of the FTX, and moves to a contact point to conduct far recognition and begin passage through their battalion scout platoon. They execute a reconnaissance handover in accordance with their TACSOP. The company passes forward through the scouts and maneuvers through the training area traveling overwatch, scan for the enemy, and execute battle drills as appropriate. They use the information provided by the battalion scouts to find a crossing for an antitank ditch and maneuver to an assault position. OCs inject MESLs to the platoons including indirect fire contact, casualties, and a mired track requiring like-vehicle recovery. At the assault position, the company remains out of direct fire contact and observation of the enemy to ensure conditions are set for the breach. Nearby, an artillery platoon occupies its Position Area for Artillery (PAA) to support the breach, and an AAA platoon of 4 x AH-64s enters into an air corridor waiting to attack.
From the assault position, the company attacks on three separate avenues of approach on Browns Creek Multi-use Range, Clabber Creek Multi-Use Range, and Jack Mountain Multi-Use Range. A platoon fights along each avenue. The enemy presents as the S2’s SITEMP projected. As the company crosses the phase line at the entrance to the range, they transition to WCS red/free, and employ the tenants of breaching. As the 120mm High Explosive (HE) mortars and company’s 25mm suppress the enemy, AAA occupies an ABF to destroy an enemy platoon overwatching the point of breach. 155mm smoke obscures the breach site from the enemy. The sappers secure a foothold at the point of the breach and reduce the obstacle with a MICLC fired from an Armored Breaching Vehicle (ABV). The company assaults through the breach as the 155mm smoke dissipates and the company Fire Support Officer (FSO) shifts the 155mm to suppressing fires.
The commander bounds his platoons and the HICOM, talking over radio and JBCP as the parent battalion, provides SITREPs on adjacent units and enemy. These SITREPs slow or expedite the company’s attack from phase line to phase line. As the company assaults through the breach, they experience FM jamming, and the company commander executes his jamming battle drill. He transitions to fighting primarily on JCR and changes FM frequencies. His lead element takes contact from enemy artillery, which delivers a non-persistent chemical. The platoons continue the fight under elevated Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP).
Platoons bound from fighting position to fighting position along their avenue of approach. On the attack, the company echelons platoons to the right to prevent the enemy from exploiting a seam between them and the company to the south. Eventually, the company pushes near its Limit of Advance (LOA) with fields of fire overwatching the urban objective on OBJ Bradley South. This triggers the air assault of a platoon of dismounts from PZ Tin to HLZ lead. As the helicopters approach HLZ Lead, 120mm mortars suppress enemy dismounts on the urban objective, and 155mm High Explosive (HE) suppresses enemy mechanized forces beyond the CFL. The BFVs remain in support by fire, suppressing the enemy and enabling the dismounted platoon to clear the objective. OPFOR on the urban objective fight until only two wounded Donovians remain. The attached HUMINT Collection Team conducts tactical questioning while the dismounts tie into the company’s hasty defense.
After clearing the objectives, the company transitions to the defense, expecting the enemy to attack shortly after dark. The company conducts Engagement Area (EA) Development for EA Bronze and executes an LRP to resupply fuel, hot chow, and ammo as they evacuate dead, wounded, and a disabled BFV. The section that took the chemical attack bounds back along a dirty route to a decontamination site established by a CBRN platoon. The company prepares for an attack by a reinforced Brigade Tactical Group (BTG) into the battalion’s sector. HICOM relays that reinforcements from the 51st Atropian Brigade are en route to reinforce them but are unlikely to arrive before the enemy makes contact. The company conducts a quick LRP, pulling back a section from each platoon while continuing EA Dev. The platoon leaders complete their sector sketches and the company conducts additional priorities of work. While the company conducts EA development and resupply, Joint Terminal Air Controls at the battalion control a sortie of F-16s that drop 4 x 500-pound bombs on enemy Electronic Warfare vehicles identified beyond the CFL.
Shortly after darkness, Ground Moving Target Indicating (GMTI) Radar picks up an enemy Mechanized Infantry Battalion moving in a column with only a few minutes until contact. HICOM relays the SPOTREP from the GMTI to the commander, and he prepares a company fire command. All three platoons report visual contact with the enemy within seconds, and the commander gives the command to fire. The company fires, destroying 2 platoons in the initial volley. The company fights, with platoons bounding between primary and alternate Battle Positions (BPs).
Eventually, the HICOM tells the commander to bound his company back to a subsequent BP, two-phase lines back. The company to his south has collapsed, and the brigade reserve has established a BP behind him. The subsequent BP ties in a cohesive defense. The company commander bounds his platoons back, with platoons continuing to engage the enemy to their front.
After establishing at the subsequent BP, the company commander calls for his Final Protective Fire (FPF), triggering a 120mm and 155mm barrage. As the FPF impacts less than a kilometer to his front and flank, the commander prepares to break contact. HICOM relays that the enemy is changing directions, and the S2 assesses they are retreating; the Brigade Commander orders a hasty counterattack to reestablish the original BPs. The company commander counterattacks forward and reestablishes his original BP. After establishing his BP, the 51st Atropian Brigade scouts make radio communications. HICOM directs the company to conduct an RPOL through the 51st Atropian Brigade scouts to their rear and return to their Tactical Assembly Area.
The dry iteration tests the company on several METs and requires them to fight for 16 hours. Upon return to their TAA, they conduct a hotwash with their OCs and prepare for their live iteration by uploading ammunition and conducting other priorities of work, including a short period of crew rest. In addition to training the company, the BAE, brigade FSE, and JTACs exercise in the synchronization of attack aviation, lift aviation, fires, and CAS to support the combined arms breach, attack, and defense.
The following day the company executes the live iteration of the CALFEX with minor adjustments from the dry iteration. The BCT commander gives instruction to scale the complexity of the training up or down by refining MESLs based on the performance of the company. The feedback of live rounds, live MICLCs, artillery, and mortars give the company confidence in their combat platforms and a better understanding of the real-life considerations for echeloning fires, employing smoke and white phosphorus, fighting and winning.
During the live iteration, live OPFOR does not participate. At the conclusion of the live iteration, the 51st Atropian Scouts (replicated by OCs) verify that they properly cleared their weapons and send them to the AAR site, where they conduct a formal AAR with the Brigade and Battalion Command Teams.
For tank companies, adjustments to the concept of the operation are minor, but the BCT commander evaluates them closely on the violence of action and audacity. The tank company is not tasked to clear the urban objective and does not have an associated air assault. The premium is in maximizing the destructive power and shock of the attack.
Figure 22: Tank company concept of the operation for CALFEX. The change to the concept of the operation is a lack of any actions on the urban objective, air assault, or clearing.
Cavalry Troops execute an air assault and infiltration of a long duration OP in the early morning before they LD on their zone reconnaissance. The troops should plan for the employment of their raven during the reconnaissance and the security phases of the operation. During the zone reconnaissance, they encounter and reconnoiter an incomplete obstacle, bypass it, and report it to higher. They fight in accordance with their reconnaissance guidance until they reach their LOA. At their LOA, they transition to a screen and fight in accordance with their security guidance.
Figure 23: Cavalry Troop concept of the operation for CALFEX. The cavalry troop air assaults and infiltrates a long duration OP the night before LD. The cavalry troop conducts a zone reconnaissance instead of an attack and does not breach. Instead, the cavalry troop identifies an incomplete obstacle, bypasses, and reports it. The cavalry troop also answers PIR about the urban objective, the terrain around it, and the enemy COA based on contact they make. Instead of defending, the cavalry troop sets a screen.
CALFEX Support and Details
The brigade sets conditions for the successful execution of the CALFEX by carefully identifying all support requirements and conducting a scaled-down rehearsal of the CALFEX before the first dry iteration. OCs and range support details attend a daily in-brief and conditions check each evening to verify all support requirements for the following day. OCs and Tower Officers in Charge (OICs) receive OC Packets that provide them EXCON information including shot sheets, MESLs, EXCON reporting requirements, timelines, and graphics. Incoming OCs conduct a right seat ride with a trained OC for a dry or live iteration prior to assuming duties.
It is important to synchronize the support requirements for CALFEX with the execution of platoon LFX. The brigade must task a CAB or the cavalry squadron to support range requirements, but those units cannot support CALFEX while conducting their own training. Names for all positions must be submitted to the Brigade Operations Sergeant Major at least two weeks prior to the beginning of CALFEX to ensure all prerequisites for the training have been met.
The range support requirement for a company LFX is high. An example CALFEX Range support package includes 1 x Overall Officer in Charge (BCT S3), 1 x Range Safety Officer (BCT MG), 1 x Scorer (CPT), 1 x Range Support Synchronizer (BCT Ops SGM), 1 x ADAM/BAE (CPT / CW2), 1 x FSO (BCT FSO), 1 x Fires NCO (SSG), 1 x AFATDs Operator (SPC), 1 x Battle NCO (SSG), 1 x OPFOR Coordinator (BCT S2), and 1 x MESL Synchronizer (BCT S2 All Source Tech). Every day the supporting battalion can expect to provide at least 2 x Company OCs with drivers, vehicles, and radios (CPT), 4 x PLT OCs with drivers, vehicles, and radios (LT/SFC), 2 x Mortar OCs with drivers, vehicles, and radios (LT / SSG), 2 x Dismount Safeties with radios, 3 x Range Officers In Charge (LT / SFC), 4 x Range Safety Officers (SSG), 3 x Range Tower RTOs, 6 x Range gate guards, 30 x Fire Detail personnel, 4 x Medics with drivers, 4 x Road Guards, 2 x OPFOR NCOICs (SFC), and 10 x OPFOR with HMMWVs (BRDMs) or Bradleys (BMPs).
The battalion STX and gap crossing include its own set of support requirements that frequently overlap with the execution of CALFEX. All taskings and support should be assigned to one CAB or to the cavalry squadron on a rotational basis so that the support package has a cohesive chain of command for the Operations Sergeant Major to coordinate with. The Brigade should finalize and publish the SYNCMAT for executing platoon LFX, the gap crossing, and the company LFX at least 9 weeks out from execution to allow battalions time to synchronize their own internal requirements.
Cavalry Squadron and Artillery Battalion Fires Coordination Exercise (FCX)
Figure 24: Concept of the operation for the cavalry squadron fires coordination exercise. The cavalry squadron and the artillery battalion execute this training before redeploying from CALFEX, but the other units do not participate.
When the cavalry squadron completes their CALFEXs, they have an opportunity to conduct a Fires Coordination Exercise (FCX) with the field artillery battalion. Effectively executing this training, requires establishing the full brigade FSE, the cavalry squadron FSE, and maneuvering the squadron with observers. The artillery battalion can execute AT XV or a modified version of AT XV tables in conjunction with this training. All other units are replicated by the EXCON. Adding CAS to this training allows the BCT to train on joint fires and greatly increases the BCT FSE’s proficiency in prosecuting the deep fight. During the FCX, the squadron conducts a zone reconnaissance and establishes a guard, with the full artillery battalion firing in support of them. The squadron’s forward observers call for fire as part of their tactical movements, routing missions to batteries. This FCX pays dividends in building the necessary partnership between the squadron and the field artillery battalion. They are the BCT commander’s two organic capabilities to shape the deep fight. Additionally, this FCX validates sensor to shooter linkages from the troops to the firing guns.
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The full paper and files below are available at https://www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/abct-training
- Embedded Charts (includes full page slides of each figure in this paper)
- IRONHORSE Playbook
- 1CD Brigade Training Model Information Paper.docx
- DA Big 12
- Crew Gunnery Administrative OPORD (IRONHORSE Smoothbore)
5A) Crew Gunnery Administrative OPORD Brief (IRONHORSE Smoothbore)
- Platoon LFX and CALFEX Administrative OPORD (IRONHORSE Fury)
- Wet Gap Crossing Tactical OPORD (IRONHORSE Fury Phase 0)
- CALFEX Tactical OPORD (IRONHORSE Fury Phase I – IV)
- CALFEX OC Packet Example
- FCX Tactical OPORD (IRONHORSE Fury 2.0)
- Brigade FTX Administrative OPORD