Are units receiving enough home station training prior to going to a CTC?

2016-02-03T11:02:22-05:00

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Feb 3 at 2016 11:10 AM

2016-02-03T11:10:46-05:00

I honestly can't say.

Response by CSM Carl Cunningham made Feb 3 at 2016 11:13 AM

2016-02-03T11:13:47-05:00

No. :)

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 3 at 2016 11:17 AM

2016-02-03T11:17:29-05:00

The past few units I have been assigned have done a pretty good job of preparing subordinate units to execute a CTC rotation. The divisions did really well in focusing on company level missions and allowing the BCT HQs to exercise mission command of those missions.

I don't believe a unit can ever get "enough" training to prepare for a CTC as there are too many other competing missions i.e. red cycle. I think for the most part, at least the units I have been a part of have done a good job.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Feb 3 at 2016 11:27 AM

2016-02-03T11:27:17-05:00

Thank God for Google! I wouldn't have a clue as to what you guys are talking about if it weren't for the Internet and search engines that deliver knowledge in seconds. Thus I learned what a CTC is and how it is used to test combat readiness. During the Vietnam War we had "other" means of testing combat readiness. We had a mutual testing arrangement with the NVA (North Vietnamese Army - I'll save you a Google search for that one) and the VC (Viet Cong). They shot at us and we shot at them. Damned effective testing, but I'd have preferred your way.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 3 at 2016 12:58 PM

2016-02-03T12:58:45-05:00

LTC Private RallyPoint Member I understood NTC and JRTC to be places where BCTs go as the accumulation of training prior to deployment. This knowledge implies to me that all of the individual soldiering tasks are completed prior to arrival at the training center.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Feb 3 at 2016 3:21 PM

2016-02-03T15:21:43-05:00

No as collective training is sparse and not enough.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 3 at 2016 6:39 PM

2016-02-03T18:39:06-05:00

My last unit (Ft. Bliss, MP Co.) conducted a month of Company/PLT/SQD training (in succession), followed by a month of combined training with the BDE we were going to NTC with, called Iron Focus, followed by another few weeks of Live Fire Exercise, followed by a 30 day rotation at NTC.

While the preparatory training may not have been perfect, I believe it did indeed prepare us well for NTC. We had the 4-5 months of cohesive training in the field which allowed PLTs to fine tune their individual and collective tasks.

That's the AD side... We were co-located with a NG Chemical Co and it was clear that it may have been the first time any of them worked together.. I imagine preparation must be difficult or near impossible when units see each other as infrequently as NG or Reservist units.