PCSing to 2BCT, 1AD fort Bliss soon. Any adviceand information about the Unit is higly appreciated.

It's actually not that bad of a unit, but that all depends on your COC, as you probably already know.. You cannot have beneficial training or advancement if you do not have dedicated leaders . As far as NIE's go: this was supposed to be the last one but that's always up for debate, I am in 1-6 right now and this unit is in the rotation for deployment. I have heard 2016, 2017. When we do go out and do training it is well prepared most of the time (leadership dependent). Desert warfare training has just moved here. FT Bliss air assault training course is also here. It is hot as sin in the summer and freezing in the winter ( when your out in the field.) as far as things to do there is not much unless you drive hours to get there . I hope you like rocks and a lot of sand lol. Ask any questions you like.

I just left 2 BCT. All I can say is be prepared for going to the field for 30 days twice a month. They say the unit is now deployable again but that was said the entire 2 years I was there.

I was with 2-1AD (1-6 Inf & 1-35 AR) from Jan. 2010- Dec. 2012. It is the Army's dedicated test brigade; but I've heard that may potentially change in the future. Lots of training, lots of testing, NO deployments. By testing, I mean 5-7 weeks in the desert (at some point in the middle, prior to 30 days out, soldiers generally get a weekend back home) testing and refining items in a tactical, real-world environment.

My early days there were interesting as the unit hadn't stood up when I arrived; in fact, I was the 40th person in the brigade, and have the distinction of being the brigade "commander" for all of 1 day as an E4 when our commander and 2 NCOs had to be away for the day (Yeah, I know, not real command, but I can say I was in charge of an Army brigade once! LOL!)

When I was there, everyone was "fenced in" and unable to transfer out for a set period of time. Call Branch, drop any transfer paperwork you want, the outcome will be the same. I assume they still fence in soldiers, but do not know nor do I know how long the fence is in place these days.

Frankly I was really unimpressed with the command and unhappy with its mission; although I at least understand the value of the mission to the Army. My leadership was only out for themselves; were not interested developing or mentoring soldiers, with the exception of certain dedicated NCOs; and they really had no concern for soldiers wellbeing. For example, with just 2 weeks until I left the Army, with my TA-50 already turned it, I was taken off rear D and sent to the field for their semi annual testing (NIE), where all I could do was sit in an LMTV for 2 weeks to "guard" 6 boxes of blank ammo. Genuinely hurt soldiers including those with "dead man Profiles" had to go to the field; guys injured in the field had to be returned to the field ASAFP, including a man who had a generator fall on his foot, breaking it in several places had to be returned that same day or a couple guys hurt rolling a MAXX-Pro off a mountain, it didn't matter! ALL that mattered was that as many bodies were in the field for as many days as possible to test these vendors' products. Not that my time with them was all bad even if my opinion does seem rather negative, but these and many others, are things I experienced or personally witnessed.

Hopefully with the passage of time, new, better leadership exists within the 2-1AD structure.

As far as Bliss and greater El Paso, I loved both! Great post, great city. Don't expect to be able to visit Juarez Mexico though, that's a no-go.

Good luck.