The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-seventh episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience’ and the third annual Large Scale Combat Operations Symposium. Hosted by CW2 Jerrad Rader, the Brigade Targeting Officer OCT for BDE Command & Control (BCT HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group. Today’s guest is Brigade Targeting Officer for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, CW3 James Crain.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division is an active Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army based at Fort Drum in New York. The brigade headquarters carries the lineage of the 10th Mountain Division's original headquarters company, and served as such in World War II, and in peacetime at Fort Riley, Fort Benning, and West Germany in the 1940s and 1950s. 1st BCT has numerous deployments to contingencies around the world in the 1990s and later in support of the Global War on Terrorism. They have the Hollywood call-sign of “Warriors” and the motto of “Find a way or make one.”

In this episode, we talk targeting cycle challenges, insights, and best practices for integrating and synchronizing joint fires from the perspective of two seasoned warrant officers. Fires are normally used in concert with maneuver, which helps shape the battlespace, setting conditions for decisive action. At the brigade echelon, this methodology focuses on the employment of fires within the brigade’s deep-fight with the maneuver battalions focused on the brigade’s close-fight. Another effective employment method is their use to support the brigade’s close-fight, which incorporates the use of the maneuver battalions’ mortars into the fires plan. Effective brigade fires during large-scale combat operations require the integration and synchronization of fire support with maneuver plans, leveraging joint fires, and maintaining clear command and control structures. A robust targeting process and decentralized execution allow for rapid and accurate fire missions. Logistical support ensures sustained operations, while counter-fire capabilities protect against enemy artillery. Continuous training and rehearsals are essential to maintaining proficiency and ensuring that brigade fires provide decisive, responsive firepower that supports the brigade’s overall objectives on the battlefield.

Part of S07 “Joint Fires Discussions” series.

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