Fort Bliss Monitor

Deployment ready
31st ADA Bde. conducts FTX

Story and photos by: 1st Lt. Victor Hoffer, 31st ADA Bde.

Maj. Jeff Carpenter inspects the line of vehicles one last time prior to beginning a convoy.

Soldiers from 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade loaded into Humvees and five-ton trucks drove to their designated positions and began training in the sand and mud of McGregor Range.

Phantom Lightning, the fall Field Training Exercise and the second annual requirement the brigade completed this year, began with a staggered deployment to the field of each of the 17 units that make up the 31st.

The units moved into the fictional country of Blueland as part of III U.S. Army Corps. Their mission required them to maneuver in and around the battlefield in close proximity to the forward edge of conflict, making frequent moves due to the fast moving III Corps offensive operation.

Soldiers of HHB, 31st ADA Bde. receive training and instruction during the FTX.

After more than 120 hours of continuous combat operations, the tempo of the exercise calmed as the scenario saw a United Nations entrance, at the request of enemy forces. The U.N. presence ultimately resulted in an end to the simulated hostilities, releasing the 31st Bde. after its units had successfully destroyed numerous tactical ballistic missiles, enemy aircraft and other aerial threats.

“The brigade FTX was a huge success,” said Lt. Col. Eric Scheidemantel. “The brigade was able to train multiple echelons during the course of the FTX, from battery level to brigade level. It is not often that a unit has the opportunity to meet the training objectives at three different levels.”

Training was completed on tasks involving nuclear, biological and cchemical attacks, air defense operations, warrior tasks, and many other individual and group field duties. Units conducted multiple convoys, set up facilities and equipment and conducted sustainment operations. Portions of the training included the 286th Signal Company, enhancing the quality and realism of training for both units.”

Capt. Tom McFall, commander of the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 31st ADA Bde., gives his convoy a safety briefing prior to the final road march home.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	November 4 , 2004

A Soldier in the field sets up an antenna. <map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Deployment ready 31st ADA Bde. conducts FTX Story and photos by: 1st Lt. Victor Hoffer, 31st ADA Bde. Maj. Jeff Carpenter inspects the line of vehicles one last time prior to beginning a convoy. Soldiers from 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade loaded into Humvees and five-ton trucks drove to their designated positions and began training in the sand and mud of McGregor Range. Phantom Lightning, the fall Field Training Exercise and the second annual requirement the brigade completed this year, began with a staggered deployment to the field of each of the 17 units that make up the 31st. The units moved into the fictional country of Blueland as part of III U.S. Army Corps. Their mission required them to maneuver in and around the battlefield in close proximity to the forward edge of conflict, making frequent moves due to the fast moving III Corps offensive operation. Soldiers of HHB, 31st ADA Bde. receive training and instruction during the FTX. After more than 120 hours of continuous combat operations, the tempo of the exercise calmed as the scenario saw a United Nations entrance, at the request of enemy forces. The U.N. presence ultimately resulted in an end to the simulated hostilities, releasing the 31st Bde. after its units had successfully destroyed numerous tactical ballistic missiles, enemy aircraft and other aerial threats. “The brigade FTX was a huge success,” said Lt. Col. Eric Scheidemantel. “The brigade was able to train multiple echelons during the course of the FTX, from battery level to brigade level. It is not often that a unit has the opportunity to meet the training objectives at three different levels.” Training was completed on tasks involving nuclear, biological and cchemical attacks, air defense operations, warrior tasks, and many other individual and group field duties. Units conducted multiple convoys, set up facilities and equipment and conducted sustainment operations. Portions of the training included the 286th Signal Company, enhancing the quality and realism of training for both units.” Capt. Tom McFall, commander of the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 31st ADA Bde., gives his convoy a safety briefing prior to the final road march home.