027 S01 Ep 05 – Preparing Battalion & Brigades for Large Scale Combat Operations w/BG Lord of the 42nd Infantry Division (ARNG)

The Crucible - The JRTC Experience Podcast

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the twenty-seventh episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the Deputy Commander for Support, 42nd Infantry Division (Army National Guard), BG Nathan Lord.

The 42nd Infantry has Division has served in World War I, World War II, throughout the Cold War, and took part in combat operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The division headquarters is a unit of the New York Army National Guard while subordinate units includes elements from fourteen different states, including Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. They have the nickname of the “Rainbow Division” and the motto of “Never Forget!”

In this episode we discuss how divisions prepare their battalions and brigades for large scale combat operations as well as some of the differences between an active duty rotation versus an ARNG rotation. An underlying theme that applies to every warfighting function (WfF) is you must master the fundamentals before you can attempt the master skillsets and this applies at echelon. At the battalion, brigade, and division echelons, it means aggregating the success of your squads, platoons, and companies to change the balance of the battlefield.

A reoccurring talking point in the podcast was highlighted in today’s episode, an infantry brigade combat team only has approximately a quarter of its forces as actual infantry units and where the infamous tooth-to-tail ratio (T3R) really starts to come into effect. (The ratio of sustainment or support elements to direct combat units.)

Part of S01 “The Leader’s Laboratory” series.

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