Getting Ready to Go

I'm on a 36-hour break right now. I've spent last week in the field on a Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX). It's the last training event before getting ready to deploy. The deployment is still several months away, but this training event is our certification that we are ready to do the job that needs to be done.

It's a tough exercise. Trainers from Ft Leavenworth's Battle Command Training Center are here to help us by observing and assessing where we are at; how ready we are. We started last Sunday and paused the exercise yesterday afternoon. Afterwards we did a mid-point after action review to see where we're at in the process. By all accounts we are doing well.

I think my team is doing very well. I know I've been stretched personally and I've been tested by some difficult situations. It's stressful. There are lots of events going on simultaneously, and each one requires full attention and concentration in order to make the right decision.

In my job, people are relying on me and my Soldiers to make sound recommendations to the commander and then be prepared to put out accurate and effective messages about the unit's actions. The people of America deserve the best information we can provide them, and the command deserves for me to be on top of my game. So far I think we have upheld our part of the mission.

The exercise is based on a simulation of operations in the area of the country we're deploying to. As a member of the staff, we react to requests for information from the "media", publish command information products to the families "back home", prepare the commander and other leaders for engagements with Western and "foreign" media, and respond to misinformation, among other things.

The BCTP folks simulate media, foreign nationals, foreign leaders, etc.with role players who act out their part in the scenario. It makes it all very realistic.

We have one more week of the MRX starting tomorrow at about noon. Hopefully we can take the lessons learned from last week and make the improvements the BCTP observer/trainers have suggested.