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Command prepares Horn of Africa joint task force staff
U.S. Joint Forces Command prepares a joint task force to assume responsibility for operational mission in the Horn of Africa with the final phase of a mission rehearsal exercise at the Joint Warfighting Center this week.
By Susy Dodson
USJFCOM Public Affairs
(SUFFOLK, Va. – Jan. 15, 2009) -- U.S Joint Forces Command and the soon-to-be Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) headquarters element teamed up for the final phase of a mission rehearsal exercise (MRX) to prepare service members for operations in the HOA.
During CJTF-HOA 09-1, the USJFCOM training team from the Joint Warfighting Center (JWFC) simulated potential missions, problem sets and adjusted scenarios to accommodate real-world events the CJTF-HOA may encounter during its deployment.
Navy Lt. LaKeeva Gunderson, a CJTF-HOA engineering operations assistant, said communicating with members currently assigned to the task force in HOA was critical to the overall effectiveness of the training.
Gunderson’s experience with the exercise and pre-exercise events provided her the opportunity to connect with current staff in country and receive real-time training throughout the MRX before she deploys.
“The training overall has been awesome,” Gunderson said. “We’ve been able to talk to our actual counterparts over in HOA that we’re going to be turning over with to develop that relationship and know what to expect.”
“If there’s anything that JFCOM might have felt that they didn’t provide they’re always asking for feedback,” she continued. “When we tell them, they’re usually quick at implementing it, so you always see a change over, flexibility in making it as much up to date as possible.”
Navy Rear Adm. Anthony M. Kurta, the incoming CJTF-HOA commander, agrees.
“The realistic nature of the training is phenomenal,” Kurta said. “The highlight of the training cycle for me is the senior mentor that Joint Forces Command uses in conjunction with their training. Usually very senior retired officers who have had experience as joint task force commanders, experience in the AOR [area of responsibility] and they’ve kind of stayed with the command through all your training, through all your time in theater. They’re great sounding boards. They’re a great wealth of experience.”
Along with the benefit of senior mentors, the CJTF-HOA staff appreciated the efforts of the USJFCOM planners, observers and trainers.
“Another plus of being here with Joint Forces Command staff are the folks training us, guiding us through the exercise,” said Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Leo McCray, personnel chief and senior enlisted leader, “Their input is valuable on us achieving our mission when we get over there.”
“The benefit [of this exercise] is being able to build bridges before you get there, connect with the people there, not to miss a beat, McCray said. “When you get there things just keep flowing.”
Many of the warfighters in the training audience were excited about the exercise scenarios and their ability to use what they are learning and appropriate the lessons learned.
As part of the fictitious scenarios, a cyclone hitting the country of Tanzania tested the CJTF-HOA staff members and its ability to respond.
Gunderson explains her first response to the simulated crisis.
“I went in there as an engineer to say, ‘What assets we can provide as the engineer? What you would look for after the cyclone hit?’ We’re looking at damaged roads, infrastructure, avenues that might limit or hinder our other forces getting in to help people. We try to break it down and let all our codes [sections] realize the benefit of having the engineer on their team. It’s more of just coming in there with the assets that we know that we can provide, listening to feedback of what they need from us.”
Army Brig. Gen. Sanford E. Holman, the JWFC’s deputy commander, discussed how the JWFC approaches each event in the Unified Endeavor series.
“Here at Joint Forces Command we try to capture the lessons learned from previous operational experiences and balance those against trying to prepare the joint warfighter for the crisis they may have to meet in the future,” Holman said.
As part of the ongoing training process, the JWFC will send a team forward at some point during the deployment, re-connecting with the joint task force it trained to provide staff assistance, gather key lessons, and identify improved processes to share with warfighters who will assume this mission for future rotations.
“The training is designed to give us the tools of how we work in the area, some cultural awareness and then the rest of our turnover we'll conduct with the folks that have been on the ground over the past year when we get into theater,” said Kurta. “I’m confident that all of that training will allow us to play the role that we have assigned to us whether it's dealing with issues in Somalia or anywhere else in the Horn of Africa.”
The Suffolk portion of the exercise wraps up today.
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