News From USJFCOM: Operation Yorktown improves warfighter abilities


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Operation Yorktown improves warfighter abilities

Warfighters from the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command experience hands-on training at Joint Base Langley-Eustis during an exercise designed to show them conditions they will face when deploying to support or stand up a joint task force.

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By Army Sgt. Josh LeCappelain
USJFCOM Public Affairs

(JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. - June 14, 2010) -- One hundred and twenty-seven members of the U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM) Joint Enabling Capabilities Command (JECC) conducted a training exercise June 7-10 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

Operation Yorktown replicated conditions a JECC team would experience when deployed in support of or to set up a joint task force (JTF). Fort Eustis was selected because its Forward Operating Base (FOB) De Grasse replicates conditions deployed teams often encounter.

Navy Rear Adm. Ted Carter, JECC commander, believed the event would increase awareness of what is expected and improve his team's knowledge of operational activities when deployed.

"We are taking our people, with this training event, to a higher level than what they've received in their joint background," said Carter, who was very impressed with the exercise's setup. "This brings all elements of our planning and capabilities together and lets them build confidence and trust in themselves, each other and as a team. These folks finish training better prepared to go to a deployment."

The teams broke off into three separate JTFs -Nimitz, LeMay and Washington after famous military leaders - and each tackled the same scenario in which Mt. Cameroon, a volcano erupts violently, resulting in a massive humanitarian crisis.

Air Force Col. Paul Eberhart, JECC Joint Deployable Team (JDT) chief, called the exercise a strong opportunity for the JECC to interact and learn how the entire team works.

"All seven succinct joint enabling capabilities - four functional areas of operations, plans, logistics and knowledge management/information superiority that comprise the JDT, the Joint Communications Support Element, the Joint Public Affairs Support Element and the Intelligence - Quick Reaction Team are represented here, learning how to act as a JTF for a combatant command," said Eberhart, adding that the JECC trains to be ready to deploy within hours of being notified for their assistance. In addition to performing as a JTF, other events were planned during the exercise to improve individual's capabilities.

"Each organization here is getting a chance to perform the Leadership Reaction Course, taking three hours away from the scenario to execute the course," added Eberhart. "Every person gets the chance there to perform as a leader and a follower in solving the problems, with feedback designed to make them better at problem solving."

"This is a team building environment," he continued. "Two-thirds of the JDT is in the reserve force and we can't do our missions without our reserve teammates. We want to bring them out and give them a chance to develop their skills and enforce core capabilities, getting them up to speed. We want them to invest this week in us and, as payback, we hope they get to learn about their jobs, themselves and a little bit of history, as well as improve their teamwork and team cohesion."

Army Lt. Col. Robert Bertrand, JECC JDT operations officer who planned Operation Yorktown, carefully adjusted a pre-existing scenario to meet the JECC team needs.

"The Joint Forces Staff College had a pre-prepared combatant command-led scenario which they allowed us to morph to meet our training objectives," said Bertrand. "Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief are difficult operations to plan and execute."

Bertrand also added that the JECC's recent experiences in Haiti had helped shape the exercise.

"We conducted a class at the end of our time in Haiti to gather lessons learned," he continued. "We want to continue improving in general and in preparation for future deployments."

The historical significance of the area near Joint Base Langley-Eustis played a large part in planning the exercise.

"We are calling this Operation Yorktown because of the historic joint combined operation that occurred near here and was led by Gen. George Washington in 1781," he said.

The Yorktown battlefield was included in the exercise, with participants visiting the site to discuss how American and French forces worked together to defeat their British adversaries, and how they used a joint force to engage the enemy from the land and the sea.

Bertrand praised Joint Base Langley-Eustiss for welcoming the JECC team to use their facilities.

"They warmly welcomed USJFCOM elements out here to use their operational base, which is an excellent training site for individual and collective training, as well as joint planning," he added.

The exercise far exceeded expectations, said Eberhart.

"Going in, I thought it was going to be too much," he said. "For every reservist or active-duty [warfighter], we wanted them to walk away saying 'wow that was a well-invested week.' We hoped to create a valuable experience that would make them better professionals."

Carter was impressed by this initial JECC exercise and has high hopes heading forward.

"The post-exercise after action review captured many lessons learned that informed the command on the current capabilities of each joint enabling capability and helped to identify strategies to build upon the momentum of this event to sustain proficiency as joint operators," Carter said. "The goal for next year's JECC exercise will be to broaden the scenario themes beyond humanitarian assistance/disaster relief to incorporate more of the complex operating environment that the JECC will likely experience during deployments in support of counter-insurgency operations.

"Based on feedback from the training audience, next year's exercise will include more media interaction and interagency coordination and a greater emphasis on the most complex components of the joint operational planning process such as operational design, wargaming and the staff estimate process," he continued.