Realism Key to Arrc Training Success
Training in such a scenario , with its wide focus and resources , the ARRC has seen the benefits of being a multinational headquarters , and has already identified both ways to improve and capabilities to test on their next exercise .
Since beginning the exercise , Cassidy has been able to watch first-hand as the ARRC staff try to push what is possible , and the time and effort that goes into scenario building has a lot to do with it .
to reassure , to prevent someone who potentially wants to use force in a way that ’ s not congruent with peace and stability .”
This year , having a live higher headquarters in JFC Naples , as opposed to the ARRC playing the role as their own headquarters , has also given Trident Juncture 16 a more accurate assessment for both units .
“ Normally we are the single training audience , we act as our higher headquarters , we bring in our lower controllers and we also produce the exercise scenario and then manage the scenario dynamically as we ’ re going through it ,” said Jackson .
“ This makes it more real because we ’ re not able to control our higher headquarters , we have to understand where we sit in relation to their planning cycle and their direction , and their direction may not always coincide exactly with what we would wish to do ,” said Jackson . “ Because we ’ re part of a bigger joint operation , we have to adjust our planning and our execution accordingly .”
Photos by UK WO2 Dan Harmer and UK Sgt . Mike O ’ Neill
“ Our planning has moved at a fast place because as a land component command headquarters , our cycle is moving faster and has benefitted the planners at Naples who haven ’ t necessarily been thinking in the same space as us ,” he continued . “ Because we ’ re closer to the problem , we have a more refined view of what ’ s happening on the ground .”
“ It ’ s what the commander calls ‘ joint aware ’,” he added . “ We ’ re not a joint headquarters but we understand some of the demands of operating in the joint space so therefore we can be proactive in offering our thinking but we ’ ve got to understand , and have the humility to accept we may not always be producing what they need .”
“ We work as a 3 star headquarters and use pan-staff approaches to problems , boards , cells , and working groups , to try to solve tactical military problems as an LCC ,” said Clark . Even though it ’ s a three-star headquarters , it ’ s still a tactical headquarters and being able to build relationships , horizontally and vertically is really what makes you successful as an organization .”
“ Here , you only work with the best of the best ,” he said . “ The NATO [ and ] partner nations that comprise the ARRC put their best foot forward , they send excellent representatives to be a part of our staff and really that ’ s one of the strengths of the ARRC , its multi-nationality .”
“ I think the ARRC is the most forward-thinking and fast-moving headquarters ,” he said . “ They are innovative and they are trying to push the boundaries of what is feasible and what is not feasible at all times .”
As Trident Juncture 16 concluded , the servicemen and women of the ARRC did push themselves , the scenario and their higher headquarters as far as they could , in the interest of maintaining their edge . As they look toward their role in NRF 17 , the ARRC will continue to take advantage of its wealth of experience , remembering the lessons of the past while preparing for the changes and challenges of the future .
“ Fifteen years of being in Afghanistan and Iraq is probably , for some officers and soldiers in the headquarters , the only experience they ’ ve had and that wasn ’ t an Article 5 operation ,” said Jackson . “ If we ’ re thinking about core war fighting in an Article 5 setting , we ’ ve got to make sure were thinking ahead into that space .”
“ The only thing that replicates reality is reality and we have to make sure the scenarios and the simulation that supports our training is as realistic as possible ,” he added . “ It ’ s never going to be the real thing , but we ’ ve got to try and get it as close as it can be .”
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