The Reserve Tank Company Organizational Readiness Exercise

the platoon-level tasks, crew-level tasks, and common tasks. I would suggest designing the training schedule to build upon itself, starting with common tasks and then integrating them into crew-level and platoon-level collective tasks later in the training year.

The actual training has to be to the Army’s task, condition, and standard, which cannot be compromised and has to be ruthlessly enforced. The training also needs to be conducted by the first-line leader appropriate to the level of training being conducted.

This fosters crew integrity, promotes quality of training because it allows the tank commander to train his crew and the platoon leader to train his platoon to the standard he wants, and ensures that the chain of command is always used within the company. Finally, NCO and officer professional development is a very critical part of training in the Reserve Component armor force. This training will set the standards for the company officers and NCOs in the unit, and develop the cohesiveness and doctrinal knowledge required to fight and accomplish the unit’s combat missions. This cohesiveness and knowledge should radiate out into the unit, giving the enlisted man the opportunity to trust the people who will lead them into battle.

I stress the fostering of a fight-and-win mentality during training. The ORE team should be looking for the unit’s desire to defend its nation and its ability to do so. If dedication to God, country and duty do not exist in the unit, I feel that the unit will never be of much account.

ORE Phase One:

The Compliance Phase The compliance phase is the first phase of the ORE, and generally takes place on the two days just prior to the ORE IDT weekend.

This phase evaluates the unit’s ability to maintain files, records, and equipment to ensure that the unit’s equipment and men are ready for deployment. The subcategories of this phase include personnel qualification, personnel records, training management, supply management, maintenance, security, and MOB files/OPWAR plan. Let us look at each of these categories briefly.

• Personnel qualification. The major concerns in this category are ensuring the unit’s UMR does not contradict soldier personnel files.

• Training management. The major item units need to concern themselves with in this category is designing training by the cross-walk procedure I will mention in this article under training.

• Supply management. Units need to ensure that all equipment is registered on the unit’s property book, that there is no excess MTOE/CTA equipment on the property book, and that hand receipts are in accordance with Army regulations.

• Maintenance. This is a very difficult area in the Reserve Components. Unlike our active duty counterparts, our vehicles are in three different locations and we are not the only unit that uses them. Therefore, ensuring all company vehicles are in operating condition is extremely difficult, especially when your tanks are stored up to 800 miles apart and in two different states!

These conditions do make any maintenance evaluation miserable, but there are areas Reserve units can control. DD Forms 314 need to be filled out properly. Unit executive officers have to take responsibility and supervise the DA Forms 348, 2404, 1970, etc. to ensure these are being filled out correctly, stored and used in accordance with update 13, and that the chain of command is being used. This will take a lot of time which, in all likelihood, you will not be paid for, but it must be done.

• Security. The important factor in this category is ensuring that all positions requiring security clearances are identified on the UMR in accordance with FORSCOM Regulation 300-3-5, that all soldiers have the required security clearance, and that all security clearances can be confirmed.

• MOB Files/OPWAR Plan. Units need to ensure that they have viable, approved movement plans, working load plans for all vehicles, current alert rosters, and properly forecasted class I, III, and V.

The Reserve Tank Company Organizational Readiness Exercise by First Lieutenant John A. Conklin 12 ARMOR — Phase Two: The Training Phase The second phase of the ORE is the part of the exercise that evaluates the soldiers’ and crews’ level of training within the company. This phase includes the APFT, CTT, weapons qualification, and PMCS. Before we discuss each of these in detail, I would like to take the time to explain what the ORE IDT entailed up to this phase and describe this phase.

As soon as Company A reached Gowen Field, Idaho, we immediately received the mission for the third phase. During the night we set in motion the troop-leading procedures to prepare for the third phase mission. While the officers and HQ personnel worked on this, the platoon sergeants began to organize training for CTT and made sure the soldiers identified to take the APFT got some rest. The crews identified for tank gunnery (which was TT VIII on an M-COFT) practiced engagements and wrote down all engagements on three by five cards, which we always use. During the second phase, we had soldiers all over post! It is a credit to the company’s NCOs that all the soldiers were at MATES forward in the Idaho desert by noon, preparing for phase three. Now, let us discuss the individual areas of the second phase.

• APFT. This is another trouble area for the Reserve Component. Our company is lucky in that many of its soldiers are very active in the outdoors. Many are mountain climbers, fanatical skiers, rock climbers, and runners (many run 20 K runs on most weekends), so we do not have many APFT problems. However, we also use our physical training time to teach our soldiers how to eat, stretch, and work out properly, instead of doing the regular physical training an Active Component unit would perform. This does not mean we don’t work out. It means we train our soldiers how to work out and stay healthy while we exercise. During every IDT, the unit master of fitness trainer needs to identify soldiers who need remedial physical training, take them aside, set up workout goals and a personal training plan. If your unit does train in this manner, I feel that this should not be an area of concern during the ORE.

• CTT. To pass this area, unit NCOs must ensure their soldiers train on the tasks the night before. This is not cheating; it is simply training your soldiers to succeed. Remember, these soldiers probably have looked at these tasks only two or three times since the last drill. The rest of the month they have worked another job (or two, or three in many cases!) and dealt with their families.

Qualification.

Small arms qualification has never been a problem in our unit, but our crew-served weapons crews always have a tough time qualifying. As an armor company, the ORE tested our unit’s ability to operate the tank firing systems and hit targets with it — not small arms qualification. This was achieved by firing TT VIII on the M-COFT. I feel that, given the Reserve Component’s limited training time and limited equipment availability, this may always be a problem. Units still need the resources to maximize the benefits of home-station training.

• PMCS. This section of the ORE evaluates the unit’s ability to perform PMCS to the -10 standard. It is imperative that all PMCS training is conducted with the -10 out, open, and in use by the crews while they perform PMCS. All leaders, especially the XO and motor sergeant, must always supervise the PMCS training. If training is conducted in this manner, this section of the ORE will not be a problem.

Phase Three: Collective Training The collective phase tests whether a unit can perform its METL tasks. It is imperative that all personnel involved understand that this is evaluated at platoon level in the Reserve Component. This may seem somewhat strange

— the company performs the mission, but is evaluated at platoon level. The commander has to ensure that the company is not given a NO GO in an area because something was wrong at the company level! This does make sense if one looks at the current policy of training at the platoon level in the Reserve Component.

To train for this phase, I would suggest enforcing the troop-leading procedures, METT-T for mission analysis, and ACOKA for terrain analysis. This can be performed in training using a variety of tools that the Army or your creativeness provides to the unit. Our unit has made good use of the mobile platoon SIMNET, Fire Command Plus Exercise, walk-throughs, realistic training at a local training area, and a sandtable with micro armor that the unit members bought and built. All of these can be great training tools if the planning is conducted in a realistic manner and doctrine is studied and reviewed during AARs. I feel that if the unit trains this way, it should pass the ORE.

During the mission the unit will be expected to perform everything it will need to perform in combat. These should be: draw, load and PMCS equipment in a staging area; road march; execute an AA; execute a forward passage of lines; perform a movement to contact; hasty attack; and defend an objective. The unit will have to do these to the ARTEP standards, which means that the unit leaders need to ensure all leaders’ tasks are met. Our unit’s command cell carries a library of manuals and regulations into the field, to include company TSOP, battalion TSOP, FM 17-15, FM 71-1, FM 17-12-1, FM 17-12-2, ARTEP 71-1, FM 100-5, FM 100-25 and FM 101-25. They are often read and referred to, and I would suggest that if you do not do this now, you should start immediately. This library will allow your soldiers to identify the standard and the concept of training. With this knowledge and some determination, the unit should be able to train in a positive and professional manner.

If the unit understands doctrine, unit TSOPs, tactical planning, ARTEP standards and how to perform as a tactical unit, then the unit will pass. I wouldn’t expect to pass everything because of lack of training but to pass this phase is not unreasonable. Changes the ORE Will Have on the Army In the future, I expect that the Army is going to be forced to integrate and use the Reserve Component intimately. I am convinced the ORE is a step in the right direction in doing so. However, all of us have along way to go. When integration does fully occur, I feel the ORE and unit capabilities has and will show that the following criteria have to be attained uncompro-misingly in the Reserve Component: WARNING: To those readers who have weak veins, arteries or heart problems please sit down. All readers must understand what I am about to say is cloud-forming, water-parting, ground-shaking — ideas many readers ARMOR — 13 Continued on Page 25