Assure and Deter: 1st Infantry Division’s Commitment to North Atlantic Treaty Organization Allies

by CPT Tyler G. Elrod and CPT Cory C. Fetterolf Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, of 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) hosted the Abrams Operation Summit (AOS) at Drawsko Po morskie Training Area (DPTA) in Poland April 26-28, 2022. The summit was designed to introduce Polish Land Forces and Polish soldiers to the systems, procedures and train ing that support successful Abrams tank operations at company and bat talion levels. U. S. Soldiers from companies A, Band H led and participated in multiple leader panels, discussions, classroom instruction, hands-on train ing and live-fire demonstrations to teach and mentor our Polish allies. They learned about the Abrams’ capabilities, U. S. armor tactics, sustainment operations and master-gunner operations. With that in mind, AOS demonstrated U. S. commitment to the defense of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members while also improving the interoperability, lethality and partnership with our allies. Background The Poles’ deputy prime minister and Ministry of National Defense in July 2021 announced Poland’s intent to purchase 250 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks from the United States. In February 2022, U. S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced approval of this program during his visit to Poland. In addition to the Abrams tanks, the agreement also included recovery and mobility vehicles, a training program and logis tics support. This foreign-military sale represented a significant strategic investment in Poland’s national security and relationship with the U. S. military. After the signing ceremony at Wesola, Po land (1st Warsaw Armor Brigade), in April 2022, the Polish government and Polish Land Forces expressed the de sire to begin crew training immediate ly to produce and facilitate trained and ready tank formations as soon as pos sible. U. S. Army Europe and Africa (US AEUR-AF), V Corps and 1st Infantry Di vision began the planning process and established a course of action to meet the Poles’ requirement to begin training as soon as possible to shorten the learning curve for future M1 crew operators and leaders. Poland’s Armed Forces General Command (GENCOM) developed the pro gram of instruction (PoI), and 1st Infantry Division tasked the 2-34 Armor “Dreadnaughts” to plan, improve the PoI and execute AOS. The event introduced critical concepts related to combined-arms tactics, sustainment, organization and master gunners. The sum mit helped inform modernization efforts of Polish Land Forces doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership/education, personnel, facilities and policy (DOTMLPF-P) efforts and improved interoperability.1 The Dreadnaughts approached this mission with five key tasks:

• Conduct training in a learning-conducive environment that encourages the sharing of information and open dialogue between U. S. and Polish army members.

• Convey to our allies the importance of master gunners and the role they fill in creating, training and maintaining a combat-credible armored formation.

• Share the challenges associated with an M1 Abrams-equipped force and what measures we take to overcome them. Provide best practices on stabilizing crews, anticipating maintenance challenges and integrating collective-live-fire gates.

• Train our allies on all aspects of logistical operations supporting an M1 equipped force: recovery operations, unit-maintenance collection point (UMCP) operations and refueling considerations.

• Use live demonstrations to reinforce and visualize the concepts taught in leader forums and subject-matter expert (SME)-driven classes. The 2-34 Armor’s endstate was to provide Polish leaders and soldiers with Figure 1. SSG Steven Brozyna (foreground), a tank commander assigned to 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, monitors the camera during the start of the combined-arms-breach exercise at Bucierz Range, DPTA, Poland, April 28,

2022. This exercise demonstrated the strength of the M1A2 Abrams tank in action as part of AOS. (U. S. Army National Guard photo by SGT Tara Fajardo Arteaga) foundational understanding of how to employ the M1 Abrams tank, operate in large-scale ground combat operations, provide logistical support for the M1 Abrams and incorporate it with enablers. In conjunction with company commanders and first sergeants, 2-34 Armor’s staff created a concept, and sev eral PoIs centered around one decisive operation and three shaping opera tions. Decisive to the AOS was the full display of combat capabilities demonstrated at full scale with live-fire con ditions. To achieve this, 2-34 Armor tasked Company B to perform a livefire demonstration of a combined-arms breach and a gap crossing on Bu cierz Range as the final event of the summit. The combined-arms breach and mobility demonstration would ex hibit the full combat capability and strength of the Abrams platform with enabler support. Shaping Operation I was the master-gunner cohort, which would establish the base familiarization of training management and crew development. Shaping Operation II, the tactics co hort, would generate understanding of Abrams employment considerations during offensive and defensive tasks. Finally, Shaping Operation III, the sus tainment cohort, would educate Polish leaders and soldiers about crew- to organizational-level sustainment practices, equipment and planning consid erations for the operational and logis tical demand of an Abrams formation. The 2-34 Armor tasked Company A to provide the primary instructors and equipment for the master-gunner co hort. Company A also provided in structors, equipment and support to the sustainment cohort, and created and developed multiple PoIson the role of the master gunner in company and battalion operations, master-gunner training and development, and Integrated Weapons Training Strategy (IWTS).

Also in support of Company H, 2-34 Armor’s sustainment cohort, Company A created and developed the PoI on the field-maintenance team (FMT), motorpool operations, Abrams pre ventive-maintenance checks and services (PMCS), command maintenance, semi-annual/annual services and FMT equipment layout (M88 recovery ve hicle, contact truck and forward-repair system (FRS)). Company B, in support of the tactics cohort, developed and facilitated classes and live demonstrations of di rect-fire control, limited-visibility operations, movement-to-maneuver transitions, movement planning and actions on contact. Also, in conjunc tion with Company H, Company B de veloped and participated in a series of field-sustainment demonstrations fo cusing on UMCP/field-maintenance operations, recovery operations, service-station resupply and refuel-on-the-move. One of the challenges 2-34 Armor faced was the language barrier. While there were some experienced transla tors available to support, translating technical jargon about the Abrams tank across languages to a military that had never used Abrams tanks proved to be a challenge. The role of master gunner itself didn’t have a di rect translation to Polish. Therefore teaching the classes required the non commissioned officers (NCOs) and SMEs to tailor their language and develop products in away that transla tors could accurately and quickly translate. To further complicate the challenge at hand, all the PoIs – including the scripts, PowerPoint slides, teaching boards, handouts and maneuver con cepts – had to be developed in less than seven days to ensure time for proper translation and compliance with foreign-disclosure regulations. Day 1 Day 1 of the summit was primarily a senior-leader panel in the morning, followed by multiple concurrent SME discussions, leader panels and live demonstrations across DPTA in the af ternoon to support different cohorts. Upon arrival to DPTA, Polish leaders and soldiers were split into four co horts:

• Senior-leader cohort;

• Master-gunnery cohort;

• Tactics cohort; and

• Sustainment cohort. Each cohort maintained a 12:1 instructor-to-student ratio, which ensured efficient discussions and classroom instruction with the Polish translators. The senior-leader panel and discus sion included both American and Figure 2. SSG Daniel S. Allen, a Bravo Company motor sergeant assigned to 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, teaches Polish sol diers the process of powerpack removal for an M1A2 Abrams tank as part of AOS at Bucierz Range, April 27, 2022. The 1st Infantry Division is among other units assigned to V Corps, America’s forward-deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide com bat-credible forces. (U. S. Army National Guard photo by SPC Hedil Hernández)

Polish senior leaders (battalion to corps level) and focused on the DOT MLPF-P of an Abrams organization. Company A, 2-34 Armor, taught and facilitated a roundtable discussion during the senior-leader panel about the role of the master gunner in company, battalion and brigade opera tions. Company A explained to Polish senior leaders the importance of the master gunner as an SME, empower ing NCOs and advising commanders on gunnery-training courses of action. Company A also explained how master gunners could advise senior leaders of the Polish Land Forces on the best practices for gunnery, training and crew management. Concurrent to the senior-leader panel, the three other cohorts arrived at three locations across DPTA to begin SME discussions, live demonstrations, practical exercises and leader panels. Companies A and H received the sus tainment cohort at the DPTA motor pool to begin demonstrations and SME discussions on the forward-support company (FSC), field maintenance, FMT equipment, PMCS, command maintenance and services. Company H Soldiers familiarized the sustainment cohort with the common sustainment systems, pieces of equipment, tools and maintenance facilities found in an Abrams organization. Company H leaders informed the co hort on the best tactics, techniques and procedures surrounding the em ployment of the FSC and FMTs, as well as providing Polish soldiers the oppor tunity to view the support vehicles, equipment and tools their country re cently purchased. This was done by providing a full layout of an M88 recovery truck, a contact truck and an

FRS.

Company H then handed off the sus tainment cohort to Company A to be gin the SME discussions on PMCS, command maintenance, semi-annual and annual services, as well as a full layout of basic-issue items (BIIs) and another Abrams with BII stowed ac cording to the battalion load plan. These discussions and layouts provided the sustainment cohort with best practices for maintaining the Abrams tank, crew responsibilities in the PMCS process and the responsibility of lead ership at the platoon and company levels during maintenance and servic es. The services and PMCS discussion were conducted in the DPTA maintenance bays where Company A conducted annual services. This al lowed SMEs from Companies A and H to discuss the platform-specific needs of an Abrams fleet, including bay space and lift considerations. The sustainment cohort was well re ceived, and Polish GENCOM requested a sustainment-focused summit shortly after the conclusion of AOS for later in the year. The 2-34 Armor Soldiers pro vided more discussion topics for the future leaders of the Polish army that were centered on the responsibility of tank crews to maintain their own equipment. Concurrent to the sustainment cohort, Companies A and B leadership received the master-gunner and tactics cohorts at Bucierz Range and escorted them to the range’s classrooms to be gin classroom discussion, SME discus sion and practical exercises. U. S. tank master gunners from Company A were the primary instructors for the master-gunner cohort. They led discussions on the roles and responsibilities of the master gunner, training development and IWTS. The master gunners highlighted the impor tance of the master gunner’s role during operations and gunnery while also providing training examples to Polish soldiers on Sabot Academy concepts, master-gunner professional timelines and collective-live-fire training requirements. The classes concluded with a leader panel discussion on how the U. S. Ar my’s standardized training strategy in forms readiness and the benefits of standardized training requirements across the armor force. Company B leaders in another class room on Bucierz Range introduced maneuver to the tactics cohort through multiple discussions and live demonstrations. The 1st Platoon, Company B, provided classroom instruction on direct-fire-control measures, engagement-area development, limit ed-visibility operations, fratricide avoidance, mitigation techniques and movement-to-maneuver transitions. Company B concluded these discus sions with alive demonstration on Bu cierz Range, demonstrating movement techniques, forms of maneuver, Figure 3. 1LT Christopher Landin, Alpha Company platoon leader assigned to 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, speaks with a Polish soldier about the functions of the M1A2 Abrams tank as part of AOS at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, April 26, 2022. The 1st Infantry Division is among other units assigned to V Corps that works alongside allies in the European theater, remaining an integral part of demonstrating alliance readiness, interoperability and capa bility. (U. S. Army National Guard photo by SGT Tara Fajardo Arteaga) actions on contact and transitions with a tank platoon led by 1st Platoon Soldiers. This live demonstration al lowed Polish soldiers to become familiar with the common tactical-employment considerations of an Abrams pla toon. Day 2 Day 2 of the AOS encompassed discussions and live demonstrations of Abrams gunnery operations, field maintenance and sustainment operations. Company A NCOs began the day with the master-gunner cohort, lead ing two discussions on shot-sheet de velopment and the considerations of running an Abrams tank range. Both classes familiarized Polish soldiers and leaders with supporting gunnery op erations, target engagement and range throughput considerations. Upon completion of the classes and discussion, leaders from across the battalion, brigade and division escort ed the tactics and senior-leader co horts to the Bucierz Range’s viewing area to observe alive-fire demonstra tion of Gunnery Table VI. Tank-crew evaluators walked the master-gunner cohort and senior-leader cohort through gunnery operations while concurrently running a crew-gunnery Table VI to standard. Upon completion of the demonstration, Polish leaders and Soldiers were able to sit in on an after-action review (AAR) led by the tank-crew evaluators. Company A NCOs stood by to answer questions about scoring, point deduc tions, qualification standards and best practices when running an AAR. In the forest behind the gunnery range, Companies Band H welcomed the sustainment and tactics cohorts to a fully operational UMCP to conduct around-robin discussion and demon stration on different aspects of field maintenance and recovery operations. They used the terrain to select the UMCP placement and mixed artificial camouflage with the natural foliage. It was both an excellent teaching point as well as great training for the FMT. Maintenance takes time, and the sustainment cohort did an excellent job of demonstrating how to conceal themselves to safely execute mainte nance and repairs. Company B’s FMT demonstrated the removal of an Abrams engine using an M88 to per form field maintenance. The demon stration included how the M88 con ducts recovery operations in afield environment and the vehicle’s other capabilities. Company H Soldiers led discussions about location selection for the UMCP and how clerks order parts to contin ue maintenance and services while in the field. These discussions culminated in the live demonstration of a ser vice-station resupply and refuel-on-the-move to illustrate the transitions between resupply and maneuver. Day 3 Day 3 of AOS started with SME discus sion and a leader panel in the morn ing, focused on the combined-arms breach and gap crossing facilitated by the engineer platoon assigned to 2-34 Armor. Leaders from the task force fo cused on familiarizing Polish leaders and soldiers with the planning factors, coordination requirements and best practices regarding a breach and gap crossing for Abrams formations. The discussion concluded with introducing Polish soldiers to the echeloning of fires, breaching fundamentals, en ablers needed to conduct a breach, mineplow and roller operations, and sustainment operations during breach ing. Following these discussions, Polish Land Forces senior leaders, Polish soldiers and all cohorts moved to the gunnery-range viewing stand for the final event. Following remarks from both Polish and American senior leaders, AOS con cluded with the decisive operation, the live-fire demonstration of a com bined-arms breach and gap crossing. This culminating event displayed all the lessons-learned during the three days of AOS, showing the Abrams tank in operation as part of a combined-arms team. A tank company, the engineer platoon, one Bradley platoon and the battalion mortar platoon conducted a com bined-arms breach demonstration. On order, Company B uncoiled from their tactical assembly area. Employing the characteristics of the offense, Company B maneuvered from low ground and used surprise to establish sup port-by-fire positions. They acted au daciously by aggressively engaging tar getry while simultaneously maneuver ing their breaching elements. With the enemy suppressed, engineer assets were able to use a Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) to gain assured mobility against the protective obstacle (an Figure 4. SFC Carlo Martínez Ruiz, a tank-company motor sergeant assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, teaches a class on sustainment to Polish soldiers as apart of AOS in the motorpool at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, April 26, 2022. (U. S. Army National Guard photo by SGT Tara Fajardo Arteaga) anti-tank ditch). The JAB created a crossing for the advancing tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles to flow di rectly into reverse breaching operations. With the support-by-fire set and the assault element staged and ready to attack, the engineers went to work employing bangalores to breach the wire obstacle. The battalion assaulted through the breach immediately following its reduction. Firepower and maneuver al lowed the assaulting element to maintain tempo through the breach, seizing the enemy-based objective on the far side of the breached obstacle. The impressive display of the Abrams main battle tank slewing tank turrets, whining engines and churning track during a combined-arms breach definitively solidified and demonstrated the Unit ed States’ commitment to its NATO al lies. Conclusion Although AOS was initially briefed as a three-day crash course that would introduce critical concepts related to combined-arms tactics, sustainment, organization and master gunners to Polish soldiers, the impact ended up being far greater and of more strategic importance than expected. USA REUR-AF and V Corps have highlighted AOS as a model for future engagements with other NATO countries. Also, planners are looking to incorporate the AOS model for the fielding of other equipment, including air-defense artillery and the M142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System. AOS generated significant discussions between the U. Sand Polish Land Forces, and there are now two more follow-up joint training programs (the Abrams Apprentice Program and Abrams Tank Training Academy) and a request from Polish GENCOM for a lo gistics-focused summit to occur later in 2022. The tough, realistic training for the Polish tank crews and familiarization on the Abrams’ capabilities and sys tems was a big step in increasing Po land’s lethality. AOS was significant strategic steppingstone in assuring NATO allies that, together with the United States, they can rapidly surge combat power across all warfighting functions to maintain overmatch and increase lethality against adversaries. CPT Tyler Elrod commands Company A, 2-34 Armor, 1st ABCT, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, KS. Previous assign ments include plans officer, 2-34 Armor; and battalion S-4, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment, 2nd ABCT, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA. CPT Elrod also served as a platoon leader, executive officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company executive officer and battalion maintenance officer while assigned to 2-69 Armor. His military schools include Cavalry Leader’s Course (CLC), Maneuver Captain’s Career Course (MCCC), and Armor Basic Officer Leader’s Course (ABOLC). He has a bachelor’s of arts degree in political science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. CPT Elrod assisted with the planning and executed AOS during Operation Atlantic Resolve and Multi-Mission Assure and Deter. CPT Cory Fetterolf commands Company B, 2-34 Armor. Previous assign ments include battalion maintenance officer, 2-34 Armor, 1st ABCT, 1st Infantry Division; and deputy G-37/G-35, 1st Infantry Division Forward, Poznan, Po land. He also served as a platoon lead er, executive officer and distribution-platoon leader while assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. CPT Fetterolf’s military schools in clude CLC, MCCC and ABOLC. He has a bachelor’s of arts degree in criminal justice from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and a master’s de gree in public administration from Columbus State University. CPT Fetterolf assisted with the planning and executed AOS during Operation Atlantic Re solve and Multi-Mission Assure and Deter. Notes 1 “1st Infantry Division Support to the Polish Abrams Tank Program,” 1st Infantry Di vision, Poznan, Poland, June 15, 2022. Figure 5. Polish soldiers stand at an observation point as M1A2 Abrams tanks pass by during a range walk as apart of a master-gunner class during AOS at Bucierz Range, Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, April 26, 2022. (U. S. Army National Guard photo by SPC Hedil Hernández) Acronym Quick-Scan AAR – after-action review ABCT – armored brigade combat team ABOLC – Armor Basic Officer Leader’s Course AOS – Abrams Operations Summit BII – basic-issue item CLC – Cavalry Leader’s Course DOTMLPF-P – doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership/education, personnel, facilities and policy DPTA – Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area (Poland) FMT – field-maintenance team FRS – forward-repair system FSC – forward-support company GENCOM – General Command IWTS – Integrated Weapons Training Strategy continued next page

JAB – Joint Assault Bridge MCCC – Maneuver Captain’s Career Course NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization NCO – noncommissioned officer PMCS – preventive-maintenance checks and services PoI – program of instruction SME – subject-matter expert UMCP – unit-maintenance collection point USAEUR-AF – U. S. Army Europe and Africa Acronym Quick-Scan