1. Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd ABCT, 4th Inf. Div. Issue 127 July 12, 2013
‘Warhorse’ battle tested, battle readyStory by Staff Sgt. Andrew Porch
Photos by Sgt. Marcus Fichtl
2nd ABCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
F
ORT IRWIN, Calif. – A month-long exercise in the Mojave
Desert concluded July 5 for more than 3,500 Soldiers from
the “Warhorse” Brigade at the National Training Center, Fort
Irwin, Calif.
The training event, which began June 4, focused on the 2nd ABCT,
4th Inf. Div., conducting multiple training objectives including
offensive operations, defensive operations, movement to contact
operations, logistical resupply and key leader engagements.
“In 21 years in the Army and 10 rotations at training centers, I
have never seen a brigade combat team come out with a better state
of readiness or to have been so successful as 2nd brigade was,” said
Lt. Col. Andrew Koloski, deputy commanding officer, 2nd ABCT, 4th
Inf. Div.
“Warhorse” Soldiers took advantage of the wide open spaces at NTC
to conduct training from company through brigade levels in order to
prepare for a hybrid threat.
“Training here gives us the flexibility to maneuver on open ground
against a common enemy with similar capabilities and maneuver
through an urban environment while destroying an insurgent treat,”
said Capt. Nicholas Rinaldi, commander, Company C, 1st Bn., 67th
Armor Reg, 2nd ABCT.
Rinaldi, who has been in command a few months, said he cherished
the training with his Soldiers.
“It’s great and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” said Rinaldi. “These
guys work extremely hard to make sure that our vehicles are ready to
go, that they are trained properly and when we execute a mission, they
always succeed.”
Soldiers also said they enjoyed the training.
“The training was pretty good,” said Spc. Christopher Drawbond,
armor crewman, Company C, 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg. “This was the
first time I have really done force-on-force training.”
Soldiersof2ndSpecialTroopsBattalion,2ndABCTprovidesecurityforameetingbetweenmilitaryandlocalcivilianleadersduringatrainingrotationtotheNationalTrainingCenter,
FortIrwin,Calif.,June24.Soldiersatalllevelsparticipatedinthesimulatedkeyleaderengagementsthatfocusedonthebrigade’sabilitytointeractwithalocalpopulationandbuild
relations.
2. Warhorse PridePage 2 Issue 127 July 12, 2013
Soldiersof2ndABCTreceivepraisefromCol.OmarJones,commander,2ndABCT,4th
Inf.Div.,duringanawardceremonytowardtheendoftheunit’srotationtotheNational
TrainingCenter,FortIrwin,Calif.,July1.
The Warhorse Pride is produced in the interest of the
Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division. The Warhorse Pide is an Army-funded news-
letter authorized under provision of AR 360-1.
Contents of the Warhorse Pride are not necessarily
the view of, nor endorsed by the U.S. government,
Department of Defense, Department of the Army
or the 4th Infantry Division. All editorial content of
The Warhorse Pride is prepared, edited, provided and
approved by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public
Affairs Office.
The Warhorse Pride welcomes articles, commentary
and photos from readers. The Warhorse Pride
reserves the right to edit submissions selected for the
publication.
All issues of The Warhorse Pride can be viewed
online from your home computer at www.facebook.
com/2bct4id
Submissions should be e-mailed to the editor:
andrew.a.porch.mil@mail.mil
Col. Omar Jones IV........................2nd BCT Commander
Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Lehtonen....2nd BCT CSM
Maj. Chris Maestas.................................................PAO OIC
Staff Sgt. Andrew Porch..................................PAO NCOIC
Staff Sgt. Ruth Pagan.........................Layout and Design
Sgt. Marcus Fichtl.......................................................Editor
Warhorse Pride
Soldiersof2ndABCTstandinlineforapre-manifestastheypreparetoleaveNational
TrainingCenter,FortIrwin,Calif.,July2,. TheSoldiersrodeabus,aridethatlasted17-20
hours.
Prior to conducting the brigade force-on-force training,
Drawbond and his unit participated in battalion level live fire training.
“It was definitely an eye-opening experience,” said Drawbond.
“You have to be cognizant of a lot more, and know what the units to
your left and right are doing at all times.”
Brigade senior leadership said the Soldiers came prepared to
accomplish any mission thrown at them during the challenging month.
“Whether it was a Soldier pumping fuel from a support
battalion or a loader on a tank from one of our two combined arms
battalions; from the entire spectrum everyone had to be on their game
in order for the brigade to succeed,” said Koloski. “I think the Soldiers
at all levels were really challenged and they brought all of their training
in their military occupation specialty to bear.”
Rinaldi echoed Koloski’s statement and said that while his
Soldiers came into the exercise well trained, they came out of it with
more knowledge and skills.
“The Soldiers are extremely well trained,” said Rinaldi. “This
is our second collective training exercise, and I thought we were
completely trained after Pinon Canyon. We came out here and learned
a whole bunch of new things. Everyone learned something out here.”
Koloski said attending a major training center is a very
important part to preparing for deployment.
“Do everything in your power to come to The National
Training Center or go to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort
Polk, La., because those are where your final skills are honed and where
you are really tested,” he said.
With an upcoming mission to deploy to Kuwait later this year
as the U.S. Central Command theatre reserve, the brigade leadership
said they feel the brigade is ready for anything.
“Coming out of here, this is probably the most prepared and
ready brigade in the United States Army,” said Koloski.
Spc.LindseyHoke,intelligenceanalyst,HHT,2ndSTB, operatestheradioofaHumvee
duringthe2ndABCT’srotationtotheNationalTrainingCenter,June.23,2013.
3. 3-16 FAR
Dyanne Beckman.........................................................526-1635
dyanne.m.beckman.civ@mail.mil
1-67 AR
SGT James Riggs...........................................................524-1476
james.g.riggs.mil@mail.mil
204th BSB
MSG Nolan Johnson....................................................526-3696
nolan.j.johnson.mil@mail.mil
2-8 IN
UrsulaPittman...........................................................526-0727
ursula.t.pittman.civ@mail.mil
2 STB
SGT Tanisha Scott..............................................503-2602
tanisha.m.scott.mil@mail.mil
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2nd ABCT
Valarie Adams............................................................524-4797
valarie.a.adams.civ@mail.mil
1-10 CAV
FrancyArvizu..............................................................526-2051
francy.arvizu.civ@mail.mil
FRSA Information
Family Readiness GroupPage 3 Issue 127 July 12, 2013
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13 14 15 16 17 18Jazz in the Garden @ Garce
and St. Stephen’s Episcopal
Church
7:00 p.m.
Tribe with Susan Rissman @
Stargazers Theatre and Event
Center
8:00 p.m.
Babette’s Bastille Day
Cabaret @ The Millibo Art
Theater
9:00 p.m.
$15
Native American Intertribal
Festival and Traditional Pow-
wow @ Freedom Financial
Services Expo Center
10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Second Sunday Jazz Affair
@ Olympian Plaza Reception
and Event Center
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
$10
Popsicle Bike Ride @ Ameri-
ca the Beautiful Park
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
“In a Dark Dark House”
@ Funky Little Theater
Company
7:30 p.m.
$10
Full Moon Hike @ Cheyenne
Mountain State Park
8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Public Free Day @ Colorado
Springs Fine Arts Center
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Colorado Springs Conserv-
tory Scenes and Opera
Performance @ Colorado
College, Edith Kinney Gay-
lord Cornerstone Arts Center
7:00 p.m.
Beauty and the Beast @
The Simpich Showcase Mari-
onette Theatre
2:30 p.m.
$12- $14
Passage: the Bible Experi-
ence @ Passage the Bible
Experience
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m
Black and White Fine Art
Photography Exhibition @
The London Commercial
Group
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
First Adventure with Nature
@ Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
8:45 a.m.
$18.25
Visit www.coloradosprings.com for more info
