1. INFORMATION PAPER
AFVC-DAB-1SG
25 JAN 16
SUBJECT: Preparing for a Decisive Action Training Environment
1. Purpose: To provide the leaders of 3BCT, 82ND ABN DIV guidance
in their preparation for a Decisive Action Training
Environment at the Joint Readiness Training Center.
2. Facts:
a. Critical to the successful preparation of a unit for a
Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE) rotation is a
clear understanding, by all senior and junior leaders, of
what demarcates a Decisive Action environment. This type of
operational environment converges combined arms maneuver
with wide-area security operations, which proved
challenging for the 1-508th leadership population, a
population predominately molded from their individual
operational experiences in Counterinsurgency (COIN)
environments.
b. A DATE rotation presents a complex threat environment
consisting of a near-peer conventional threat, a
paramilitary threat and a criminal network, all of which
are simultaneously competing collectively and/or
unilaterally for control of both the physical terrain and
host-nation population. This type of environment required
1-508th to conduct simultaneous offensive and defensive
operations to defeat both armor and paramilitary enemy
forces, while synchronously shaping civil conditions via
more familiar COIN stability operations. Balancing these
operational requirements required versatile, adaptive, and
flexible leaders, empowered by effective Mission Command,
who were comfortable operating in an ambiguous and rapidly
evolving environment.
c. A DATE rotation requires flexible Mission Command at all
levels, e.g. units knowing they have the operational
lateral ability to exercise disciplined operational
initiative, enabling rapid responses for unexpected
operational changes. An adequately shared understanding of
the Operational Environment and a clear task and purpose
are essential to a unit’s success. The lack of a clearly
demarcated and disseminated Operational Environment and

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Common Operating Picture significantly limited the 1-
508th’s ability to apply Mission Command at all levels.
Prior to entering a DATE rotation, all units must ensure
their leaders possess an adequate understanding of the
Operational Environment and their operational purpose.
d. Successful application of the elements of Combined Arms
Maneuver is critical in achieving offensive and defensive
objectives in a Decisive Action environment. Integrating
mounted and dismounted forces, e.g. nonorganic assets such
as, the M1126 Stryker Combat Vehicle and M2/M3A3 Bradley
Fighting Vehicle and organic mounted anti-tank sections,
with dismounted Paratroopers, greatly improved 1-508th’s
lethality and ability to control the operational tempo.
Units need to maximize combined arms training opportunities
that increase leader understanding on how to successfully
apply nonorganic assets, i.e. mobile anti-tank
capabilities, mobile indirect fire platforms, and medical
evacuation capabilities.
e. Maneuver units must incorporate and develop proficiency
with their anti-tank capabilities, e.g. the FGM-148
Javelin. The near-peer conventional armorer threat that a
DATE rotation presents, was the threat that most challenged
the leaders and Paratroopers of 1-508th. Javelin gunnery
training on Fort Bragg is limited to Digital Skills
Training systems available through the Fort Bragg Training
and Support Center. Leaders across the formation must
incorporate Javelin gunnery training in unit training
methodologies, to include simulating the weight of both the
Command Launch Unit and Javelin Missile during dismounted
maneuvers. Moreover, units must develop a basic
understanding in developing anti-tank engagement areas in a
woodland environment.
f. In preparation for a DATE rotation, units must integrate
and stress their sustainment systems throughout every
preparatory training event. This includes incorporating
sustainment-training exercises that replicate sustainment
units operating at diminished organizational strengths.
Thus, enabling support companies to identify and implement
priority-task lists that ultimately limit the effect of
diminished support capabilities on maneuver units.
g. A balanced training methodology is critical to a successful
DATE rotation. Leadership must develop and integrate a

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disciplined and balanced methodology focused on reinforcing
physical and mental endurance, tolerance for operational
ambiguity, and familiarity in mutually supporting adjacent
units. Thus, integrating a progressive training model that
familiarizes units in seizing terrain, defending terrain,
and always prepared to establish and conduct stability
operations. Units must incorporate offensive, defensive,
and stability operation tasks into their unit METL and
compliment practical exercise opportunities with a robust
paralleled LPD program designed to educate and reinforce
offensive and defensive principles across the formation. An
unbalanced training methodology will quickly reveal itself
in a DATE rotation.
h. Successfully negotiating the complexity of a DATE rotation,
demands leaders capitalize and further develop the existing
COIN doctrinal knowledge and TTPs within their units. The
collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination of
information is critical from the brigade to the platoon
level. The integration of a CoIST would have provided 1-
508th commanders with increased operational clarity and
more reaction time and maneuver capability.
i. A DATE rotation presents a full replication at forcible
entry into an austere operational environment, an
operational environment that will be at its clearest at the
beginning of the operation, and that will rapidly degrade
as the environment matures. Becoming comfortable with
operating in ambiguity was key to Bravo Company, 1/508th’s
success in a Decisive Action rotation. Bravo Company
accomplished this with the integration of platoon-level
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercises (EDRE) into its
training methodology. Platoon EDREs, comprised by no-
notice, force-on-force tactical missions, designed to
complement the Company’s offensive and defensive METL
tasks, forced leaders from the platoon to team leader
level, to operate within a condensed planning timeline in
order to accomplish a specified mission. Additionally,
these exercises tested operational readiness, and enabled
leaders to become comfortable with planning, operating, and
completing objectives in an ambiguous and evolving
operational environment.
1SG Sean Richards (910)973-0075
Approved by: LTC Justin Y. Reese