Advice on how to best prepare for JRTC?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 May 2021 13:03:44 -0400

I have been a team leader for a long time now, but due to a medical situation with one of our squad leaders, have just been upgraded to a squad leader to fill a spot for an upcoming JRTC rotation. I know the basic leadership stuff, but as for being a 12B what can I focus my time on in the next few weeks to be mentally prepared for JRTC? We are attached to a light infantry unit and will be light ourselves. I am assuming all the normal demo and what not, but what else?? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 19 at 2021 2:13 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 19 May 2021 14:13:30 -0400

TACSOP for tactics.
TLP for communicating with the squad and leadership tasks.
OPORD to see the big picture and the requisite methodology for planning.

I would definitely put priority on the TACSOP. Study it over and over again until you know it like the back of your hand. The key to military operations is being keenly understanding of tactics. There is not much time to think. Thinking slows down the unit. Slow units get killed.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2021 3:27 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 May 2021 15:27:35 -0400

Talk to your EWO about the EMCON plan and tactics to use. the CTCs are getting heavy into Electronic Warfare.

Response by SSG Paul Headlee made May 19 at 2021 3:40 PM

SSG Paul Headlee — Wed, 19 May 2021 15:40:32 -0400

Lead your guys. Sounds too generalized, huh? During the winter of '89-'90 I had an Engineer team attached to my squad (mostly for transportation and chow purposes, as they had their own Engineer mission that had nothing to do with what my squad did) in ROK. Even though one of them was a Sergeant E-5 I erred on the side of caution and included them in my safety brief and general instructions. I specifically told them to not sit in the track doing nothing as it was about 10 below and windy most days. I also stated to all that if someone couldn't get warm to come see me. Our track heater never worked the entire year I was there. The parts were on perpetual BO, just like the cheese slices for omelets in the mess hall. At night it was in the minus 20's. Well none of my 9 guys suffered any cold weather injuries beyond the usual cracked lips and bloody noses. One day 3 of the 4 Engineers were medevaced back to Casey for frostbite, one being the Sergeant. We finished up the FTX and went in. I got a notice to report to the CDR's office. There, an Engineer Major read me my rights. Unfuckingbelieveable. When all the testimony was recorded and reviewed I was cleared and the SGT was reduced to SP4. Be involved with your troops and have an understanding of their needs. You've probably already got skill level 1 and 2 down pat. Ask lots of questions and learn what the Infantry is trying to accomplish. Have your guys help out with perimeter security when they can. It will be appreciated. See this as a fun chance to learn what other people do and next time you'll go into it with confidence that comes from actual experience. Good luck on your rotation!

Response by MAJ Matthew Arnold made May 19 at 2021 3:51 PM

MAJ Matthew Arnold — Wed, 19 May 2021 15:51:55 -0400

Bring snickers bars. You're always on the move, sometimes miss meals, and always hungry.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 19 at 2021 4:58 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 19 May 2021 16:58:18 -0400

Make a sensitive items list and tell the soldiers to take baby wipes and OFF.

Response by PFC Chester Southworth made May 19 at 2021 7:03 PM

PFC Chester Southworth — Wed, 19 May 2021 19:03:33 -0400

Wake up at 5 AM get more training done and work before 9AM.

Response by SGT Jeffrey Bailey made May 19 at 2021 7:50 PM

SGT Jeffrey Bailey — Wed, 19 May 2021 19:50:49 -0400

One thing everything you do or your team does is for real. By this I mean they are evaluating you on how you can handle real life situations. Being a former 12B myself I have been there twice back in 1997 so I know nothing about it now. Back to it being real you or your soldiers actions can get you in trouble. I don’t know if you have ever been to Ft. Polk? If not know this it on Louisiana and it is VERY HOT AND HUMID. In the winter it is brutal. This paragraph is all over the place sorry. When you see the fire markers or people on atvs, you are about to get attacked. Train all your soldiers to know their job and yours. We jumped in and as soon as we hit the tarmac they immediately took out all the leaders leaving us I was an E4 at the time to take on and complete the mission. When this happens you have to take all of the other leaders equipment as they are now dead. You have to evenly distribute it to each other yes it will be heavy. So prepare for this. There will be a lot of down time. As for finishing send a couple people to turn all the miles gear and issue you get there and head back to the rear and then be first to order pizza. When this is over you will all party cause that place is crazy have fun and remember you are being evaluated on EVERYTHING. Last thing do not argue with any of the COBs civilian on battlefield. Thanks for your service Sapper.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made May 20 at 2021 6:59 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Thu, 20 May 2021 06:59:13 -0400

Man. Landgren has great points. Get the Tacsop and ask your PLT. Sgt. and LT. To go over it with you and the other Sqad leaders to discuss scenarios that will an may occur. You then bring that down a notch and do the same with your squad. Repeat again and again during down time. As for the leadership piece, you have it or they would not have elevated you. Listen to your squad, hear what they say. Never be afraid to ask your peers questions, and always speak with the PLT. Sgt.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 20 at 2021 2:17 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 20 May 2021 14:17:05 -0400

Here is an idea. Make the teams give TACSOP classes. It will make them study the TACSOP, and the training more interesting.

Response by SSG Christopher Peters made May 21 at 2021 1:21 AM

SSG Christopher Peters — Fri, 21 May 2021 01:21:54 -0400

Practice reaction to contact drills. Being attached to your light infantry, they'll conduct the movement to the OBJ, but you'll need to fight as infantry until they need you breaching skills for forced entry on a MOUT site. Shuggart Gordon, is complex, and in making your sand tables be sure to highlight your multi-storied structures, in order to foreshadow machine gun/ crew serve emplacements. Have your saw gunners augment the infantry's machine gun teams. Remember Violence of Action, and Overwhelming firepower creates designed situations!
Good Luck and God's Speed Sapper! Essayons!

Response by SGT Ed Walden made May 21 at 2021 7:33 PM

SGT Ed Walden — Fri, 21 May 2021 19:33:06 -0400

As a former OPFOR ar JRTC.

Understand that the OPFOR knows your TTP's. They know what youre going to do and how youre likely to do it. Do the best job you can and the best tou can for your people. Also understand that your attitude will be refoected by your troops.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 22 at 2021 7:04 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 May 2021 07:04:44 -0400

It’s been years for me, but JRTC had crawl/walk/run built in to it. Don’t sweat it, just let it.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2021 1:24 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 23 May 2021 13:24:04 -0400

JRTC was the last major training event I went to before I got out. I was in the exact same situation, as I was an e5 in a SL spot. The unit we were attached to was ate the hell up and made JRTC have a made to lose feel to it.

The ONLY worthwhile training we got to do is the live fire range if you get to do it. It is a joint attack with infantry, engineer, armor and attack helicopter elements that is pretty awesome. We got to stay for two rotations of the live fire and it was some of the best training I conducted in the National Guard. It is also the only event that is driven by the lower levels of leadership, like Captains and below, and thus the communication was much better between all those involved and the performances of all the elements were much better.

I feel that there is a little less put on you in the joint situation because you are attached to infantry and they just want you to do your job during the live fire. We were a squad attached to a platoon, and we were already short dudes, so I was the only one attached to the infantry squad I was with. Thus all I was in charge of was breaching doors, or breaching the primary obstacle for the live fire. You'll have to build your own charges and they will be expected to function, so if that is a weakness then study up beforehand. The 12b cadre in charge of the engineers in the live fire are absolute madlads who know their stuff.

However, actually going to the box is totally different and what makes or breaks the experience is the communication of the upper levels of leadership. We were one of the few units from our home state of Kentucky and the rest were from Indiana and Illinois.

The problem was that the other guard units we were attached to completely forgot we existed until they needed 12b support. And then immediately after all communications would cease and we would be left behind literally with no communication and no idea what to do next. When we would try to radio for instruction, it was like they had literally forgot what our callsign was. It was a mess.

They once left one of our squads behind to set up a wire roadblock for about one whole week of the exercise alone and in place with no communication or supplies. Finally the cadre had to call and let them know that they had left one of our trucks behind and they had no water or food to eat. They had since pulled WAY out of radio range. They pulled four of us to pull security for a TUAS platoon with no support from said platoon. Which is impossible to do to try and set up any kind of security situation with four dudes with m4s. I was one of the guys chosen for this and we eventually had to implement a two up two down situation for anybody to get any sleep and got Geronimo'd before we could react.

The opfor (Geronimo) is very good. Both strategically and tactically. Very rarely can you catch them making any sort of mistake. Our only "easy" engagement was one when of their joes got separated and was trying to cheat his way back to the rest of his platoon by cutting through an open field. It was 1 on 30 that time. But it was literally the ONLY time we had the upper hand.

You are also not guaranteed to "succeed" the mission like you are in some training events. Geronimo stalled our final attack, killed the initial assault and then the training ended. We never even made it to the city.

I shot a pilot out of one of their helicopters which was probably the highlight of my time in the box.

I think it would be better if you attached to one of your home brigades or divisions. My NTC experience was pretty similar. We kept getting attached to other units and they kept forgetting we were attached to them. We as a group did much better in NTC over JRTC though and I suspect that was because we weren't pulled in squad sized elements all over NTC like we were JRTC.

If you go in the summer time you won't get any sleep because the heat and humidity is godawful. And I thought I was from a hot and humid place in the summer. There were times I slept nekkid to try and not sweat so much and I once tried to get up and my bug net was glued to my skin.

It was worth going because of the week of live fire we did. But I found little training value out of the rest of it, other than communication was maybe the most important thing on the battlefield when maneuvering that huge of a force.

Response by SP6 Rodney Fennell made May 26 at 2021 7:00 PM

SP6 Rodney Fennell — Wed, 26 May 2021 19:00:22 -0400

Knots and understanding demo and how to be safe

Response by SP6 Rodney Fennell made Aug 18 at 2021 7:38 PM

SP6 Rodney Fennell — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 19:38:49 -0400

Bring a comfy pillow