On today”s battlefield, approximately four to five support soldiers back up each combat-arms soldier, especially in an armored brigade task force. The reason for this becomes clear when considering the fuel, food and ammunition required on a daily basis by these units. As it has been throughout history, support units are vital lifelines to a successful campaign.
As the U.S. Army moves beyond counter-insurgency training to preparing to fight a near peer competitor in unified land operations, the need for fully modernized and tactically sound support units is crucial.
During Combined Resolve VII, which is a 7th Army Training Command, U.S. Army Europe-directed exercise taking place at the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas, Aug. 8 to Sept. 15, 2016, the 3rd Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division personnel train to face the fight head-on with new and improved techniques.
The battalion commander, Lt. Col. Will Arnold, likes what he is seeing in his unit, especially as they train with multinational forces from NATO allies and partner nations. Since last summer, Arnold” entire brigade has been the Regionally Allocated Force to Europe. This mission has brought them to Europe several times over the last year.