2010 Fires Seminar - Fort Sill, OK

[Randal Knight]

MG Halverson Notes – State of the Fires
MG Halverson, (Commander of the Fires Center of Excellence, FCoE), discussed a wide array of topics during his portion of the seminar. Some of which included a discussion on the integration of Fires Doctrine with the ACC, 3-0, and Army Operating Concepts. MG Halverson said that we must set the intellectual foundation to stay relevant in today’s operating environment and that we have to have the right approach to maintain our core competencies at all levels.
He also took time to elaborate and dispel some “myths” about the Fires community. Some of his key points were that the Fires Force is a deployed force, adding that Field Artillery units are firing between 4000-6000 rounds per month in OEF and fire support is being used at all levels. And, AC and ARNG Air Defense units are deployed or preparing for deployment with CRAM missions, with 42% of the current Patriot force is forward stationed or deployed.
MG Halverson also spoke of issues that the FCoE is currently. Some of the points of this discussion were:
1.) What Fires C2 capabilities are required at various echelons?
2.) What Fires capabilities are required at the IBCT level?
Precision, near precision, conventional munitions mix
Organic v. task organized
Possible composite units
3.) What AMD capabilities are required at the tactical levels?
BCT – Corps
IFPC/C-RAM/CUAS/ and CMD
Lastly, he discussed his Top 6 Fires Gaps where he mentioned that these were the areas that needed to be addressed as we move forward as a Center of Excellence. There was then an open discussion on how best to address the shortfalls:
1.) Lack of organic precision indirect Fires capabilities in the IBCT
2.) Lack of ability to detect, ID, track and intercept Low/Slow UAS threats to the lowest tactical level (BCT –Div)
3.) Lack of lightweight accurate target location designation systems to support dismounted Soldiers in the IBCT
4.) Lack of ability to protect forces from rocket, artillery, and mortar projectiles down to the lowest tactical level
5.) Lack of an Accurate 360 degree targeting capability to accurately employ munitions at extended ranges (BCT – FiB(Div))
6.) Lack of ability to integrate Army and JIIM air missile defense capabilities across all echelons

For more of MG Halverson’s remarks and to watch other Fires Seminar briefings, log on to DCO-Connect at:
https://connect.dco.dod.mil/r75632489
Also, the presentations that speakers give will be posted on the Fires Knowledge Network on AKO.

[Steve Blair]

Thanks for the updates on the seminar.

[Randal Knight]

Mr. Dale Ormond – Deputy Commander of the Combine Arms Center
Leader Development

For his brief, Mr. Ormond reiterated a fact that in the past, situational awareness came from a top-down approach, but now it comes from the bottom-up. He said that today, we need creative thinkers and adaptive leaders in the Army and on today’s battlefields. He relayed to the audience that it was GEN Dempsey’s number one priority.
Mr. Ormond discussed how, when we begin our initial entry phases of our Army experience, we place a significant emphasis on tactically training our men and women and how, as we move up in rank, we train less and less. This has led to a slippery slope in some regards to where there are perceptions that you have to “stay in the fight” in order to move up in rank and that these people have been unable, or have little, broadening experiences. He mentioned that having these different experiences and learning other perspectives allow for success at a strategic level. A 40-minute discussion began immediate following his brief on several issues ranging from how to best implement CCC (among other courses) to building competencies in an era persistent conflict. It was a great discussion and highly encourage people to check out video on DCO.

[William F. Owen]

Thanks for the updates on the seminar.

Concur. Good job.

[William F. Owen]

[B]
2.) Lack of ability to detect, ID, track and intercept Low/Slow UAS threats to the lowest tactical level (BCT –Div)

Concur. This is a major problem.

3.) Lack of lightweight accurate target location designation systems to support dismounted Soldiers in the IBCT

Why? The equipment exists and is even combat proven

[Xenophon]

3.) Lack of lightweight accurate target location designation systems to support dismounted Soldiers in the IBCT

1) A compass, binos, a protractor, and a map are not that heavy.
2) The VECTOR system is fielded, works pretty well, and is not that heavy.

Look at your target location training, and fix it. Then look at your PT program, and fix that. If both of those are good and you're still having problems, then look at a new system.

[SethB]

I don't know what gear they use, but a 13F assigned to the 75th Regiment carries around 120 pounds of gear.

Highlight of the show, for me, was the M119A3. A digital 105MM howitzer. Much easier to lay.

[SC6KFG68]

Joint Training, JFCOM CDR, GEN Mattis (0930-1015)
GEN Mattis’s briefing had several key points, some of which discussed were Adaptability, Trust, Spirit of Collaboration, and the Human Innovation. On Adaptability, GEN Mattis discussed how we must be fit to fight and cannot allow the enemy to dictate how we fight. He spoke on how we need to make sure we remain dominate yet relevant at the same time. He also mentioned that we are losing our precision dominance and must move toward distributive operations. Trust was an area that GEN Mattis discussed in great length. For the joint community, trust is the point of the realm in joint and coalition operations, and that success and failure are based on the level of trust that is developed between our joint and coalition partners. From a maneuver perspective, GEN Mattis offered that trust allows us to move quickly against the enemy. Another topic for GEN Mattis was the spirit of collaboration. He mentioned that no nation is strong enough to stand on its own and defend the values it hopes to continue. Along those same lines he spoke of the race for the narrative – getting the first word out in the battle of the information age- must be embraced by all leaders and commanders. Questions included use of EW within the Joint and Coalition spectrum, sharing of TTPs with our allies, and how to work interagency issues.

Good discussion on future Coalition warfare and where we are going in the Joint realm.

[SC6KFG68]

LTG Vane spoke on what Army forces need to do - require a need to be executed in moderation and balance to achieve set goals – a centralized idea that drives strategic planning and leader development. He said that we have to allow Soldiers to connect with Industry, and that we have to leverage the prototype phase of development earlier. He transitioned to stating that we have to get our minds right of sending products to the field in order to identify risks and redundancies. He asked the audience to recognize that incremental improvements are a high priority as we move forward against an adaptive enemy. We must update the acquistion process to gain efficiencies. A prolonged discussion on how the Army acquires emerging systems ensued during the question and answer period.

"Buy less, more often" was a large discussion point for the group - we are doing it and have been doing it - is it better or worse, more expensive or cheaper?

[SC6KFG68]

Lt Gen Remington had a relatively short brief discussing the current warfighting dynamic in Korea. From the chain of command structure to the Joint Combined Fires Planning, Lt Gen Remington discussed areas and hurdles that both help and limit his ability to command his forces. At the conclusion of the brief, there was a lengthy Q&A session where questions ranged from how long range fires capabilities play into the Joint/Combine Fires planning in Korea to whether or not the architecture exists for Army JFOs to provide targeting data to JTACs located further from the DMZ if conflict were to break out.