COLUMBUS, Oh. – Observer coach/trainers from the 1-362 Regiment Air Defense Artillery, 157th Combined Arms Training Brigade (CATB), First Army Division East recently partnered with the 174th Air Defense Artillery Mission Command Element for a culminating training event, or CTE, to validate the unit for their upcoming deployment in support of U.S. European Command operations.

The CTE provided the MCE the opportunity to train both their leadership and staff functions utilizing their mission command systems in a computer simulation of daily operations with 1-362 ADA supplying challenges, or injects, ranging from simulated Equal Opportunity complaints to notional deaths in the field.

“The purpose of the exercise is to prepare the brigade and its staff to assume command and control over [Regular Army] and [Army National Guard] Air Defense Patriot and Avenger Battalions within the European theater of operations,” explains Maj. Kedra Williams, the operations officer for 1-362 ADA. “This exercise provides an important opportunity for the staff to develop and validate their processes prior to integrating with forward deployed air defense systems.”

1-362 ADA OC/Ts have worked with 174 ADA over the past year conducting multiple staff exercises and command post exercises leading up to this validation exercise, but 174th ADA Brigade Operations Sgt. Maj. Anthony Fish says the partnership goes back several years.

“Our brigade has been working in conjunction with our 157th [CATB] partners since about 2008. Prior to our brigade’s activation, the 157th team worked with the two Air Defense battalions in Ohio for many years. The 157th team has provided external coaching and evaluation for three Ohio Mission Command Element rotations as well as several missions in support of the Integrated Air Defense of the National Capital Region.”

Fish continued to say the 157th CATB’s collective experience benefits the Army Reserve component units greatly.

“I have been training with the 1-362 ADA OC/Ts since the mid to late 1990s,” Fish said. “This most recent rotation of exercises and training events has been the best in which I have ever participated. The level of professionalism and cooperation of the trainers and the trainees should be the model for the rest of the Army when attempting to combine [Active Component] and [Reserve Component] units.”

The 174 ADA Brigade MCE will deploy in support of USEUCOM later this year in order to assure NATO allies of U.S. Commitment to the alliance, deter aggression against the alliance, improve allied interoperability and support USEUCOM contingency plans.