The Asymmetric Warfare Group, the “operational arm” of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, is leveraging Network Integration Evaluation 13.2′s multi-echelon training and live mission sets wherein Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, are conducting tactical operations.

Referring to the Asymmetric Warfare Group, or AWG, because the Army’s global scouts, Lt. Gen. Keith C. Walker, deputy commanding general of Futures, and director of Army Capabilities Integration Center, said the crowd will work with Soldiers to spot new capability needs because the Army becomes regionally aligned inside the world.

“The benefit of Fort Bliss (Texas), the [Network Integration Evaluation] and the whole Second Brigade, First Armored Division, is these Soldiers visit the sphere every six months in an operational environment,” said Walker. “They evaluate new capabilities and it gives the Asymmetric Warfare Group another important venue to get views of Soldiers to take a look at out new ideas. Whether it’s doctrine, organization [or] training, it’s an incredible venue.”

“As we glance on the way forward for rapid acquisition at the materiel side and the rapid development of alternative ideas for doctrine, organization and coaching — the Asymmetric Warfare Group’s involvement with [Network Integration Evaluation] is very large and there’s tremendous amount of potential to that,” added Walker.

According to military officials, Network Integration Evaluation, or NIE, is important to the military because these events get operationally-tested equipment to Soldiers faster and at less cost. Along with providing operational validation of network capability, the NIE also provides integrated training, techniques and procedures, enhancing a unit’s ability to avoid, Shape and Win.

“The NIE is a massive point of synergy for the military to know its emerging capabilities and to collaborate with other organizations to start out to anticipate future operational challenges,” said Maj. Scott Bailey, a test and evaluation officer with AWG’s Concepts and Integration Squadron. “You certainly have the latest technology that units are going to potentially be receiving, so what better place to determine how units would be empowered.”

The AWG is attempting to baseline what a company’s capability will be in a subterranean setting at once, he added.

“We wish to articulate what the various gaps might likely be because the Army anticipates operations in a subterranean environment,” Bailey said. “And describe among the challenges in doctrine, training, techniques and procedures that will exist. From our aspect [we wish] to appreciate what new technologies might actually fill a few of these gaps.”

Master Sgt. Michael Kelly, AWG’s Integration Troop senior enlisted adviser, said using subterranean environment, including man-made tunnels, caves, and hardened and or deeply buried facilities, is something which will probably be handled sooner or later in different different areas around the globe.

“One of our objectives is to put in writing a military Techniques Publication that directly addresses the subterranean environment and operations within it,” said Kelly.

Two companies from 2-1 AD’s 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, were identified to conduct a raid on an underground objective.

“This might be the most efficient valuable environments for one of these assessment,” said Kelly. “Within the bigger tactical exercise, this smaller objective and the raid [conducted] on it, fits perfectly into that. Also, the land out here, the brigade that’s available and the complete infrastructure that goes which include NIE is important to our objectives with this.”

The Asymmetric Warfare Group can be leveraging the NIE to work on doctrine and tactics, techniques and procedures development. Subsequently they’re targeting subterranean concepts, said Lt. Col. Timothy O’Brien, battalion commander for 1-6 Infantry.

The subterranean theme supports the full NIE scenario within which Soldiers are helping a ridicule host nation stabilize their government, O’Brien said.

“It’s just another sub-component, since there are tunnels around the world. So a mission may entail clearing a tunnel of weapons caches, weapons of mass destruction, you name it,” he added.

“It’s great training for the warriors,” said O’Brien. “They get to essentially train on something that we haven’t necessarily touched in quite a while — probably since Vietnam. So it’s a good opportunity for them to become involved and it nests well throughout the scenario of NIE. It also allows us to check the equipment that we’ve got out here and notice the way it affects and operates in numerous conditions.”

Bailey said 1-6 Infantry was very supportive in affording AWG the chance to find what they can do with a few of their Joint Tactical Radio Systems products. He said the only of the most important things the gang is attempting to profit is how will the hot mission-command platforms enable units to function effectively in a subterranean environment.

“Quite frankly, we don’t know that yet,” Bailey said. “And as we begin to realise and watch several units try this — it could help us in no time understand what Programs of Instruction we are able to recommend to U.S. Training and Doctrine Command and what recommendations we will be able to give to the materiel community.”

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