The Crucible - The JRTC Experience Podcast
The Joint Readiness Training Center is the premier crucible training experience. We prepare units to fight and win in the most complex environments against world-class opposing forces. We are America’s leadership laboratory. This podcast isn’t an academic review of historical vignettes or political-science analysis of current events. This is a podcast about warfighting and the skillsets necessary for America’s Army to fight and win on the modern battlefield.
Episodes
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixteenth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guests are two incoming brigade commanders within the 82nd Airborne Division, COL Jason Schuerger and COL Jaron Wharton.
In this episode they discuss how units across the force must approach learning with an emphasis on never repeating the same mistakes in preparation for going to war. Specifically, the need for leaders to focus on learning the science, the fundamentals of their profession of arms, before they focus on the “art” of war. The combat training centers highlight to brigade and division leaders that time is your number one “enemy” or concern, not the opposing force. Leaders must provide clear and simple guidance, which allows your subordinates to execute it violently in a timely manner.
An interesting point highlighted in today’s episode, within most standard maneuver formations, infantry or armor, subordinate commands prepare leaders for the next echelon of responsibility. Time as a platoon leader prepares you to be a company executive officer and company commander and so forth. However, at the brigade echelon is the level of responsibility that focuses much more heavily enabler assets and thus has a much steeper learning curve at the brigade level. An infantry brigade combat team only has approximately a quarter of its forces as actual infantry units and where the infamous tooth-to-tail ratio (T3R) really starts to come into effect. (The ratio of sustainment or support elements to direct combat units.)
Part of S01 “The Leader’s Laboratory” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the twenty-first episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the battalion command sergeant major from 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, CSM Joseph Lachnit within the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
The 2nd IBCT was officially activated in February 1985 along with the rest of the division. While 10th Mountain Division was originally established to fight in the brutal mountains of the Italian campaign of WWII, 2-14 IN has an extensive and illustrious history dating back to the Civil War. Since its establishment, the battalion has served in every conflict that the US Army has participated in, from the Indian Wars of the American Frontier to the Boxer Rebellion to the mountains of Italy in World War II to the various conflicts of the Cold War and even Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. The battalion’s call-sign is the “Golden Dragons” with the motto of “Right of the Line.”
In this episode we discuss some of the overall mindset required to be an infantryman on the modern battlefield as well as exploring some of the leadership traits required to successfully lead troops in combat. A reoccurring theme highlighted on the podcast is that there isn’t a secret to conducting infantry operations, whether as part of a special operations task force or in conventional forces. Instead, modern infantry formations must focus on the fundamentals and being able to execute them violently across multiple domains. At the battalion level, leaders must focus on helping companies achieve the brigade’s objectives, thus making the entire organization better. In large scale combat operations, senior non-commissioned officers have to own sustainment operations for their organizations. Closing the last tactical kilometer in sustainment operations was also emphasized, which is a reoccurring theme on the podcast.
Part of S03 “Lightfighter Lessons” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.
“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the twentieth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the S-2 intelligence officer for 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment, CPT Benjamin Branower.
1-509th IN BN is the opposing forces unit for the Joint Readiness Training Center, the infamous “Geronimo.” Geronimo’s primary mission is to help units see their selves clearly in order to rectify any deficiencies through rigorous, realistic, and relevant training with an aggressive opposing force (OPFOR). Besides functioning as a traditional S-2, CPT Branower also coordinates for the employment of Geronimo’s Special Purpose Forces, electromagnetic /cyber warfare team, and information warfare cell.
In this episode we discuss means in which Geronimo regularly prepares to engage each brigade combat team through the analytical process of searching for vulnerabilities and then exploiting said vulnerabilities, commonly called “red teaming.” What is repeatedly emphasized is that the Geronimo staff isn’t given any “insider” knowledge to each training rotation but instead conducts traditional Army staff work, such as information preparation of the battlefield, followed by aggressive, high-tempo operations against BCTs.
Part of S11 “Conversations with the Enemy” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
019 S11 Ep 02 – Russian Forces in LSCO w/Dr Les Grau & Chuck Bartles
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the nineteenth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the former Deputy Commander of Ops Group and retired, COL Edward Twaddell III, on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guests are Dr. Lester Grau and Mr. Charles “Chuck” Bartles from the renowned Foreign Military Studies Office at Ft Leavenworth, Kansas.
The mission of the Foreign Military Studies Office is to research and present understudied and unconsidered foreign perspectives in order to better understand the operational environment. Dr. Lester Grau is a senior analyst and the Research Director for the FMSO. He is considered a subject matter expert on tactical, operational and geopolitical subjects involving Russia. Chuck Bartles is a junior analyst and Russian linguist at the FMSO. His specific research areas include Russian and Central Asian military force structure, modernization, tactics, officer and enlisted professional development, and security assistance programs.
While this episode was filmed mere weeks prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the information presented here isn’t based on the observations and trends analysis from that conflict. Instead the assessment was largely formed from Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, their activity in Eastern Ukraine prior to the 2022 conflict, the Cold War-esque saber rattling regarding the Baltics, and their combat operations in support of Syria. We have a future episode where Dr. Grau and Mr. Bartles address some of the lessons learned from the most recent Russo-Ukrainian Conflict.
In this episode we discuss he modern Russian military force structure as it applies to large scale combat operations. The discussion centers around the Russian overall employment methodology, general overview of the assets available at echelon to the tactical ground force commander, and their modernization program. Some of the assets addressed in this episode are their electronic and cyber warfare and communications capabilities as well as armored-mechanized teams, reconnaissance, and indirect fire formations. One fact that is repeatedly emphasized is that the Russian armed forces focus more on commander centric “battle drills” than a military decision making process focused on warfighting functions and maneuver enables fires instead of the Western model of fires enables maneuver.
For a more in depth look at the information covered, please check-out their book, The Russian Way of War, hosted by Army University Press.
Part of S11 “Conversations with the Enemy” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Monday Jul 03, 2023
018 S10 Ep 02 – Intel WfF Best Practices w/COL John Ives (1 of 2)
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the eighteenth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by a former Senior Intelligence Trainer, COL John Ives, on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. This is part one of a two part series with COL John Ives.
In this episode we discuss the best practices for the intelligence warfighting function as with most of our discussions it focuses on brilliance in the basics. The best practices for the intel WfF within a BCT formation are as follows:
Led by an S2 with a clear understanding of the 4-core competencies (Synchronization; Operations; PED; Analysis) and the intelligence process: articulates, trains, and stresses the steps and output of IPB.
Rehearse, exercise, and maintain intelligence systems and team development at home-station; maximizes training time and incorporates intel systems in all activities.
Establish and maintain the intelligence architecture: plan, validate, and rehearse by phase, collector, and capability.
Conduct rehearsals and describe the intelligence cycle for each named area of interest (NAI) or high payoff target (HPT); emphasizing PED directly impacts the sensor-to-shooter integration.
Resources and train the intel collection management team to leverage Echelons Above Brigade (EAB) and organic collection, coordinate PED (processing, exploitation, and dissemination) capacity, and integrate into the operations planning process.
Plan and coordinate organic collection capabilities (recon, human intel collection teams, signals intel collection teams, and unmanned aerial systems platoon) including security, communications, and command support relationships.
Maintain an intelligence common operational picture (COP) in both analog and digital form and actively disseminate fighting products, including battle damage assessment (BDA) charts and intelligence collection and synchronization matrix (ICSM).
Operationalize RSOI (reception, staging, onward movement, and integration) including pack-out at home-station to set conditions for synchronization, PED, and intelligence operations.
Specifically addressed in this episode are the core intel competencies, conducting intel preparation of the battlefield, and home-station training good habits.
Part of S10 “Out-Thinking the Enemy” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
017 S10 Ep 01 – Battlefield Disruptors in Modern Warfare w/COL(R) John Antal
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the seventeenth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. We have a special treat for our audience, today’s guest is retired US Army COL John Antal. The event was designed to encourage discourse and offer insights of the evolution of modern warfare and its impacts on the battlefield of tomorrow to future Leaders while promoting the Joint Readiness Training Center as a whole.
COL John Antal is a renowned author, military historian, and foreign affairs subject matter expert. He served 30 years in the US Army, where he led formations from platoon level through regiment and served on corps and multinational staffs. He is the author of hundreds of articles on military affairs and leadership subjects as well as having authored fourteen books, including his most recent book: '7 Seconds to Die: A Military Analysis of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and the Future of Warfighting.'
Faculty and team members from across the US Army’s Combat Training Centers were able to participate in this briefing as it was part of the CTC Commander’s Conference at the Combined Arms Center in the Summer of 2022.
In this episode they discuss the evolution of technology and the impact it has had on modern warfare as well as the training provided to brigade combat teams in preparation for conducting large scale combat operations across multiple domains. The material referenced comes from multiple recent or on-going conflicts, including but not limited to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict. Specifically addressed are the so-called battlefield disruptors of modern war, which are the:
Transparency of the battlefield.
First strike advantage, often maintained by the opposition.
Accelerating of the operations tempo.
Fury & effectiveness of top attack.
Unmanned to fully autonomous systems.
From “kill-chain” to “kill-web” constructs.
Visualization of the battlespace across all-domains.
One of the repeatedly emphasized methods for mitigating these disruptors was through the technique of “masking,” which was loosely defined as the full-spectrum, multi-domain effort to deceive enemy sensors and disrupt enemy targeting.
Part of S10 “Out-Thinking the Enemy” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
016 S01 Ep 03 – BCT Trends and Preparing for LSCO with Former COG Panel
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixteenth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. We have a special treat for our audience, today’s guests are all former COGs at the JRTC, LTG Sean Bernabe, MG David Doyle, BG David Gardner, BG Jason Curl, and COL Andrew Saslav. This is our first annual Large Scale Combat Operations Symposium and what we hope to become a routine, annual event. The event was designed to encourage dynamic dialogue, offer insights to future Leaders, and promote the Joint Readiness Training Center as a whole.
LTG Bernabe was the COG from 2016-2017 and is now the Commanding General for III Corps. MG Doyle was the COG from 2017-2018 and is now the Chief of Staff for United States Central Command. BG Gardner was the COG from 2018-2019 and is now the Commanding General for the Joint Readiness Training Center. BG Curl was the COG from 2020-2021 and is the Deputy Commanding General of Operations for the 10th Mountain Division. COL Saslav was the COG from 2021-2022 and is the Deputy Commanding General of Operations for the 82nd Airborne Division.
Students and faculty from the Maneuver Center of Excellence submitted questions to the team, which were then synthesized by COL Hardman and presented to the COG panel. This was part of the Maneuver Warfighter Conference in September 2022.
In this episode they discuss the evolution of training provided to brigade combat teams and the preparation for conducting large scale combat operations across multiple domains. As the Army transitions from the BCT being the primary effort to the division becoming the unit of action, some of the long-term trends are examined as the training at the JRTC shifted from mission rehearsal exercises to decisive action training environment (DATE) exercises focused on LSCO. A major topic of discussion is the distinction between deficiencies and military activities that are simply challenging tasks, which will always be points-of-friction for warfighters.
Part of S01 “The Leader’s Laboratory” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifteenth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Today’s episode is hosted by the Task Force Senior of the Fires Task Force, LTC Aaron Thomas on behalf of the JRTC COG. Today’s guest is the commander for 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment of 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, LTC Adam Ropelewski. The SBCT’s Hollywood call-sign is “Steel” while the regiment’s motto is “En Garde” or “On Guard.”
The 2-77th FA was first constituted in July 1916 and served has valiantly in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Global War on Terror campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Their rotation at the JRTC was the first Stryker rotation in nearly five years as the rotational training unit. This rotation was an extremely complex rotation as TF Steel Fires had their normal compliment of field artillery batteries as well as a M-109A6 Paladin 155mm self-propelled Howitzer battery from 1st Armored Division.
In this episode they discuss some of lessons learned from operating indirect fires assets across complex, restrictive terrain in support of a Stryker brigade combat team during large scale combat operations. They discussed the need to pre-plan and rehearse fires procedures when operating with adjacent units, such as a supporting armored-mechanized team or advisor teams, as well as when conducting operations as part of a coalition force with our multinational partners. They emphasized the necessity of “leading with HE” during large-scale combat operations and the balancing act between deep fires and supporting the close fight for BCT operations. When used effectively, a Stryker BCT can over-match the enemy as it brings organic M-777 155mm self-propelled Howitzers and M-121 120mm mortars organic to companies and maneuver battalions, which gives the SBCT the ability to develop an echelonment of fires plan in depth.
Part of S07 “Joint Fires Discussions” series.
For additional information and insights from this episode, please checkout our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast
Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.
Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.
What is JRTC?
The Joint Readiness Training Center is the premier crucible training experience. We prepare units to fight and win in the most complex environments against world-class opposing forces. We are America’s leadership laboratory.
The Crucible
The crucible that is the JRTC experience is an arduous ordeal every unit must go through to certify their readiness. It tests every leader and the unit collectively physically, mentally, and morally and is the defining experience of collective training. The crucible takes place over fourteen days of force-on-force as part of a decisive action training exercise, where leaders and units are continuously food & sleep deprived, harassed by opposition forces, and generally under duress.
The bottom line is this—the crucible at the JRTC is a rite of passage that, through shared sacrifice, leaders and units will never forget. With that memory and the core warfighting skills honed throughout this training exercise, they will be able to face any challenges in their path allowing them to fight and win on the modern battlefield.