The Crucible - The JRTC Experience Podcast

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-twenty-ninth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer-Coach-Trainer, and MSG Jared Cawthon, the BDE Fires Support NCOIC, from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts from across JRTC: MSG Austin Moss is the Senior Targeting NCOIC OCT from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ). SFC Ryan Bruno is the Battery 1SG OCT with TF Fires (FA BN / DIVARTY). And 1SG Mark Varley is a Company First Sergeant OCT with TF-3 (IN BN).

 

This episode explores the practical and philosophical differences between Sergeant’s Time Training (STT) and Leader’s Time Training (LTT), arguing that the debate is less about terminology and more about ownership, trust, and purpose. The discussion emphasizes that STT is a critical venue for developing junior NCOs as trainers—forcing them to understand tasks to standard, plan instruction, and build confidence in leading Soldiers. When NCOs own training, they develop the skills required to train, certify, and mentor at higher echelons later in their careers. However, the episode also highlights a recurring friction point: junior NCOs often struggle when training is not clearly nested within commander intent or unit METL priorities, leading to well-intentioned but misaligned training that does not advance the formation toward its operational objectives. 

 

The conversation further addresses best practices for balancing STT and LTT, advocating for a blended approach where commanders provide direction and protect time, while NCOs execute and innovate within that framework. Key themes include the importance of white space for creativity, competition among NCOs to improve training quality, and leader presence during training—not to take over, but to observe, coach, and provide meaningful AARs. The panel stresses that protected training time is essential, especially in high-tempo units, and that much effective training requires minimal resources if leaders are deliberate and disciplined. Ultimately, the episode reinforces that STT succeeds when leaders trust NCOs, give them clear intent, and hold them accountable—producing formations that are more competent, confident, and prepared for the demands of combat.    

 

Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.

 

For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out 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.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-twenty-eighth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer-Coach-Trainer, and MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, BDE XO OCT (formerly the BDE S-3 Operations OCT), from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject experts are mainly from the Task Force Aviation (CAB) at JRTC: MAJ Steven Yates is the BDE S-6 Signal OCT from the Brigade Command & Control Task Force (BDE HQ). CW2 Brendan Henske is the Unmanned Systems OCT, CW3 Sean Deegan is the Aviation Mission Survivability Expert OCT, and CPT William Landrum is an Attack Aviation / Close Combat Attack OCT from TF Aviation (CAB).

 

This episode examines the persistent challenges of integrating aviation enablers into brigade and division operations, emphasizing that most failures stem from planning, communications, and relationship gaps rather than technical limitations alone. A central theme is that aviation routinely enters the fight late, under-integrated, and without a shared understanding of the supported unit’s command-and-control architecture. Units struggle to establish effective PACE plans, COMSEC alignment, and interoperable mission command systems, often discovering incompatibilities only once operations are underway. The discussion highlights how compressed timelines, lack of habitual relationships, and insufficient lead time for satellite access, Link 16, and network approvals create cascading effects that degrade air-ground integration. The episode reinforces that if aviation and ground forces cannot communicate reliably, they cannot synchronize maneuver, fires, or protection—turning aviation from a force multiplier into a liability. 

 

The conversation also explores best practices for enabler integration, stressing that success is driven by commander emphasis and deliberate preparation at home station. Effective formations establish habitual training relationships, exchange LNOs early, rehearse air-ground communications repeatedly, and validate both digital and analog common operating pictures. Particular attention is given to the importance of shared graphics, airspace coordination, and rehearsed battle drills for degraded or denied communications. The panel underscores that enabler integration is not the responsibility of a single staff section; it requires commanders, S3s, S6s, aviation staffs, and supported units to collectively own the problem. The key takeaway is clear: aviation integration in LSCO succeeds when it is planned early, rehearsed often, and treated as a core warfighting task—not an afterthought added during RSOI or once units are already in contact.   

 

Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.

 

For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out 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.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-twenty-seventh episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer-Coach-Trainer, and MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, BDE XO OCT (formerly the BDE S-3 Operations OCT), from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject experts from the Brigade Command & Control Task Force (BDE HQ) at JRTC: MAJ Steven Yates is the BDE S-6 Signal OCT, MAJ Michael Stewart is the incoming BDE S-3 Operations Officer OCT, MAJ Edward Pecoraro is the Senior Brigade S-2 Intel OCT, MAJ Adeniran Dairo is the Brigade S-4 Logistics OCT,

CW3 Michael Horrace is the Senior Targeting OCT, and SFC Benjamin Pealer is the Brigade CEMA NCOIC OCT.

 

**There was a technical issue during transcoding and a group image had to be utilized inside of “live” video due to a file corruption. Thanks for your understanding in advance.**

 

The Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) is the Army’s premier combat training center for preparing joint and multinational forces to fight and win in the Indo-Pacific region. Designed to replicate the complexity of LSCO in an archipelago environment, JPMRC challenges units across dense jungle, mountainous terrain, and dispersed islands while integrating land, sea, air, space, cyber, and the electromagnetic spectrum. To execute these demanding training rotations, JPMRC relies on the expertise of the Joint Readiness Training Center, drawing on JRTC Observer-Coach-Trainers and OPFOR subject-matter experts through borrowed manpower to provide realistic opposition and doctrinally grounded feedback to rotational units.

 

 

This episode examines the unique challenges of conducting large-scale combat operations in an archipelago environment, highlighting how terrain, distance, weather, and dispersion fundamentally reshape operations across all warfighting functions. A recurring theme is that island and jungle terrain compresses the fight vertically and horizontally, limiting mobility corridors, restricting observation, and degrading traditional ISR advantages. Dense vegetation and complex terrain reduce the effectiveness of aerial and space-based sensors, forcing units to rely more heavily on dismounted reconnaissance, local security, and detailed terrain analysis. Communications planning emerges as a critical friction point, as triple-canopy jungle and mountainous terrain degrade line-of-sight and satellite-dependent systems, requiring deliberate EMS analysis, redundant pathways, and adaptive low-signature solutions. Across the board, the panel reinforces that archipelago operations demand more time, more reconnaissance, and more deliberate planning than continental fights. 

 

The discussion also underscores how LSCO in an island chain is inherently joint, non-contiguous, and resource-constrained, placing a premium on integration and disciplined execution. Sustainment challenges dominate the problem set: moving personnel, equipment, fires, and supplies across multiple islands requires improvisation, redundancy, and acceptance that weather and the enemy will disrupt even the best plans. Fires and maneuver are constrained by limited positioning options, making predictability a vulnerability and forcing commanders to think in terms of infiltration, distributed operations, and attacking systems and nodes rather than massed formations. Mission command and detailed graphics become essential, as junior leaders may operate semi-independently with limited communications for extended periods. The episode reinforces a clear takeaway: archipelago LSCO magnifies friction across every domain, rewarding formations that plan in detail, rehearse relentlessly, empower subordinate leaders, and integrate effects across land, sea, air, space, and the electromagnetic spectrum.  

 

Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.

 

For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out 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.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-twenty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Senior Enlisted Medical Advisor and Role II Observer-Coach-Trainer for the Task Force Sustainment (BSB / CSSB), MSG Timothy Sargent on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are all combat medicine professionals with Live Fire Division. SFC Anthony Norris is the Senior Medical OCT and SFC Tulio Perez is one of the Medical OCTs.

 

This episode focuses on medical planning, execution, and sustainment requirements for live-fire training at JRTC, emphasizing that success hinges on deliberate preparation rather than improvisation once training begins. The discussion highlights how rotational units must plan medical coverage early, accounting for asset allocation, Class VIII forecasting, casualty evacuation timelines, and route familiarity. A major theme is the gap between briefed plans and executable plans, particularly for CASEVAC and MEDEVAC under realistic conditions. Common friction points include poorly rehearsed CASEVAC plans, vehicles improperly configured for casualty movement, weak communications between objectives and higher headquarters, and a lack of shared understanding of evacuation decision authority. The episode reinforces that medics, leaders, and units must rehearse medical operations at home station, not during validation, to ensure rapid, confident execution when real-world casualties occur. 

 

The conversation also dives deeply into casualty collection points (CCPs), heat injury mitigation, and medical logistics, identifying recurring trends observed across rotations. CCPs are frequently under-planned, poorly resourced, or inadequately communicated below leadership level, creating delays during mass casualty or heat-injury events. The panel stresses the importance of time-distance analysis, realistic evacuation timelines from objectives to Role I and beyond, and prioritizing CASEVAC over waiting for limited MEDEVAC assets. Heat injuries emerge as a dominant driver of casualties, underscoring the need for disciplined hydration, nutrition, sleep, ice resupply, arm-immersion cooling, and sufficient thermometer probes and Class VIII supplies forward. The episode closes by reinforcing that medical success at JRTC—and in LSCO—depends on repetitions, rehearsals, logistics discipline, and leader involvement, ensuring medical systems can sustain tempo, preserve combat power, and return Soldiers to the fight.    

 

Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.

 

For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out 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.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-twenty-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Amy Beatty, the Task Force Executive Officer Observer-Coach-Trainer from Task Force Sustainment (Division Sustainment Support Battalion / Light Support Battalion) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guest is CPT Cody Kindle
the S-4 Sustainment Planner for JRTC’s Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control Task Force.

 

This episode explores sustainment in Large-Scale Combat Operations by breaking down how logistics must be planned, synchronized, and executed to survive and enable maneuver in prolonged, high-tempo fights. A central focus is clarifying the roles of the brigade S4 and the SPO, emphasizing internal versus external sustainment responsibilities and how confusion between the two creates friction, duplicated effort, and missed requirements. The discussion repeatedly returns to the idea that sustainment success is not personality-driven but competency-driven, rooted in disciplined math, running estimates, and forecasting. Log stats are framed not as reports for awareness, but as tools to validate assumptions, detect deviations from forecasts, and drive timely decisions. The episode stresses that effective sustainment requires forecasting 72–96 hours out at a minimum, with deliberate synchronization of consumption from the individual Soldier level through FSCs, the BSB/LSB, and higher sustainment echelons. 

 

The conversation also highlights best practices observed at JRTC, particularly the use of the logistics synchronization matrix as the sustainment fight’s primary combat product. When shared and nested across echelons, the sync matrix allows units to deconflict time and space, avoid emergency resupply, protect limited distribution assets, and maintain tempo without culminating. Leaders discuss how failures in synchronization lead to predictable breakdowns, including overworked distribution platoons, stalled maneuver units, and sustainment “blackout” periods during displacement. The episode concludes by framing sustainment in LSCO as a contested, continuous operation that demands redundancy, disciplined staff processes, and strong working relationships between logisticians at every echelon. Units that treat sustainment planning with the same rigor as maneuver planning are better positioned to endure the hardest days of ground combat and keep combat power forward.  

 

Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.

 

For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out 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.