78th Training Division teaches 'Train the Trainer'

Published Feb. 14, 2013
By Pascual Flores
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINR BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Select Army Reserve Soldiers from units from across the nation attended a week-long Combat Support Training Exercise and Warrior Exercise conducted by the 3rd Support Battalion, 78th Training Division, from Feb. 4 through 8, 2013, here.

The 78th Tng. Div. conducts the CSTX/WAREX annually for select Army Reserve units providing a live-fire option for specific units based on the soldiers Army Force Generation year and training requirements.

"This is a program of instructions that is designed to effectively conduct a 'Train the Trainer' model with units preparing to go to a Support Training Exercise and Warrior Exercise in the upcoming ARFORGEN cycle," said Lt. Col. Spencer White, 3rd Support Bn., 78th Tng. Div. commander.

The Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army approved the ARFORGEN model in 2006 that resulted in a three-stage cycle reset, train and ready, and available. Army regulation defines ARFORGEN as: 'The structured progression of increased unit readiness over time, resulting in recurring periods of availability of trained, ready, and cohesive units prepared for operational deployment in support of civil authorities and combatant commander requirements.'

The 3rd Bn. developed the Program of Instruction to assist units in building their training plans prior to exercise execution. The program uses multiple briefing venues and virtual training enviroments to ensure units are prepared for live fire training.

The week-long training cycle provides attendees an introduction on how to schedule training. These new trainers will face the larger task of preparing an annual training schedule for their units.

"The long term idea is for them to learn how to build an 18 to 24 month training cycle for their units," said White, who calls Coopersburg, Pa., home.

The first day of training included a training management briefing and classes on composite risk management, conducting an after-action review and range operations.
"In this case, we are using small arms as the basis for training management," said White.

The 'train the trainer' model teaches Soldiers to take the skills learned and teach their home station units what the standards are and how the apply to their organizations.

The next few days of training included weapons familiarization and preventive maintenance inspections for the .50-caliber Browning machine gun, M16 rifle, Mark 19 grenade launcher and the M-240B machine gun.

The Soldiers trained on the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000, a visual weapons simulator computer system involving compressed air to replicate a weapon's recoil. The system allows service members to train using different weapons, while simulated environments are projected on a screen.

"The training and instructors are great and I look forward to bringing the new skills back to my unit," said Sgt. Simon Kim, 316th Military Mail Transportation vehicle mechanic from Queens, N.Y.

Other areas the Soldiers trained on were base defense, convoy movements, the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer and the Dismounted Soldiers Training System.
The training was conducted at locations throughout the joint base.

"This is a wonderful place to train for a multitude of reasons," said White. "The joint aspect of the base allows us to train other services and provides us with other facilities such as training ranges, live-fire ranges and simulators."

The 3rd Bn., 78th Tng. Div., is comprised of 106 Soldier/Trainers that are broken down into teams of one master sergeant, two sergeants first class and two staff sergeants.

78th Training Division teaches ‘Train the Trainer’