CrosswireThe

Official Newsletter of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat TeamIssue 6 | July 22, 2012

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Specialized units bring powerpage 2-3

Armored Knight lethalitypage 4

In this issue

By Lt. Col. Jeff Camp, Commander, 33rd BSTB

Over the last decade the Army has transitioned into a more mod-ular fighting force. One of the major changes occurring during this period was the inception of the Brigade Special Troops Bat-talion (BSTB). Many soldiers have no idea what the BSTB does and why it exists.

The BSTB is very similar to the Marine Corps Headquarters Battalion in that we include the Brigade Headquarters and the other units that are too small to warrant their own battalion. In the pre-911 configuration, each brigade had three separate com-panies; these were the Engineer, the Signal, and the Military Intelligence companies. Each of these companies were com-manded by a captain except the brigade headquarters which was commanded by a major.

Since each of these sepa-rate companies did not belong

Engineers dig in artilleryby: Sgt. Jesse Houk, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Soldiers from Company A, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion partnered with Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery Regiment July 18 dur-ing the Army National Guard’s eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) and proved to be a valuable asset.

“They’ve played an integral

of these Soldiers attend more than one annual training a year. Thanks to our highly motivated and dedicated soldiers, the BSTB provides the highest level of com-bat multipliers to ensure that the 33D IBCT can fight and win on any battlefield, at any time. n

to a battalion, all of these com-manders worked directly for the brigade commander. By form-ing a battalion, the burden on the brigade commander of com-manding four battalions and four separate companies was lessened to five battalions. The Soldiers benefitted because they now had a battalion that they belonged to and a complete headquarters that could process all administrative requirements for them; freeing them up to focus on their career development and training. The brigade commander became able to focus on fighting the brigade.

But what does all this really mean? During the transforma-tion, the BSTB was fielded with state of the art equipment to in-clude tactical unmanned aerial systems, joint network nodes, trojan spirit, armored security vehicles, prophets, and the lat-est engineer equipment. Al-though this listing of equipment is impressive, the equipment

cannot maximize its effective-ness without highly trained and motivated soldiers.

The BSTB contains over 60 different military occupational specialties (MOS). Soldiers in the BSTB span throughout all of Illinois; from Machesney Park near the Wisconsin border to Carbondale near the Missouri border. Some of the MOS train-ing is so specialized that they take over one year to complete. Many

role in our operations,” said Capt. Dustin W. Cammack, commander, Btry A, 1st. Bn., 122nd FA. “It’s the first time that we’ve used them in this kind of capacity. They’ve been able to dig our fighting positions as well as our battery defense and holes for our generators. It’s been a really big help.”

XCTC has allowed many units who normally have lim-ited interaction with each other

Brigade Special Troops Battalion brings specialized skills to the fight

Spc. Jose L. Cardenas of Bensenville, Company A, 33rd Brigade Spe-cial Troops Battalion, operates a High Mobility Engineer Excavator 1 July 16 as he digs a trench in which a generator for a field artillery unit will be placed. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jesse Houk/released)

to combine their expertise and to operate at full capacity like in a wartime environment.

“We are one team with this field artillery unit right now,” said Sgt. Willard J. Baker of Pon-tiac, Ill. with Co. A, 33rd BSTB. “And that’s paramount because they can do their job better when

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Pfc. John Hartseil of Washington, Ill. with Co. B, 33rd BSTB waits for the OK to launch an RQ-7B Shadow drone July 12 at Camp Ripley, Minn. The RQ-7B Shadow can be flown manually or pro-grammed to visit a series of pre-determined locations for sur-veillance. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Allison Lampe/released)

Pvt. Ryan D. Rodriguez of Rockford and Spc. Joshua J. Goudy also of Rockford with Headquarters and Headquarters Compa-ny, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion based in Machesney Park fix a broken generator July 21 at Camp Ripley, Minn. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Allison Lampe/released)

Spc. Raymond B. Georg, Satellite Transport Terminals (STT) op-erator, Belleville talks with a level one operator to maximize satellite efficiency while Spc. Adam W. Fager, STT operator, Car-bondale assists with inputting information. Both Soldiers were a part of Company C, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jesse Houk).

Cadet Harry D. Lanpher of Carbondale, Ill., Sgt. Dustin L. Har-low of St. Louis, Mo., Spc. Zach L. Jahns of Glencarbon and Spc. Dennis R. Blevins of Belville, Ill. with Company C, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion raise an OE-254 antenna July 21 at Camp Ripley, Minn. Company C, a signal company, runs commu-nications for the brigade’s operations on base and in the field. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Allison Lampe/released)

Soldiers with Company B, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB) based in Peoria, Ill. prepare a RQ-7B drone for launch July 19 at Camp Ripley, Minn. The drones can fly up to six hours and send real-time video surveillence back to their operators. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Dustin Harlow/released).

“Thanks to our highly motivated and dedicated soldiers, the BSTB provides the highest level of combat multipliers to en-sure that the 33D IBCT can fight and win on any battlefield, at any time.”

Lt. Col. Jeff Camp, Commander, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion

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Specialized units multiply combat power

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Spc. Michael J. Brown of Palatine warns Spc. Allen R. Simmerman of Chillicothe of suspicious looking vehicles during a patrol July 16 at Camp Ripley, Minn. Both Soldiers are combat engineers in Company A, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion and, for the mission, attached to Company A, 1st battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment partici-pating in the Army National Guard’s eXport-able Combat Training Capability program. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jesse Houk/ released)

Spc. Jose L. Cardenas of Bensenville, a heavy equipment operator with Company A, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion receives directions from Sgt. Willard J. Baker of Pontiac, a team leader also with Co. A, 33rd BSTB, on July 16 as they dig a sound-reducing trench in which they will place a generator for a field artillery unit. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jesse Houk/ released)

Sgt. Willard J. Baker of Pontiac, team leader, directs Spc. Martin G. Guerrero of Rockford on July 16 as they dig defensive positions for Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery Regiment. Both Soldiers are from Company A, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion and participating in the Army Na-tional Guard’s eXportable Combat Training Capability program at Camp Ripley, Minn. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jesse Houk/ released)

Stay Informed.Stay Connected.

www.facebook.com/33rdIBCT

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by: Sgt. 1st Class Mike Chrisman, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Det.

“It makes me the most lethal guy on the battlefield,” said Staff Sgt. Kurt Russell of Peoria, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cav-alry in Kewanee, Ill., as he talked about the new M1200 Armored Knight vehicle that his unit began using at Camp Ripley, Minn.

The M1200 Armored Knight is an improved version of the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) that has been used overseas and recently acquired by Illinois Army National Guard military police companies. The sole purpose of the M1200 Armored Knight is to provide a forward observer team the best communications, pro-tection and targeting technology available to quickly and accurately bring fire onto an enemy.

“It’s very similar at a glance,” said Russell. “They have changed the turret, improved the equip-ment technology on the inside and improved the armor to bet-ter protect us.”

The new Knight vehicle weighs approximately 16 tons and can travel about 400 miles on one tank of fuel, with a maximum highway speed of 63 miles per hour. It can

Armored Knight provides lethality and securityalso ford through 60 inches of water and muddy terrain without getting stuck.

“It’s fun to drive,” said Pfc. Jake Johnson of Mason City, Ill. with HHT, 2nd Sqd., 106th Cavalry in Kewanee. “We are pushing the limits and testing the capabilities of the vehicle. There is so much armor, it would take a lot to tear one of these apart.”

Russell deployed to Iraq with the 1744th Transportation Com-pany in Streator in 2006-2007 where he drove the M1117 ASV and up-armored humvees. Rus-sell said he is thrilled to be able to train for a future deployment with such great vehicles.

“There is no comparison,” Rus-sell said. “It can take a direct im-pact and keep going. With the run-flat tires, you can pop a tire and still get back to base. If given the choice between an MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehi-cle), up-armored humvee and the Armored Knight, I would take the Armored Knight every single day and twice on Sunday.”

The Kewanee National Guard unit received three of the $1.7 mil-lion dollar vehicles while at Camp Ripley. Headquarters and Head-quarters Company, 33rd Infantry

The M1200 Armored Knight is an improved version of the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) that has been used overseas. The sole purpose of the M1200 Armored Knight is to provide a forward observer team the best communications, protection, and target-ing technology available to quickly and accurately bring fires onto an enemy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mike Chrisman/ released)

we’re here and we can do our job better when we’re here with them. They can give us eyes and guidance; what works best and what doesn’t work best.”

The engineers of Co. A, 33rd BSTB used their specialization to save the field artillery Sol-diers time and sweat so they can focus on getting set up to start providing fire support as quickly as possible.

“We can roll into a position and the engineers already have it prepped for us,” said Cammack. “It really reduces the time that we have to spend on position improvement. All we have to do is set up, throw up the nets, and we’re ready to roll.”

Engineers dig in artilleryAlthough the field artillery

unit benefits greatly from this exchange, the engineers also see it as adding value to their train-ing as well.

“My guys are learning things they never fathomed they would be able to do,” said Baker. “So it’s fantastic. It’s a good learning experience. They now know the difference between a hasty and a regular construction project. It’s a whole different mindset when you’re trying to protect troops and get them in a secure position versus trying to build a finished paved road.”

A mutual appreciation has been built as a result of the two units training together.

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Brigade Combat Team in Urbana received four of the vehicles.

“It’s a great vehicle that is capa-ble of driving on any terrain,” said Pvt. Mark Gibson of Pekin, Ill. with HHT, 2nd Sqd., 106th Cav-alry in Kewanee. “I feel lucky to be one of the nine guys assigned to these trucks.”

Russell said it’s important for the cavalry unit to be equipped with high tech equipment like the Armored Knight.

“The cavalry’s mission is to go

out first and scout the enemy,” Russell said. “We have to get a good lay of the land so the in-fantry elements don’t come into a surprise. This vehicle allows us to take fire and lay down sup-pressive fire while targeting both hard and soft targets for sup-porting elements and continue to move through the area. We have the communication assets to warn other elements about the enemy’s position, make-up and other information critical to the battlefield.”

While the technology helps make the missions a success, most of the Soldiers talk about the pro-tection the vehicle provides.

“I feel pretty secure and com-fortable,” said Gibson. “The armor provided a lot of protection. From the thick armor on the sides to the deflecting shield on the bottom for IEDs, it’s a solid vehicle.”

Russell said the new sense of security makes his team more confident they will be prepared for combat when called upon.

“In a mobile battlefield, these trucks lead the way,” Russell said. “This is just one more piece on the brigade’s chess board of pieces to bring absolute and immediate le-thality to the enemy.” n

“It’s always great to see peo-ple doing their jobs,” said Spc. Juaquin Bandera of Melrose Park, Co. A, 33rd BSTB. “We get to see them provide field ar-tillery support and they get to see us do what we do.”

Although the mutual respect and appreciation are created through the combined training environment, the focus is ulti-mately on preparation for real-time scenarios.

“Their work helps in the fact that we are trying to do com-bined arms in this exercise and so having engineer assets like we would in the real world really just facilitates in having that realism in training” said Cammack. n