NY Army National Guard Soldiers Converge on Fort Drum for Command Post Exercise

TROY, N.Y. (08/09/2018) (readMedia)-- Five hundred and fifty New York Army National Guard Soldiers from across the state head to Fort Drum this weekend for a command post exercise that runs August 10-16.

Soldiers from headquarters units located in Troy, Syracuse, Latham, and New York City will participate in a computer simulation that tests their ability to plan and execute division, brigade and battalion level missions.

The computer simulation forces the Soldiers to plan missions and conduct staff functions just as they would in an actual battle.

Dubbed "Liberty Hunter" the exercise will involve staff officers and soldiers at the division, brigade and battalion level. Divisions consist of around 20,000 troops while brigades range from 3,500 to 5,000 Soldiers. A battalion is 300 to 600 Soldiers.

The participants include the 42nd Infantry Division headquarters located in Troy,the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Syracuse, the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade which is based in Latham, and the 369th Sustainment Brigade which is headquartered in New York City.

Forty-five Soldiers from the 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, part of the Massachusetts Army National Guard and five Guardsmen from the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade from Arkansas along with contingents from the 274 Air Support Operations Squadron in Syracuse and the New York National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters in Latham will also support and participate in the training.

Soldiers from the Army's 10th Mountain Division will also participate.

During the command post exercise, leaders and staff sections participate around the clock in making decisions involving logistics, intelligence, and operations which play out in a computer simulation. Staffs must pass message traffic and reports, prepare battle plans, and write the orders to execute those plans.

This event will be conducted at the Fort Drum Maneuver Combat Training Center (MCTC).

The 42nd Infantry Division is based at Troy's Glenmore Road Armory and is the higher headquarters of the New York National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade.

The 42nd Infantry Division was created in August of 1917 and is celebrating its 100th year of service. In addition to World War I and World War II, the division served in Iraq in 2005, exercising command over 23,000 troops for Operation Iraqi Freedom.