1st of a 3-part series called "State of the Fort." Today's story training on Ft Huachuca.

FORT HUACHUCA - Some soldiers being trained at this Southern Arizona Army post will go directly to a combat zone as part of special small human intelligence teams, unmanned aerial vehicle platoons or larger units.

Maj. Gen. James Marks, who commands the Intelligence Center and the fort, said it is critical for the Army to have trained intelligence soldiers who can be rapidly deployed to begin work in some of the world's hot spots, especially in Iraq, where there is a massive exchange of soldiers.

"Right now we are in the middle of relief in place or transfer of authority. We have 300,000 soldiers doing this. They're getting up and they're moving," he said. "This is about 75 percent of the Army that is moving. That is a significant thing, especially while we still are executing a war."

Relief in place is the riskiest thing a military can do, and it is even more so when there is a need to keep operational situation awareness, including intelligence, at a high level, the general said.

This has led the Intelligence Center to look at innovative ways to support combat commanders and that means the school house on the post is adapting to the changes quickly.

Marks made his comments about what can be called the state of the Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca during a two-hour interview Friday with the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review. Jerry Proctor, deputy commandant of the center, and Col. Lawrence Portouw, the garrison commander, also took part in the interview.

The trio spoke about the changes happening at the center, the importance of the high-technology partners on the fort and the civilian community support for the post.

For 100 years, the Army has trained soldiers and then sent them to units to be assimilated, which is when the majority of the team building took place, Marks said.

But in today's world, things have to be done differently. The Intelligence Center is developing new ways to bring soldiers together on the fort after AIT, or after being activated, so they can be a team when they deploy.

"Our primary mission is the AIT soldiers," Proctor said. "Two years ago we gave them quality and relevant training."

To be on top of the global war on terrorism, training has to be changed for some of the military intelligence occupational specialties, he said. It is new quality and relevant training.

Marks said Proctor steers the intelligence training ship "and in many cases changes the size and shape of the ship, which is like building a ship as it is under way."

Because of the war on terror, Proctor said soldiers are learning lessons in the field that are more relevant. And the training on the fort is being made as realistic as possible so that soldiers can deploy directly from the post.

"They are being taught the things they need to survive and thrive in the (combat) environment," Proctor said.

AIT soldiers and those from the Reserve components who are being retrained into intelligence military occupational specialists also are being taught about cultural, political, tribal, ethnic and socio-economic issues as part of the special team building process.

Next month, some Reservist component soldiers will be coming to the post from Fort Bliss, Texas, where they are currently in processing. The Reservists will arrive for a 12-week special course, head back to Texas and deploy to the war zone, Proctor said.

As for AIT soldiers who graduate from the Intelligence Center and stay on for additional training, "you'll see them board a C-5 on Fort Huachuca and get off the C-5 in Iraq," he said.

Marks added, "What Jerry is saying is a foot stomper. We are training the individual soldier here to be a technical and tactical expert. Now there is additional training that makes them a member of a team."

The Army can no longer afford to go through the crawl, walk, run stages because of the need for a soldier to hit the ground running right away, the general said.

"That doesn't sound very sexy, but it is important," he said. "A soldier is learning to drive a humvee in a tactical environment and there will be ambushes and the soldiers will train in full combat gear, so when they open a door and try to get out they will fall on their head,"

It is better to fall on one's head in a training environment than in the heat of battle, Proctor added.

On average, it takes 27 days for a soldier to complete AIT training until they arrive in a combat zone.

"Kids are doing it immediately," Marks said. "They go on leave for a week and a half and then boom they deploy."

Portouw said he recently told people attending a family readiness group about how fast soldiers deploy after being trained.

"That number (27 days) really galvanized them. You could have heard a pin dropped," he said.

The Intelligence Center is not just sending recently trained soldiers to combat zones. A number of Mobile Training Teams from the post are fanning out over the world to help prepare units to deploy so they understand the importance of being intelligence gatherers.

Proctor said soldiers coming back from war zones are being tapped to be instructors so they can impart what they have learned in the intelligence fields to provide it to the young soldiers and those instructors who have not been in a combat area.

"We are getting dibs on those soldiers (returning from deployment), and we are identifying folks here who need to go to the field for experience," he said.

It is becoming adaptable in the phase after combat where there is still a lot of danger, as insurgent attacks in Iraq are showing.

For more than 40 years, the United States and its allies were prepared in case the Cold War went hot. The Cold War with the former Soviet Union is over, but now the country is facing a different situation which he said he believes will last for the next two decades.

"The global war on terrorism is going to be this generation of soldiers' Cold War," Marks said. "The military intelligence (training) community cannot be static, we have a moral duty to prepare the soldiers for what they will face."

Fort honors its top military, civilian personnel during 2003

BY BILL HESS
Herald/Review

FORT HUACHUCA - Theresa Curtin was slightly emotional when she accepted the honor of being named the post's Civilian of the Year Friday night, one of eight people chosen for their outstanding work.

"All I can say is wow. I usually get appreciation from a crayon-drawn picture or a hug on my leg," said Curtin, who works with young children at the fort's New Beginnings Development Center.

She was presented the Commander's Award for Civilian Service by Maj. Gen. James Marks.

Marks, the commander of the Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca, said the awardees exhibit the greatness of the post's people. The awardees, who were military members of all the services, were honored at the annual event recognizing the top people on the post, this group being for 2003.

The general said he would be short because his wife, Marty, reminded him of the Julius Caesar syndrome. With a broad smile on his face, Marks explained the situation.

It seems a boy was asked to write a paper about the Roman leader and read it in class. Of Julius Caesar, the boy said:" He was old, he was a general, he gave long speeches, he was killed."

Saying he did not want to suffer the latter, Marks said he was going to make sure his speech was short, since he did fit the two other categories - being old and a general.

Marks turned more serious and said, "We are a nation at war."

The global war on terrorism will last for a long time and the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines on the post will see much of the action, he said.

The fort is turning out young people who will be called to go to combat zones, many of them soldiers, who will leave the fort after completing their intelligence training and find themselves in harm's way in less than a month, Marks said.

For those who were being honored, he said they are the people who others look up to and will follow.

The Sailor of the Year was Petty Officer 1st Class William Mullis. He enlisted in the Navy in 1986 and arrived on the post in March 2003. He is an instructor and supervisor at the Navy's Center for Cryptology Detachment.

The Marine of the Year was Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Truitt. He enlisted in the Corps in July 1993 He arrived on the post in August 2000. He is a Morse code liaison and instructor.

Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Blankenship of the 314th Training Squadron was named the Air Force Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. He is the squadron's academic training advisor.

The Drill Sergeant of the Year was Staff Sgt. Vincent Ingallinera of the 309th Military Intelligence Battalion. Cisco Johnson of the 305th Military Intelligence Battalion and Joseph Casey of the 344th Military Intelligence Battalion at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, also competed for the award.

The Instructor of the Year was Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Scott who enlisted in the Army in 1986. He is an instructor with Company D, 309th Military Intelligence Battalion. Sgt. 1st Class William A. Benning II with Company A 306th Military Intelligence Battalion, Sgt. 1st Class James Alexander with the Noncommissioned Officers Academy and Staff Sgt. Daniel Parrotta with the Noncommissioned Officers Academy also competed for the honor.

The Soldier of the Year was Spc. Angela Hodge from the post medical activity who works out of the veterinary clinic at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, where she is the noncommissioned officer in charge of the clinic.

Spc. Cynthia Meadows of Headquarters Company, 111th Military Intelligence Brigade competed for the honor, too.

The Noncommissioned Officer of the Year was Sgt. Terrina Anderson of the 36th U.S. Army Band, where she is the clarinet section leader. She also has performed as a soloist with the Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra. Her competition included Sgt. Guy Claudy of the fort's medical activity, Staff Sgt. James Rubow of Company A 309th Military Intelligence Battalion, Staff Sgt. Deoneza Payne of Company A 306th Military Intelligence Battalion and Sgt. Rafael Diaz of Company E, 305th Military Intelligence Battalion.

Each honoree received gifts from local businesses, post groups and individuals.

Anderson, Hodge and Ingallinera also received Army Commendation Medals and Scott was presented the Military Intelligence Corps Association's Knowlton Award.

Morning, SandRat. Welcome back. Good post(s). Thanks. (^:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

..For 100 years, the Army has trained soldiers and then sent them to units to be assimilated, which is when the majority of the team building took place, Marks said.

But in today's world, things have to be done differently.

...On average, it takes 27 days for a soldier to complete AIT training until they arrive in a combat zone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marines have been preparing for Iraq in Arizona, too:

8 Desert Talon prepares Marines for Iraq ~ Marine Link | 1/23/04 | Sgt. Nathan K. LaForte

Bad days for the bad guys!

Peace through readiness, ping!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.