Latest news with #ChristopherNorrie
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
The Army wants more drones, electronic warfare tech. This unit is the guinea pig.
The 3rd Infantry Division is testing new formations where soldiers are part of specialized teams that focus on using a certain kind of drone technology or specific electronic warfare threat. The concept is being developed as the Army shifts its focus to fighting conventional wars in the 21st century. As the service changes the way it organizes its forces and prepares for the next big conflict, several units have been hand-selected as part of the service's Transforming in Contact initiative, including the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team. Started by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in 2024, the plan centers around quickly fielding new tech to soldiers so they can give feedback on how it's best used, before they're in a situation where they have to rely on it. After testing some of the concepts at home-based training centers, the 3rd Infantry Division is bringing new units to a field exercise where they will train alongside NATO allies at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, this month and next. The division's commander, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, told reporters on a call Tuesday that drones, or unmanned aerial systems, UAS, are a threat to all of the Army's formations and weapons. 'What we believe is that the right lesson to learn as we look around the world is the importance of conducting combined arms operations altogether. It's not just tanks, it's not just infantry, it's not just aviation or artillery, but it's all of those things working together,' Norrie said. 'Being able to do that as a combined arms team at scale and at night, we believe in our souls that that's how we win.' The goal is to get drones and UAS 'down to every section within that brigade,' meaning that soldiers in all squads and platoons will have some knowledge of how to operate and use them in battle, Donovan Blatherwick, innovation chief for the 3rd Infantry Division, told Task & Purpose. Just how much drone expertise each soldier in a platoon will be expected to have is still being worked out, he added. As part of its emphasis on drones, the division is testing UAS-focused teams of soldiers within its cavalry squadron, like platoons who specialize in using anti-tank systems, first-person viewer attack, FPV, drones or sensing enemy drones. While cavalry squadrons historically had 'guys on the ground' going to a vantage point to do reconnaissance for their unit, now the Army is looking to drone operators to increase the distances they can see and collect intelligence on, said Capt. Gabriel Velazquez, a spokesperson for the division. Blatherwick said the idea is to improve reconnaissance at the unit level. 'They're not having to send up a request to collect intel or pictures on a certain site. Everybody really within the brigade can kind of just do it themselves on their own,' he said. For its UAS dismounted team, Armstrong said they've used them successfully in exercises in Germany with 'complex terrain' — a scenario that poses an issue for armored brigades that might struggle with 'limited lines of sight.' But with these dismounted UAS teams helping with reconnaissance, their electronic warfare platoons can get 'closer to the enemy and in a better position to use their UAS to help us make contact with unmanned systems first,' Armstrong added. In the same way that drones are becoming central to modern-day wars, the division is expanding its use of electronic warfare with a second electronic warfare platoon instead of one. At a recent National Training Center exercise at Fort Irwin, California, soldiers used a deception command post as a decoy. To do so, the soldiers thought about where they thought 'the enemy was gonna look for a command post,' Armstrong said. 'We put a physical signature there and then we played back our electronic signature there and put our actual command post somewhere else,' he said. 'That had them expose their weapon systems, which gave us an opportunity to attack them instead of us having to displace our command post.' The division is also testing a brand new formation of just over 100 soldiers called a multi-effects company 'to integrate what we deemed kind of the four most important technology categories,' Blatherwick said. Within this company, they're experimenting with platoons that are each focused on electronic warfare, UAS, counter-UAS, and loitering munitions. Blatherwick said this company is the armor team's version of the multi-functional reconnaissance team concept that was developed for mobile brigade combat teams in phase one of Transforming in Contact. The multi-functional reconnaissance teams are made up of three 'hunter-killer' platoons focused on drones, electronic warfare, and robotics and autonomous systems. 'Armor moves a lot faster than [mobile brigade combat teams] do and cover a lot more ground so the difference with our [multi-effects company] is that it's looking a lot deeper. It's got the ability to sense a lot deeper and then put fires a lot deeper than what we previously had before,' Blatherwick said. 'Really it's the ability to touch the enemy a lot sooner.' The first phase of the Army's Transforming in Contact plan fielded new equipment to soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, and the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team. After training with the new tech in exercises at home and abroad, 101st Airborne soldiers now fly drones with 3D printed parts and 10th Mountain soldiers use commercially available UAS like Skydio X2D that they can carry in their rucksack and use for reconnaissance in the field. In the same way that the first phase taught a mobile brigade combat team to assemble on the battlefield with lighter and smaller formations, the armored brigade combat team is learning that they might also have to slim down their presence. For instance, the 101st Mobile Brigade Combat Team created smaller command posts made up of four Humvees and a tent. For armored brigades, those command posts might look like four Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles, AMPVs, and a tent, officials said. The second phase of Transforming in Contact includes the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany. Officials then plan to expand the concept to two divisions, two Stryker brigade combat teams, members of the National Guard and two armored brigade combat teams. For the 3rd Infantry Division, that includes its 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, a unit made up of 1,250 vehicles, 87 tanks, 125 Bradleys, 18 Paladins, and consumes more than 31,000 tons of ammunition in one day of combat, according to stats provided by officials with the division. 'It's the equivalent of having in the National Football League an offensive lineman who's 6'9, weighs 435 pounds, and can run a 40-yard dash in 3.5 seconds. These are big athletes that get up the field to break the will of an adversary determined to beat us here,' Norrie said. While the threat of drones is very real to soldiers, Col. Jim Armstrong, commander of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, described a recent exercise at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, where drones were used to give them the upper hand. As the unit's lead battalion began closing in on a town that they planned to seize, soldiers flew a drone overhead to get a better idea of what they were walking into. 'Before that assault force company commander went into that town, he knew where every single enemy element was in the town before going in and making contact, trying to develop the situation while soldiers were in harm's way,' Armstrong said. 'We were committing our crude assets only at a time and place of our choosing and when it was to our advantage.' Army to eliminate 2 Security Force Assistance Brigades, reassign experienced soldiers Why the Army's new XM7 rifle reignited a debate over volume of fire Air Force delay on separation and retirement orders isn't 'stop loss,' defense official says F-35's close call over Yemen raises questions about how it's used An Army unit's 'extreme use of profanity' was so bad, they made a rule about it
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First armor brigade conducts combat center rotation with new tools
The Army recently put its first armor brigade through a combat training center rotation under its new Transformation in Contact initiative. The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division launched Exercise Combined Resolve this past week in Hohenfels, Germany, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center. The brigade is the first armored unit to conduct the new Transformation in Contact modernization effort. The initiative seeks to deliver new equipment to operational units as they prepare for major training events and deployments. The aim is to gain feedback and make adjustments to deployment needs while continuing the regular readiness preparation that operational units undergo for standard deployments. This Army division will change how armor brigades and divisions fight The initiative began with three infantry brigades, one each from the 101st Airborne Division, 25th Infantry Division and 10th Mountain Division. Those units saw the addition of Infantry Squad Vehicles, drones, sensing and strike capabilities. The work resulted in changes to the structure of the infantry brigade, which have since been dubbed 'Mobile Brigade Combat Teams.' Final decisions about the layout of those brigades have yet to be made. The TIC initiative continues with this armor brigade and seeks to raise those changes to the division level also, officials said. 'Raider Brigade is spearheading the Army's Transforming in Contact initiative and experimenting with new capabilities to enhance battlefield effectiveness while deployed to Europe,' said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division. 'The lessons learned through this exercise will help inform the Army how an armored brigade combat team fights on future battlefields.' Exercise Combined Resolve pairs U.S. and NATO forces with partner nations to validate interoperability. The armor brigade used a variety of recently acquired unmanned robotic systems, counter drone tools and electromagnetic decoys during the training. The 1st ABCT's participation in TIC is structured around four key phases: adapting how the unit fights, integrating emerging technologies, reorganizing formations to suit mission needs and rapidly incorporating new capabilities as they become available, according to an Army release. Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey told Army Times in April that his unit, 1st Cavalry Division, oversaw training for 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division during that unit's Germany rotation. The experience helped kickstart TIC work in the cavalry unit. But, Feltey said, the armor units have their own characteristics separate from the traditional dismounted infantry units. 'An ABCT has a lot of different moving pieces,' Feltey said. 'Our battlespace is much larger, and things move faster.' Feltey plans to convene senior armor leaders for feedback on how to reconfigure the units and their assets to capitalize on the new tech and approaches to fighting fast with armor. These sessions will be called 'Iron Horse sprints,' he said.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Battle Creek soldier killed in U.S. Army training accident in Lithuania
(This story has been updated with a new photo.) The Army has identified the fourth soldier who died during a training in Lithuania as a 28-year-old man from Battle Creek. 'Although we are relieved to have found all our Dogface Soldiers, it does not make the pain of their loss any less,' said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general. 'We will continue to care for and support the Soldiers' Families and loved ones as we bring them home and honor their memory.' The soldier was identified as Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins. Knutson-Collins, Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois and Edvin Franco, 25 of Glendale, California, were all posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam, also died in the training. Their M88A2 Hercules was reported missing March 25 during a recovery mission in support of regularly scheduled training at Pabradė, Lithuania. Three soldiers and the vehicle was dug out of a peat bog Monday by U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces. The Army said the fourth soldier was recovered Tuesday. 'Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,' said Capt. Jackson Patillo, commander, Foxtrot Company, 1st Bn., 41st FAR. 'Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member to our entire Fox family that we will truly miss.' Knutson-Collins was an artillery mechanic with more than seven years in the Army. He arrived at Fort Stewart, Georgia in February 2018 and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. According to the Army, Knutson-Collins graduated from the Army Basic Leader Course, the Advanced Leaders Course, the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations course, and the Combat Lifesaver course. He deployed to Korea in 2020. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Master Technician Badge. 'The pain we feel from this loss is insurmountable,' said Lt. Col. Erick Buckner, 1st Bn., 41st FAR commander. 'Staff Sgt. Knutson-Collins was well loved throughout our unit and a brother to all. He was an expert, an incredibly talented mechanic and a warrior. We will never forget his dedication to his unit, his family and his country.' This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek soldier dies in U.S. Army training accident in Lithuania
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Body of 4th missing U.S. Army soldier found in Lithuania
April 1 (UPI) -- The body of a fourth U.S. soldier missing since last week during training exercises in Lithuania was found Tuesday, officials confirmed. "The soldier was found after a search by hundreds of rescue workers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces and many other elements of the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies," the Army said in a statement. The fourth unidentified soldier was the last to be found after the bodies of three other U.S. Army soldiers were found Monday in a remote part of Lithuania. "This past week has been devastating," stated Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the 3rd Infantry Division's commanding general. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he was "saddened" Tuesday morning to make the announcement, offering the small eastern European nation's "heartfelt condolences" to "our U.S. allies and their people." "Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final 'Dogface Soldier,'" Norrie added. "Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them." The four were assigned to the First Armored Brigade, Third Infantry Division in Fort Stewart, Ga., and later deployed to Lithuania in support of support of Operation Atlantic Resolve -- an operation formed in 2014 to build readiness with NATO allies. "Lithuania has been praying for all four missing soldiers, and now, with all our hearts, we stand with their families," Nauseda posted on X. The four American soldiers were taking part in a tactical training exercise, mounting a major engineering and logistical operation involving experts from remote underwater vehicle specialists to geologists. "It has been truly amazing and very humbling to watch the incredible recovery team from different commands, countries and continents come together and give everything to recover our Soldiers," Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general, V Corps, wrote Tuesday in a statement. "Thank you, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, the U.S. Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers. We are forever grateful," he added. Meanwhile, U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the incident. "Most likely, the M88 drove into the swamp," and the vehicle "may have just gone diagonally to the bottom," Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told ABC last week. On Tuesday, Lithuania's leader said his country was "deeply grateful to everyone who dedicated immense efforts to find the one remaining soldier," which he said was missing under "such challenging conditions."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fourth missing US soldier found deceased in Lithuanian bog
The final U.S. soldier reported missing at a Lithuanian training site last week has been found deceased, the Army announced Tuesday. The soldier was the last of four U.S. soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, to be recovered after they went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 while operating an M88A2 Hercules armored vehicle near Pabadre, Lithuania. The bodies of the three other soldiers were recovered Monday after recovery crews pulled the vehicle from a peat bog near the training site. Recovery of missing soldiers underway at training site in Lithuania 'This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier,' said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, in a statement Tuesday. 'Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.' The Army has not released the soldiers' names, pending confirmation of notification of next of kin. At the time the soldiers were reported missing, they had been conducting a maintenance mission to recover another Army vehicle at a training area near Pabadre, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a release. The soldiers were deployed to Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which has been sending rotations into Europe since Russia invaded the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014. The soldiers were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. The initial search for the soldiers included military helicopters, Lithuanian diving teams and hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian soldiers and law enforcement officers looking through thick forests and swampy terrain. On March 26, search teams found the soldiers' vehicle 15 feet underwater. What followed was an arduous, multiday effort to get to the vehicle, which continued to sink and be encased in mud as time went on. Officials brought in engineers, tons of gravel, excavators and slurry pumps. The Polish Armed Forces volunteered a unit of 150 military engineers to help in the recovery. And over the weekend, a U.S. Navy dive crew from Commander, Task Force 68, headquartered in Rota, Spain, arrived on site. There was a breakthrough in the recovery effort Sunday when the Navy dive crew — after multiple failed attempts — attached steel cables to two of the hoist points on the M88A2 Hercules, the Army said. To get to the hoist points, divers maneuvered through layers of mud, clay and sediment, using a ground-penetrating radar provided by Lithuanian experts to find their way. Two hours after the cables were attached, the vehicle was unearthed from the bog. By that time, the recovery team grew to include hundreds of personnel from multiple services and countries, the Army said. Recovery operations continued Monday after the crews recovered the bodies of three of the soldiers. Recovery dogs and their handlers flew in from Estonia on Monday to assist in the search for the fourth soldier. Crews also employed two specialized drone systems, including one equipped with ground-penetrating radar. 'We are incredibly relieved that we were able to bring this recovery to an end and bring closure to all the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers,' said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commanding general of 1st Armored Division. 'We cannot thank our Allies and fellow service members enough, especially the Lithuanians, who spared no resource in support of this mission. Together, we delivered on our promise to never leave a fallen comrade.' An investigation into the incident is ongoing, the Army said. Military Times Senior Editor Nikki Wentling contributed to this report.
