SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 1 ⎯ Purpose and Needtions to revisit the national defense and security decisions, including Army force structure, made bysenior military leadership in the DoD and the Army.1.2.1.6 Training and Operational RequirementsThe mission of the SBCT is ultimately to deploy abroad to support the full spectrum of potential operationsfrom waging the nation’s wars to supporting peace and stability. While at home station, it iscritical that the SBCT retain or develop those skills necessary to deploy and execute its mission. Effectivetraining, carried out to a high doctrinal standard, is the cornerstone of operational success.High-quality training, which prepares Soldiers for what will be encountered in the operational environment,is essential to ensuring the success of the nation’s strategic defense objectives, national security,and the safety of those who serve.A critical element of need for the permanent stationing of the 2/25 th SBCT is the selection of a locationwhere the unit can attain high levels of training proficiency to prepare for deployment abroad.Training and qualifying Soldiers and units typically requires three types of training facilities in thefield: individual weapons qualification ranges, live-fire range complexes that allow units to conductlive fire training simultaneously as one team, and maneuver areas for units to rehearse and train onthe full complement of mission essential tasks required by a units training doctrine. In addition to livetraining, the Army also augments its leader development and unit training strategies with virtual andbattle simulations. The SBCT must train to be prepared to execute a full array of combat, stability,and peace support operations. Specific mission requirements of the SBCT are presented in Chapter 2in detail.1.2.1.7 Training RangesThe level of combat readiness of an SBCT is directly related to the availability and capability of itssupporting training infrastructure. Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, the Army has undergonea process to modernize and transform its training ranges radically to replicate operational conditionsmore closely. This transformation of training range infrastructure is closely aligned with QDRdecisions, weapon system development, conditions encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan, and conditionsthat are more likely to be encountered in future operations.All modular BCTs require a full suite of supporting training infrastructure to meet individual, crew,and collective unit training requirements to be certified for operational deployments. In addition to thestandard suite of modernized training ranges that have accompanied transformation, the SBCT requiresa specialized training range. This range, the Battle Area Complex, or BAX for short, providescollective live-fire training capability to all elements of the SBCT. SBCT crews and dismounted Soldierstest their ability to detect, engage, and defeat stationary and moving enemy targets in open andurban terrain. SBCT units may also train in the BAX with supporting vehicles in free maneuver.SBCT range requirements are fully articulated in Chapter 2 of this document. Range specificationsand standard designs are based on Army Training Circular (TC) 25–8 Army Training Ranges, whichserves as the definitive source document for Army training range requirements. The location selectedfor the permanent stationing of the SBCT must possess or be able to accommodate the construction ofrange requirements for the SBCT so that the unit can adequately train to meet doctrinal trainingreadiness standards.1.2.1.8 Maneuver LandsA significant amount of maneuver space is critical for successfully training an SBCT. With its increasedmaneuver and communications capabilities, the SBCT requires large maneuver areas forFebruary 2008 1-8 2/25th SBCT Final EIS