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Soldiers assigned to the 240th Quartermaster Support Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion receive a safety brief from the convoy commander, 2nd Lt. Doniel Lee, before departure to Mihail Kogalniceanu Jan. 23 during “Supply Shock.” Supply Shock is part of a series of company-level readiness exercises empowering junior leaders to demonstrate sustainment capabilities provided by the 16th Sustainment Brigade.
The phone call can come at any time, and when it does, the unit has to move quickly. Bags are packed, equipment prepared for transport, and soldiers geared up and ready to deploy. But this is not your ordinary emergency deployment readiness exercise of years past, this is a “shock” training event, so it doesn’t end with Soldiers on the tarmac ready to move out.
Under U.S. Army Europe’s ongoing “Freedom Shock” concept, units in the 21st Theater Sustainment Command and other USAREUR units participate in shock training events in which they are deployed on almost no notice to set up operations all over the European theater.
Unlike EDREs of the past, the goal isn’t achieved when Soldiers are on the tarmac ready to deploy. They actually pack up and move out to a designated location to set up any variety of sustainment services, sometimes as a stand-alone exercise and sometimes providing real-world support to other exercises.
Freedom Shock’s main objectives are to improve no-notice alerts and assemblies by moving forces to execute a mission and then redeploying and recovering within a short period of time.
This type of exercise gives leaders the type of training they need to remain flexible and the capability of understanding the intent of each mission, ensuring their soldiers are combat ready at all times.
“This training has been very beneficial for 21st TSC units,” said William Grossman, 21st TSC G-3 chief training officer. “Military police, engineers and movement control teams have supported other unit Freedom Shock training events and improved interoperability across USAREUR formations.”
This type of training can help commanders assess their unit’s and understand the areas that may need more emphasis in training to ensure their readiness if called upon. From the platoon leaders down to the squad levels, it can help junior leaders get back to the basic fundamentals to train and execute missions successfully.
“Shock training isn’t designed to replace field training,” Grossman said. “In many cases, shock training may be a preparatory training event prior to a unit moving to a training exercise or supporting another training event.”
Past Freedom Shock events include the 18th Military Police Brigade executing a tactical crossing on the Weser River in conjunction with multinational forces, the 16th Sustainment Brigade establishing a supply support activity at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Constanta, Romania, and the 30th Medical Brigade setting up medical sustainment operations at local training areas near Mainz.
“Going forward with an Army posture in Europe, we need to be able to demonstrate both our readiness measures and enhancement of alliance with our partners,” said Maj. Joseph Grande Jr., 21st TSC chief of future operations. “That we can go from no notice to break out the assembly area and deploy, that’s powerful, and I think this is sustainable going forward.”
