New Multicomponent Units Augment Active Duty Headquarters
Equipped with a contingent of approximately 70 Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers, the 3rd Infantry Division Main Command Post-Operational Detachment (3ID MCPOD) is a unique unit comprised of both active duty and Army National Guard Soldiers – a new and unique combination for a military unit.
The 3ID MCPOD was activated on Aug. 20, 2016. The new unit combines Soldiers of Georgia Army National Guard’s 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade with the active Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) Headquarters. Leaders from both groups were present at the activation ceremony held at Fort Stewart to celebrate the formation of this dynamic team.
“This is a great day for the 3rd ID,” said 3rd ID Commander MG James Rainey who noted that the Georgia Guard Soldiers of the 3ID MCPOD would be part of future division deployments.
BG Tom Carden, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard, praised the teamwork between the 3rd Infantry Division and the Georgia Guard. He noted that the 3ID MCPOD not only benefits the 3rd ID, it also brings opportunities for growth to Georgia Guard Soldiers.
“The Georgia National Guard is a leadership factory,” the general, boasted. “What better place to grow leaders than the 3rd Infantry Division?”
At the ceremony, Unit Commander LTC Shawn Workman and Operations SGM Timothy Baker unfurled the 3ID MCPOD guidon, and Soldiers performed the customary act of swapping out their shoulder sleeve insignia, going from the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade to the 3rd ID.
“This is an incredible, historic opportunity. We have Soldiers that embed with each warfighting function within the 3rd Infantry Division headquarters,” said LTC Workman. “Putting the 3rd ID patch on is an incredible honor. I am very fortunate to be in command of this unit at this time.”
The addition of the Army National Guard Soldiers in infantry divisions is part of an Army initiative to round out active-duty division and corps headquarters elements during deployments. MCPOD units are designed to support active duty headquarters elements that were reduced in size due to budget constraints. The MCPODs provide additional manpower for MOSs including intelligence, operations and logistics, civil affairs, law enforcement, medical and aviation.
The concept of MCPODs fully embraces the Army Total Force Policy, which encourages optimal integration of all Army components to foster a balanced and effectual level of readiness across the entire force.
“We are, in fact, one Army,” Army Chief of Staff GEN Mark Milley said in a 2015 speech to the National Guard Association of the United States. “We have three components, but it is one Army . . . We are not 10 divisions. We are 18 divisions. And we’re not 32 brigades. We’re 60 brigades.”
GEN Milley went on to point out the Army is “indivisible,” and every component is necessary for a skilled and well-rounded Army.
“We are not small. We’re big. And we’re very capable. We are capable because of the National Guard. We are capable because of the Reserves.”
COL Chuck Hensley, then chief of plans for Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), said the following about the creation of MCPODS in a Jan. 6, 2017, interview. “Rather than cut a headquarters, I think we can still accomplish most of our missions with these headquarters, but when they deploy to a theater of operations, they’ll have the ability to increase their capability and capacity [because of Guard and Reserve Soldiers].”
As for the joining of the 3rd Infantry Division and the Georgia Army National Guard, the Total Force approach is evident in all aspects of the 3ID MCPOD. Army National Guard and active duty Soldiers were chosen for the unit based on the same required level of capability and readiness. When the unit was called up for deployment to Afghanistan this past October, both Army National Guard and active duty members were hand-picked for the mission. Those selected to deploy underwent intense training in preparation for deployment. Working as an equal team, Guard Soldiers trained alongside their active duty teammates, and the active duty Soldiers provided additional training and information to the Guard Soldiers.
“Guard Soldiers underwent additional training provided by the active duty and were able to train with active Soldiers performing their MOS on a full-time basis,” said SGM Williams Allex Hutchins. “We needed to know the tasking and mission concept. We needed to understand the expectations. Active Army identified the positions needed for the mission to come together.”
SGM Hutchins, for whom this is a sixth deployment, went on to note the extreme readiness of the unit. “I am very proud to say that I am deploying with well-prepared Soldiers,” he said. “They are all the best of the best, and I am constantly being impressed. They completed training ahead of schedule with precision. Great teamwork and great attitudes.”
In addition to providing the Soldiers with critical information, the training period also gave unit members time to connect, forge relationships and build a collaborative environment.
“Training with active duty Soldiers has been great,” said 3ID MCPOD Intelligence Analyst SSG Darius Fields. “They welcomed us. Everyone is excited about the joint mission and working to make it a great deployment. For me, it has really grown and impacted my military network for overall guidance concerning the Army.”
Being chosen for the 3ID MCPOD unit created a rare opportunity for the members from the Army National Guard. Not only do they gain hands-on tactical experience beyond what is typically available to Guard Soldiers, they also have the opportunity to lead the way in demonstrating how the ongoing embodiment of Total Force works in action.
“I will be able to take this opportunity to grow not only as an individual Soldier, but a better leader to other Soldiers around me,” SSG Fields said. “I can take this time to focus on progression on my job as 35G [imagery analyst], learning different languages, working along with other armed forces and surviving in an unfamiliar territory.”
The unit’s mission to Afghanistan is SSG Fields’ first deployment, making it especially important to him. He said he sees this as a significant learning opportunity and an influential moment in his military career. He said he believes being a member of 3ID MCPOD will allow him to come back from Afghanistan a better person and a better Soldier.
“I feel honored and blessed to receive this great opportunity; even though it’s a risky opportunity, overall it will help me grow as an individual.” SSG Fields said. “And I see that a lot of people think highly of me and see the potential in me to exceed any [perceived] limitations, so I can and will do more.”
SSG Fields went on to say, “Now I see for myself what kind of Soldier I am while I live and work directly in the middle of a combat zone versus stateside. The best part is I’m not alone on this journey. I’m with a lot of high-speed Soldiers that were hand-selected, like myself, and I don’t have to worry so much about my 6 o’clock.”
The Soldiers of 3ID MCPOD are from two components of the Army; they have varying backgrounds, tenures and skill sets, yet they have come together as one unit with a common goal of defending our great Nation.
“I’m surrounded with great people and Soldiers,” SSG Fields said. “I think there’s nothing better than to go fight a fight with Soldiers that you can sync within a short period of time and know they have similar goals and expectations. We are all different, but will all aim for greatness for ourselves, our brothers- and sisters-in-arms, our homeland and, more importantly, our Families and their secureness. Many of us will come back better than what we were before we left.”
According to FORSCOM, the Army plans to stand up a total of 13 MCPOD units – including the 1st Infantry Division that has already combined with 91 Nebraska Guard Soldiers; the 10th Mountain Division that will incorporate a contingent of New York Guard Soldiers; the 82nd Airborne Division that will sync with a contingent of North Carolina ARNG Soldiers; and the 7th Infantry Division, based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, that augmented with Washington ARNG Soldiers.
In all, nine of the 13 MCPOD units will be augmented with Army National Guard Soldiers. Once stood up, MCPODs, which can have up to 100 reserve component Soldiers, are a permanent element. This means Guard Soldiers will drill with their active duty counterparts and become devoted to the unit full-time. For example, while the 3ID MCPOD is administratively assigned to the 648th, the 3rd ID has operational control over the unit during deployments and shapes its missions, staffing and training.
COL Hensley remarked that the logistics of how to keep MCPOD commitments from impacting Guard members required one-to-four dwell time (the requirement for Guard Soldiers with civilian employment to spend four years at home between deployments) is still under review. Though he did provide the assurance that should a MCPOD be called on multiple deployments, “We’re not going to increase the demand on the Guard and the Reserve soldiers. They’re not going to have an extra burden because they are part of [a] MCPOD.”
By Staff Writer Tatyana White-Jenkins
