South Carolina Army National Guard Launches New Patriot Training Program
When the leaders of the South Carolina Army National Guard’s 263rd Army Air Missile Defense Command (AAMDC) were confronted with the gap in the Army National Guard’s experience with the Patriot Missile System, they dug in and began building a bridge to span the gap.
That bridge is the Army National Guard Patriot Training Program. A first of its kind for the Army National Guard, the program provides sustainment training for Patriot fire control enhanced operators/maintainers; Patriot air defense training for air defense artillery officers at the brigade level; and prerequisite training for both the Air and Missile Defense Systems Tactician/Technician and the Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Operations.
“The 263rd AAMDC took it upon themselves to figure out how we can gain the Patriot knowledge within the Army National Guard ranks,” said MAJ Adam Williams of the 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. “They hired incredible instructors, funded equipment to be brought in, and then were able to take an air defender like myself, who has very basic knowledge of Patriot missile systems, and [give] me what would be a bachelor’s degree-level [of training].”
“It was a great idea and has been needed for a long time,” said Beth Turner, an instructor at the Patriot Training Program. “It fills the piece that the Army National Guard was missing with their Patriot experience. It allows them to have that knowledge and supplement active duty.”
For eight months, Soldiers of South Carolina’s 263rd AAMDC and 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade attended the inaugural classes of the Patriot Training Program during their drill weekends. This initial batch of training sessions gave the course instructors a unique opportunity to assist in tailoring the structure and content of the program from the ground up.
“I loved being able to develop something like this,” Turner said. “[The AAMDC] sought me out to help create the program, administer the training and instruction, and then develop what the growth of the program would be. We got to be creative, so it’s been a lot of fun. It started with needing to fill this gap with Patriot experience so that [Guard Soldiers] can be ready and relevant in any theater. By the end, we started doing more training on equipment and the overall concept of the weapons system, and how it integrates into the joint force.”
South Carolina Army National Guard photo by SGT David Erskine
Along with required reading and exams, the program incorporates virtual environments to simulate how the missile system is used in theater. Soldiers learn basic knowledge about the Patriot system, as well as how to plan and integrate it into a joint operational environment.
Having a limited amount of time to digest the immense amount of information taught in the program proved to be somewhat taxing for Soldiers.
“The most challenging aspect of the training was trying to cover such a vast subject using only drill weekends,” said then SFC, now WO1, Travis Peacock of the 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. “Each student had to create time each month to study the previous month’s topics and prepare for tests while reading the necessary documents ahead of time to be prepared for the upcoming session. This required a delicate balance of resources and time management.”
Despite challenges, Soldiers had positive feedback about the program. They noted feeling overwhelmed towards the beginning of the course, but by the end, said they could see how everything came together.
“The Soldiers love it,” said Jim Smith, assistant instructor of the Patriot Training Program. “As we progressed, they would come in wanting to do more. And when the class was over, they actually asked if they could continue training. They wanted us to teach more classes.”
Thanks to the knowledgeable and thoroughness of the instructors, Soldiers reported feeling confident in their ability to succeed using the Patriot Missile System in theater.
“The time spent in this training environment was excellent because of the experience of the instructors paired with the diversity of the students,” SFC Peacock said.
“It’s a lot of material to cover and a lot of technical information, but the instructors were outstanding,” noted MAJ Williams.
MAJ Williams’ participation in the program was particularly relevant, as the 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade has an upcoming deployment that will put their Patriot knowledge to the test.
“We’re going to Germany as part of the European Deterrence Initiative, and we will be controlling Patriot battalions as well as other missile systems,” MAJ Williams said. “Having this knowledge and training has been invaluable. I feel like I’m prepared now for when my commander comes to me and asks me questions. I’ve got the basic knowledge to either provide him an answer, or I know the resources to seek out that answer, which we didn’t have before.”
The Instructors of the Patriot Training Program plan to follow the 678th’s deployment to Germany to gain real-time feedback on the effectiveness of the training.
“That’s what is really exciting about it,” Turner said. “They’ve gotten this information and got to learn it before going [to Germany]. What we are going to do is capture what they learn over there, what they are missing, what information helped them. We will [use that information] to continue to improve the program for the next units.”
Knowing that his newly learned knowledge would soon be put to use made the importance of the program all the more apparent to him, MAJ Williams said.
“It was a great opportunity to go into a drill weekend knowing what you were working on had meaning and value,” MAJ Williams explained. “Every weekend [has meaning and value], but as we were focused on the Patriot program, all of the distractions of a normal drill weekend were removed so that we could focus in on this training only. Some of us knew that this Germany rotation was a possibility, so we knew that the skills we were learning right then were going to be put to use in a few months.”
Along with gaining a solid understanding of the Patriot missile system, Soldiers also gained perspective on the connection between their Patriot system knowledge and its importance to the Army National Guard.
“It feels really good to have completed the training,” SFC Peacock said. “Not just having it behind me, but knowing what benefits it will bring to the events that lie ahead of me. I learned the importance of this particular Army equipment and the purpose it serves with keeping this Nation and other nations safe and secure. [I also learned] how important it is to constantly try to stay relevant by learning new skills that help make the Army National Guard, my unit and myself better.”
At the conclusion of this first set of courses, the South Carolina Army National Guard held a graduation ceremony on Jan. 6, 2018, in Columbia, South Carolina. The 12 graduating Soldiers were presented with course certificates. During the ceremony, then-MAJ, now LTC Benjamin Dunn of the 281st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade gave a speech highlighting the significance the program holds.
“The genius of the Patriot Training Program is that it is precisely tailored to solve a unique problem facing today’s Army,” LTC Dunn explained. “The active component does not need or expect me to walk through the door being the master of all Patriot knowledge, but neither do they have the time to fully train me on the job. What they need is a reserve component Soldier with a knowledge base that reduces the learning curve to full mission capability from weeks to a matter of days. This program fills that critical knowledge gap. Thus, as a result of my participation, I feel confident in my ability to fall in with an active duty Patriot unit and be a useful part of the team.”
When it comes to the future of the Patriot Training Program, plans are underway to expand the program to more units in the Army National Guard and further develop it based on Soldiers’ feedback and experiences with their newfound knowledge and skills.
“The Army National Guard is being called on more now than in our entire history,” SFC Peacock explained. “We must be ready to step up and step in at any time. Relevance and readiness are words that come to mind. Training like the Patriot Training Program truly [delivers on] both of those terms.”
BY STAFF WRITER, Tatyana White-Jenkins
