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| Members of U.S. Army Africa Contingency Command Post ensure communications and computer equipment is in working order duing a deployment exercise at Aviano Air Base Italy, recently. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Will Patterson) | |||
U.S. Army Africa’s CCP tests capabilities
By Sgt. 1st Class Will Patterson, U.S. Army Africa Contingency Command Post Public Affairs NCOIC
VICENZA, Italy – U.S. Army Africa command’s Contingency Command Post (CCP) conducted a deployment exercise on Aviano Airbase, Italy June 4 – 8.
The CCP is USARAF’s mobile headquarters featuring state-of-the-art communications and coordination tools providing flexible multi-faceted responses to deployment requests such as humanitarian relief or noncombatant evacuation operations known as NEOs.
Versions of the CCP can be configured for a 10-person liaison team and up to a joint task force headquarters in supporting more than 100 people as part of a U.S. Africa Command’s directed contingency operation.
The exercise at Aviano was intended to confirm the command’s ability to deploy a mission command element.
“This exercise validated the USARAF CCP`s ability to deploy a forward command post via C-17 Cargo Aircraft,” said Master Sgt. David Brasher, CCP sergeant major. “The CCP has a variety of deployable versions that allow us to deploy by various methods.”
The Large Command Post version is able to deploy to Africa with all required equipment and personnel in a single C-17.
The exercise started with running through the steps of deploying for a contingency mission. Soldiers lined up, were briefed on the deployment timeline for the aircraft, loaded a bus and headed to Aviano airfield. Once there, equipment and personnel were loaded onto a C-17 for a short flight before landing and setting up tents and equipment.
“We were validating our load, we were validating our exercise, we were validating a full FCP (Forward Command Post),” said Nicholas Carper, training officer for the CCP.
“Now that we have validated our deployable package and aircraft combination we will be able to plan and execute future missions more effectively,” added Brasher.
Once all equipment was up and running, the CCP rehearsed missions around 80 battle drills within different scenarios which challenged personnel and equipment according to Carper.
Having everything set up, testing the equipment and giving the Soldiers a chance to operate in their lane gave the CCP to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures to be more effective in future operations according to Brasher.
With the successful completion of the exercise, USARAF’s CCP is ready to deploy when and where it’s needed on African continent.