CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. — The Indiana Army National Guard’s 76th Mobile Brigade tested new capabilities, strengthened combat readiness and trained for large-scale combat operations alongside more than 4,700 U.S. and allied service members during Combat Readiness Exercise 26-02 at Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center July 18-Aug. 1.
The 15-day exercise tested the Indiana Army National Guard’s 76th Mobile Brigade against an opposing force, evaluating movement-to-contact and attack operations while preparing the unit for large-scale combat operations and its upcoming Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 27-09.
“The primary purpose of CRX is to build war-fighting readiness at echelon while fighting as a Mobile Brigade, employing newly fielded equipment, against a free-thinking opposing force,” said Col. Shawn Eaken, commander of the 76th MBDE.
CRX 26-02 marked only the second rotation under the Army National Guard’s new 15-day model, replacing the former 21-day Exportable Combat Training Capability exercise model. The format tests staff processes, combat proficiency and interoperability across multiple echelons.
Eaken said the model allows battalion and brigade formations to maneuver while identifying vulnerabilities before the brigade goes to JRTC and gets, as he put it, “punched in the face by Geronimo [the JRTC opposing force].”
For the 76th MBDE, CRX was a cohesive brigade-level event rather than a series of separate training lanes. Maneuver, field artillery, aviation, intelligence, electronic warfare, medical and sustainment elements operated simultaneously to exercise command and control in a dispersed environment, synchronize fires, protect rear-area lines of communication and employ newly formed multifunction reconnaissance companies.
The 76th MBDE operated under the 38th Infantry Division, supported by the 38th Division Sustainment Brigade and 38th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.
“CRX has not only trained the rotational unit but also provided an opportunity for the 38th Infantry Division to provide command and control,” Eaken said, adding that CRX allowed sustainment brigades to manage integration and aviation brigades to conduct aerial resupply in congested airspace. “The CRX format enables combined arms training, maneuver, and training as a division.”
The exercise also tested Army Transformation in Contact initiatives, requiring units to integrate newly fielded technologies into operations in near-real time as the brigade transitioned into a more mobile, dispersed and technologically enabled formation. Soldiers employed Infantry Squad Vehicles, unmanned aircraft systems, counter-UAS capabilities and electronic warfare equipment.
Col. Benjamin Tooley, executive officer for the 76th MBDE, described the exercise and transformation as a “once-in-a-career opportunity” to apply established doctrine in new ways using new equipment and technology while adapting to rapidly evolving threats.
“It’s been a really unique and interesting opportunity to bring everyone together, get them out in the field and learn how to re-employ and follow doctrinal principles,” Tooley said. “When you look at all the threats around the world, this has been a great opportunity to provide professional growth to the Soldiers and leaders of the brigade.”
Tooley also welcomed the opportunity to learn from multinational partners with real-world experience.
“We’re super excited to have them here so we can learn from each other,” Tooley said. “Obviously, they have a lot of experience implementing some of this tech in the real world.”
Multinational partners trained alongside U.S. forces, bringing real-world experience and different tactical perspectives. Slovak infantry soldiers conducted combined dismounted maneuver operations with the 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment, while Slovak sustainment personnel integrated with the 38th Division Sustainment Brigade. Estonian personnel exchanged mission-planning methods, Saudi Arabian representatives observed the exercise to inform their training programs, and Ukrainian forces shared tactics related to UAS and counter-UAS operations.
Eaken said exchanges with Ukrainian forces helped shape the brigade’s view of battlefield survivability. The lessons prompted the brigade to reduce its command post footprint, operate without customary field tents and relocate frequently to improve survivability.
“The Ukrainians provided a real look at what is survivable, and for all of our improvements, we would still be faced with survivability challenges in a large-scale combat operations environment like Ukraine,” Eaken said. “They provided a firsthand account of what operating under constant observation looks like.”
Other participating U.S. units included the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 278th Armored Brigade Combat Team and observer coach/trainers from First Army. The 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment, served as the OPFOR.
The goal for CRX 26-02 was for the 76th MBDE to achieve a “Proficient” readiness level before its JRTC rotation, turning individual and small-unit proficiency into coordinated brigade combat power. Despite the focus on new technology, Eaken emphasized that foundational soldiering skills remain critical.
“The new equipment provides some additional capabilities,” Eaken said, emphasizing that Soldiers must remain proficient in fundamentals such as reading a map and compass. “We can never move away from the basics of shoot, move, communicate, and medicate.”
Lt. Gen. Jon Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard, observed the training and offered encouragement to the Soldiers and leaders of the 76th.
“We must use every tool in our toolbox to fight and win in large-scale combat operations, and the CRX is the way we get after it,” Stubbs said. “The CRX is a harsh, dynamic test that builds lethal, combat-ready formations, and the 76th performed phenomenally, especially considering they are in the middle of their historic transformation from an IBCT to a Mobile Brigade. The 76th has definitely set an example for others to follow.”