This is the first part of a two-part conversation with CPT John Sinclair and MSG Wes Gatewood discussing Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha’s (SFOD-A) conducting Opposing Force or RED Force operations against a US Army Brigade Combat Team Augmented by US Army Special Operations Forces in a Large Scale Combat Training scenario across all domains (land, air, space, cyberspace, information, and human) at the National Training Center (NTC).

CPT Sinclair and MSG Gatewood share their experience executing REDSOF (RED SF) at the National Training Center. Highlighting insights on how they prepared for this rotation, what worked and what did not work for their Detachment, and their biggest take-a-ways from the rotation.

CPT Sinclair and MSG Gatewood have the distinct honor of being the first non-Burro Team members to be guests on the podcast and the Off the Radar team thank them for their time, dedication to the profession, and willingness to help improve the force through attending a Combat Training Center (CTC) rotation and sharing their lessons learned.

This episode covers:

- Preparing for REDSOF rotation at home station

- Highlighting the importance of training the fundamental / basics

- Integrating with 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment “Black Horse” and Task Force Reaper

- What functions can REDSOF leverage from TF Reaper: Intel, Fires, Information Operations, Electronic Warfare

- Working by, with, and through a partner force; partnered leadership and soldiers; role players filling other roles

- Value of NTC; training on intelligence cycle, targeting cycling, visualization of the battlefield, mission command, forecasting operations, and developing commander’s intent

- Training against a live free-thinking enemy and having to adjust to the battlefield as it changes

Please like, subscribe, and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil.

Produced, edited, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of Salty Sounds

This is the third and final part of a three-part conversation with CPT Grant Cook discussing Special Operations Forces (SOF) Civil Affairs (CA) Teams and Civil Military Operations Centers (CMOC) conducting training in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) across multi-domains at the National training Center (NTC) and across Combat Training Centers (CTCs).

CPT Grant Cook shares his experiences and observations on how best to approach a CTC rotation as a SOF CA professional. Through describing his personal experiences in both training and real-world operations; Grant illuminates how SOF CA is organized, how SOF CA functions operationally on its own and with Special Forces and Psychological Operations, and what SOF CA does for the Joint Force.

CPT Grant Cook recently finished his tour at the National Training Center as the lead Observer Coach / Trainer (OC/T) for Special Operations Forces Civil Affairs. As the lead SOF CA OC/T Grant took part in 6 rotations at the National Training Center and Joint Readiness Training Center coaching and mentoring CA teams, CMOCs, and SF AOB leadership and staff from across US Army Special Operations Command.

This episode covers:

- Differences between SOF CA and conventional CA

- directive 2000.13, directs al commanders to conduct civil affairs

- USASOC authorities 525-38 Civil Military Engagement directive

- Understanding what roles SOF CA and convention CA but recognizing that when you’re the only CA element at the point on the battlefield, you need to able to full either role

- Value of the CTC when it comes to training the human and information dimensions

- SOF CA and SOF PSYOP integration

Please like, subscribe, and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil.

Produced, edited, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of Salty Sounds

This is the second part of a two-part conversation with CPT Eric Plummer discussing Special Operations Forces (SOF) Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Teams conducting training in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) across multi-domains at the National training Center (NTC) and across Combat Training Centers (CTCs).

CPT Eric Plummer shares his experiences and observations on how best to approach a CTC rotation as a SOF PSYOP professional. Through describing his personal experiences in both training and real-world operations; Eric illuminates how SOF PSYOP is organized, how SOF PSYOP functions operationally on its own and with Special Forces and Civil Affairs, and what SOF PSYOP does for the Joint Force.

CPT Eric Plummer is a seasoned Observer Coach / Trainer (OC/T) at the National Training Center. He serves as the lead OC/T for Special Operations Forces Psychological Operations. As the lead SOF PSYOP OC/T Eric has taken part in 8 rotations at the National Training Center and Joint Readiness Training Center coaching and mentoring PSYOP teams and Detachments, and SF AOB leadership and staff from across US Army Special Operations Command.

This episode covers:

- Value proposition of PSYOP at CTCs especially NTC

- PSYOP integration with SF Company staff / non-kinetic targeting

- Authorities and permissions competition vs conflict

- SOF PSYOP integration with Conventional PSYOP (USACAPOC)

- Staff approval process and HICOM injects (or lack thereof)

- Measures of performance and effectiveness; and how to gauge those

- PSYOP’s role in LSCO

Please like, subscribe, and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil.

Production, editing, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of Salty Sounds

This is the second part of a three-part conversation with CPT Grant Cook discussing Special Operations Forces (SOF) Civil Affairs (CA) Teams and Civil Military Operations Centers (CMOC) conducting training in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) across multi-domains at the National training Center (NTC) and across Combat Training Centers (CTCs).

CPT Grant Cook shares his experiences and observations on how best to approach a CTC rotation as a SOF CA professional. Through describing his personal experiences in both training and real-world operations; Grant illuminates how SOF CA is organized, how SOF CA functions operationally on its own and with Special Forces and Psychological Operations, and what SOF CA does for the Joint Force.

CPT Grant Cook recently finished his tour at the National Training Center as the lead Observer Coach / Trainer (OC/T) for Special Operations Forces Civil Affairs. As the lead SOF CA OC/T Grant took part in 6 rotations at the National Training Center and Joint Readiness Training Center coaching and mentoring CA teams, CMOCs, and SF AOB leadership and staff from across US Army Special Operations Command.

This episode covers:

- How Observe Coach / Trainer approach coaching and mentoring Civil Affairs Teams

- What a CAT / CMOC experiences during a CTC rotation leading up to the rotation and once they hit the ground

- CA building rapport and demonstrating value to the AOB Leadership and PSYOP team

- Recommendation on prioritization of action for CA upon training scenario starting

- Examples of how civil reconnaissance plays an important role in the whole of ARSOF’s understanding of the operational environment

Please like, subscribe, and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil.

Produced, edited, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of Salty Sounds

This is the first part of a two-part conversation with CPT Eric Plummer discussing Special Operations Forces (SOF) Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Teams conducting training in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) across multi-domains at the National training Center (NTC) and across Combat Training Centers (CTCs).

CPT Eric Plummer shares his experiences and observations on how best to approach a CTC rotation as a SOF PSYOP professional. Through describing his personal experiences in both training and real-world operations; Eric illuminates how SOF PSYOP is organized, how SOF PSYOP functions operationally on its own and with Special Forces and Civil Affairs, and what SOF PSYOP does for the Joint Force.

CPT Eric Plummer is a seasoned Observer Coach / Trainer (OC/T) at the National Training Center. He serves as the lead OC/T for Special Operations Forces Psychological Operations. As the lead SOF PSYOP OC/T Eric has taken part in 8 rotations at the National Training Center and Joint Readiness Training Center coaching and mentoring PSYOP teams and Detachments, and SF AOB leadership and staff from across US Army Special Operations Command.

This episode covers:

- Eric describes his personal experiences in PSYOP and the Army

- How PSYOP achieves dominance in the information dimension both in real-world operations and in training

- PSYOP integration in the ARSOF Tribes

- Regional versus Tactical PSYOP alinement structure

- PSYOP task organization and home-station training

- What the information environment looks like at the National Training Center

- How to prepare for an upcoming rotation at the National Training Center

Please like, subscribe, and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil.

Production, editing, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of Salty Sounds

This is the first part of a three-part conversation with CPT Grant Cook discussing Special Operations Forces (SOF) Civil Affairs (CA) Teams and Civil Military Operations Centers (CMOC) conducting training in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) across multi-domains at the National training Center (NTC) and across Combat Training Centers (CTCs).

CPT Grant Cook shares his experiences and observations on how best to approach a CTC rotation as a SOF CA professional. Through describing his personal experiences in both training and real-world operations; Grant illuminates how SOF CA is organized, how SOF CA functions operationally on its own and with Special Forces and Psychological Operations, and what SOF CA does for the Joint Force.

CPT Grant Cook recently finished his tour at the National Training Center as the lead Observer Coach / Trainer (OC/T) for Special Operations Forces Civil Affairs. As the lead SOF CA OC/T Grant took part in 6 rotations at the National Training Center and Joint Readiness Training Center coaching and mentoring CA teams, CMOCs, and SF AOB leadership and staff from across US Army Special Operations Command.

This episode covers:

- How SOF CA is Task Organized and roles: Civil Affairs Teams, Civil Military Operations Centers, Company

- The COMREL formal and informal that SOF CA typically works under operationally

- Overview of the Military Occupation Specialties on a Civil Affairs Team

- CA is preventative medicine, doing your job throughout competition, crisis, and conflict

- Value of CA participating in Combat Training Centers

Please like, subscribe, comment and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil.

Production, editing, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of Salty Sounds

This is part two of a two-part conversation with MAJ Michael Hitzner discussing Special Forces (SF) Companies (AOBs) and Teams (ODAs) conducting training in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) across multi-domains at the National Training Center (NTC). He shares his extensive experience and observations on how best to approach a Combat Training Center (CTC) rotation and what he has learned from his time here at NTC.

MAJ Hitzner recently finished his two-year tour at the National Training Center, spending a year as the Special Operations Training Detachment AOB-West Operations Officer/Exercise Control. Then his final year as the Officer in Charge of AOB-W. During this time, he conducted over 12 rotations, at NTC, JRTC, and JPMRC, observing and coaching SF AOBs and ODAs.

This episode covers:

- How training for LSCO prepares you for competition missions

- Should NTC or a CTC be used a certification / validation event or a pre-mission training (PMT)?

- A recommendation for using a CTC as a certification / validation event.

- When AOBs and Teams should start to prepare for a CTC rotation.

- How to approach multi-domain operations, including suggested enablers to have with you

- How tactical SOF actions effect the operational and strategic levels

Please like, subscribe, comment and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil.

Production, editing, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of Salty Sounds

This is the first part of a two part conversation with MAJ Michael Hitzner discussing Special Forces (SF) Companies (AOBs) and Teams (ODAs) conducting training in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) across multi-domains at the National Training Center (NTC). He shares his immense experience and insights on how best to approach a Combat Training Center (CTC) rotation and what he has learned from his time here at NTC.

MAJ Hitzner recently finished his two year tour at the National Training Center, spending a year as the Special Operations Training Detachment AOB-West Operations Officer/Exercise Control, then his final year as the Officer in Charge of AOB-W. During this time he conducted over 12 rotations observing and coaching SF AOBs and ODAs.

This episode covers:

- Difference between home-station training and training at NTC

- The value of SF AOBs and ODAs conducting a rotation at NTC

- The unique and expansive resources that are brought in for a rotation at NTC

- Where and how SF AOBs integrate with conventional forces

- The focus of ARSOF training at NTC on the AOB and the value that SFOD-As receive from NTC

- What it takes to survive and operate in the desert

Please like, subscribe, comment and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at weston.rich@socom.mil.

Production, editing, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of Salty Sounds