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Introduction
The 303rd Expeditionary-Military Intelligence Battalion (EMI BN) recently undertook a deliberate training progression to achieve a "T" rating (i.e., "trained") on military intelligence (MI) specific mission essential tasks (METs) to maintain proficiency as one of the Army's focused ready units. This article describes how the 303rd E-MI BN ("Longhorns") leveraged the recently published Military Intelligence Training Strategy (MITS) framework to plan, prepare, and conduct a battalion-level field training exercise that tested collective-level proficiency.
This article outlines a way to conduct training of the MITS tasks leading up to Tier 2 collective training for an expeditionary-MI battalion. It further addresses lessons learned by the 303rd E-MI BN during training progression through the four MITS levels: individual, crew, platoon/platform, and intelligence warfighting function. TC 2-19.400, Military Intelligence Training Strategy, provides a fundamental understanding of the MITS certification program.1
Background and Battalion Task Organization
Operation Longhorn Forge was a battalion-level field training exercise conducted in March 2019. It marked the first time the Longhorns conducted battalion collective training with all organic companies and systems since 2015. Since that time, the battalion had been geographically separated. B/303rd, the collection and exploitation company, was stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, in support of intelligence reach; and A/303rd, the counterintelligence (CI) and human intelligence (HUMINT) company, was deploying to and from Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. Both Alpha and Bravo companies had focused on supporting counterinsurgency operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and had limited experience with supporting large-scale ground combat operations to nest under the battalion's METs. The battalion reassembled at Fort Hood, Texas, in October 2018 and conducted reintegration, personnel turnover, and task organization change to return the formation to its modified table of organization and equipment configuration.
The expeditionary-MI battalion consists of 285 Soldiers and is task-organized with three organic companies. The companies bring expanded analytical and collection capabilities compared to an MI company assigned to a brigade combat team.2 The battalion is intended to provide MI support to either a division or a corps headquarters, performing both collection and processing/analysis in support of a combat arms commander. The headquarters detachment contains the intelligence and electronic warfare (IEW) systems integration section (equipped with the AN/TSQ226(V)2 Trojan SPIRIT) and a wheeled-vehicle maintenance section, in...