Army trains for evolving demands of the modern battlefield

FORT HOOD, Texas — The Army is embracing the latest technology to adapt to the evolving demands of the modern battlefield.

‘Operation Hood Strike’ brought units from the Army’s active duty units, reserves and National Guard units to Fort Hood, Texas, for a rigorous, hands-on stress test. Canadian soldiers also participated in the training.

“We’re a full Army. We’re a full engineer regiment. And in wartime, we’re going to fight them. That’s why we have to train with them here in peacetime,” said Col. Justin Pritchard, 36th Engineer Brigade Commander.

The troops were thrown into a realistic war scenario. Their mission was to cross Lake Belton and approach enemy territory.

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Engineers built a seven-float raft with two launchers and five compartments. This is the standard ramp and bay configuration for moving M1 Abrams tanks, said Capt. Bruce Burgener, 43rd Multi-Purpose Bridge Company Commander.

“Anything less than that is not going to get them going,” Burgener said. “Our goal is to achieve as much efficiency as possible for friendly forces.”

Burgener said his company is recruiting “a lot of new troops” and that the training gives its higher-ranking troops the opportunity to work with new soldiers. He divided this training into three stages: ‘crawling, walking, running.’

“At this point, we are in the walking phase for our company,” Burgener said. “So we are slowly trying to move to a running phase where we can work much more efficiently with our new soldiers.”

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Once all equipment and personnel are in place, the attack over water begins. The Texas National Guard swooped in with Chinook helicopters to provide reconnaissance and submerged portions of the bridge.

Lt. Col. Travis Shahan, 961st Engineer Battalion Commander, said air assets are vital for dropping large payloads in hard-to-reach areas.

“Sometimes when you’re building a bridge it can be a little difficult to get all the equipment you need to the water,” Shahan said.

Texas National Guard members drop portions of the bridge from a Chinook helicopter into Belton Lake at Fort Hood, Texas. (FOX News)

Troops crossing the bridge already know what enemy territory looks like because it has been mapped in the tactical command center. The map allows every soldier, from the highest rank to the infantry, to know how to fit into the mission.

“If you’re working in an office, these things are pretty easy to plan. But when you’re here and planes are flying overhead here in the middle of the night… It’s a lot harder when you’re trying to execute here,” said Battalion Executive Officer Maj. Salem Maud.

A small-scale map at the tactical operations center shows troops what enemy territory looks like. (FOX News)

‘Operation Hood Strike’ takes place at Fort Hood every year, but each year is different as the modern battlefield is constantly changing. While Col. Adam Rasmussen, 420th Engineer Brigade Commander, said the Army was trying to get soldiers out of harm’s way, he said the war was “still very much a humanitarian effort.”

“We want soldiers who can innovate, and there is no better person to innovate on how to get a person out of a breach than a person who has experienced the pain of the breach,” Rasmussen said. “These folks know how important it is to have an automated system, an unmanned system, or an AI system involved in the breach rather than a human.”

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The Army has set a recruiting goal of 60,500 active-duty soldiers in 2025, according to the Army Recruiting Command. They reached their goal by 103.47% and recruited 62,050 soldiers.

The Army Reserves aim to recruit 14,320 recruits in 2025, Recruiting Command said. The reserves fell short, meeting only 86.76% of their targets with 12,426 soldiers.

“The way we recruit and retain is to bring them here through very challenging but rewarding training. They may not enjoy it 100% at the time, but at the end of the day they think they’re doing the greatest thing in the world,” Rasmussen said.

“That’s exactly what they signed up to do,” Pritchard said. “Anytime we can go out and do what they signed up for the Army to do… It encourages you, like, that’s why I served. That’s why I want to stay in the Army and continue to serve the nation.”

Col. Adam Rasmussen, 420th Engineer Brigade Commander, said soldiers become ‘more lethal’ with every hour they spend in training. (FOX News)

Units participating in ‘Operation Hood Strike’ are not preparing for a specific deployment. Training is still critical to get new recruits up to speed, Rasmussen said.

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“These soldiers become more lethal with every hour they are on the battlefield,” Rasmussen said.