Soldiers of the 1-94th Cavalry, conduct operations while in “The Box” at NTC

Soldiers of the 1-94th Cavalry, conduct tough, realistic and unified land operations while in “The Box” at NTC, which provides Armored Brigade Combat Teams the ability to fully deploy all assets in a training exercise. In the deployment-like setting, the Squadron squared off against an opposition force from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment-Blackhorse, a U.S. Army brigade that operates as a near-peer enemy force for units on a rotation at NTC, located on Fort Irwin in California.

The Squadron pressed forward through a main corridor of The Box to advance on enemy defensive positions in an effort to shape the battle field and set the tone for future operations on the 996-square-mile training area. Throughout the battle, the 1-94 Cavalry experienced a variety of combat situations including mass casualty exercises, base attacks and other unannounced training events such as chemical attacks to test and teach Soldiers.

Soldiers of the Brigade are participating in a decisive-action training exercise in the desert environment to ensure units remain versatile, responsive and consistently available for current and future contingencies. The exercise, directed by U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), will serve as the final, major training event ahead of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division's 2021 deployment to the Middle East.

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1/6: Sgt. Parker Johnson, Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunner, and Maj. Robert Grutsch, the operations officer for the 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry Regiment, plot troop locations on a map from an observation point at Fort Irwin, California, on July 23, 2020.

2/6: Capt. Andrew Joski, commander of Alpha Troop, 2-136th CAB, delivers an operations order to his platoon and squad leaders ahead of a decisive action mission on July 24th, 2020. Operation orders are passed down through each echelon of leadership until it reaches the individual Soldiers so plans and rehearsals can take place at the team level to prepare for the upcoming mission.

3/6: Platoon and squad leaders of Alpha Troop, 2-136th CAB, review a map during an operations order brief ahead of a decisive action mission on July 24th, 2020. Operation orders are passed down through each echelon of leadership until it reaches the individual Soldiers so plans and rehearsals can take place at the team level to prepare for the upcoming mission.

4/6: A Soldier of Alpha Company, 2-136th CAB communicates with his company commander via encripted radio from his Bradley Fighting Vehicle on July 25, 2020. Communication is key in a decisive action fight to provide Soldiers at every level have the most up-to-date and accurate information possible.

5/6: Bounding forward as part of fire team, Soldiers from 2-136th CAB use rocks and bushes for cover and concealment while moving towards the objective on July 25, 2020 at Fort Irwin, California's National Training Center.

6/6: Pfc. Tre Castro, a squad automatic weapon gunner, bounds forward as part of fire team for 2-136th CAB, while moving towards the objective on July 25, 2020 at Fort Irwin, California's National Training Center.