The US Army recently transported a Stryker vehicle-equipped group of soldiers from their base in the state of Washington to Guam as part of an “early entry command post” concept experiment.
The experiment, part of Operation Agile Courage, demonstrated the joint capabilities of the army’s I Corps and the US Air Force’s 62nd Airlift Wing to respond to global crises by swiftly deploying 30 soldiers and four Stryker vehicles 6,000 miles (9,656 kilometers) away in Guam.
Army-Air Force Joint Op
I Corps Deputy Commanding General for Operations Brig. Gen. Cayle Oberwarth remarked that the “exercise clearly demonstrates a joint capability between I Corps and the US Air Force that allows the Joint Force to deploy a Corps-level command and control element, quickly, to respond to various situations anywhere in the Pacific.”
The experiment tested the Stryker-mounted soldiers’ performance being deployed at such a distance, including maintaining communication throughout the operation.
“These forward command and control vehicles are designed to operate in austere environments and can quickly deploy out of any staging base, especially Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the largest rapid deployment base on the west coast,” said Oberwarth.
Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Each Stryker Brigade Combat Team revolves around the highly maneuverable eight-wheeled Stryker vehicle, which is capable of conventional and network-centric warfare.
The brigade fills the void between the US mobile light infantry and the heavier armored infantry. Each brigade, consisting of more than 300 Stryker vehicles and 4,500 soldiers, can be deployed by a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft in a war theater within 96 hours.
