New Mexico Minuteman - Spring 2012 - Keep Trees

CATC: New name, new mission
By Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Williams and Staff Sgt. George Gregory
Combat Training Unit (CTU), 2-515th RTI,
New Mexico National Guard
Individual and collective training focus is shifting throughout
the New Mexico National Guard. Rapid growth of force and focus
on technology over the past decade demands profi ciency in the
technical aspects of combat. Because of the high operations
tempo and the need to learn new developments in technology,
Soldiers have had to sacrifi ce ground combat basics in order to
adapt to the equipment.
Maj. Gen. Kenny C. Montoya, the Adjutant General, has ordered
a priority shift in training—to get back to the basics. His driving
concern is for the safety of New Mexico National Guard Soldiers
and Airmen. With Guard mobilizations decreasing, Montoya has
made it clear that during this reset period, Soldiers and Airmen will
focus on realistic and relevant training to ensure that we are prepared
to serve the local communities as well as locations throughout
the world.
The Combat Training Unit—formerly Combat Arms Training
Company—has been tasked with turning the state’s training
focus back to the training on which the CATC was formed to provide
to our deploying forces. The CTU has begun internal profi -
ciency training to polish and improve skill sets to better train New
Mexico National Guard units. Emphasis on advanced weapons
training, urban operations, combatives, tactical casualty care and
survival are paramount to the success of our Soldiers and Airmen
By Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Williams
Combat Training Unit Operations NCO
Over the past year the Combat Arms Training Company, now
the Combat Training Unit, has supported our deploying NMNG
Soldiers by providing them with realistic and relevant training in
preparation for worst-case scenarios against an enemy with a
global reach.
The CTU Soldiers pride themselves on training Soldiers for
the best and worst mission sets to get the unit through required
training tasks prior to mobilization. Many instructors spend hours
of personal time doing independent research on the latest trends
and projected threats worldwide. With what they learn, they
develop instructional situations that force Guardsmen to think fast
and make good decisions. State and unit leadership and the staff
at Ranges strongly support such experience-based training.
In this past year, CATC trained 478 soldiers on critical tasks
needed for their deployment to Multinational Force Observers,
14 NEW MEXICO Minuteman / Spring 2012
on the asymmetric battlefi eld, as well as within our communities
and state missions.
Instructors for the CTU are required to maintain profi ciency
in all of these tasks and are expected to continue independent
research in order to be fl exible and adaptive to their students’
needs. CTU instructors will convey information in a multi-level
format to better develop Soldiers’ and Airmen’s skills in both individual
and collective tasks.
Montoya has directed the major subordinate commands to
work closely with the CTU to develop realistic, relevant and quality
training for all units and activities. It is through this partnership with
New Mexico’s commanders and the CTU that profi ciency of our
Soldiers and Airmen will go “beyond the standard.”
CTU gives realistic training
to counter latest enemy threats