DVIDS – News – NATO Allies team up with 10th Mountain Division, National Guard to execute Warfighter Exercise at Fort Drum

FORT DRUM, NY – “One team, one fight,” has been a mantra heard across the U.S. Army for years, which places an emphasis on the importance of partnerships and interoperability. During Warfighter Exercise (WFX) 25-01, this statement spanned beyond the limits of internal teams and units throughout the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), headquartered at Fort Drum, NY, and included NATO Allies, as well as incorporated the 10th Mountain Division (LI) Main Command-Post Operational Detachment (MCP-OD) which is aligned to the New York National Guard.

WFX 25-01, conducted Oct. 9-18, 2024, at training areas across Fort Drum, validated the ability for the different countries and units to integrate and work together to complete mission sets within the exercise, which used real-life experience in a simulated environment.

“A warfighter exercise is focused on evaluating Army units’ ability to conduct large scale combat operations,” said Col. Michael P. Tumlin, 10th Mountain Division Artillery brigade commander. “The exercise is conducted in a simulated environment and is designed to stress Army Corps and Divisions ability to conduct combat operations against a peer adversary in a multi-domain operational environment.”

Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) provided security, transportation, medical, and life support to sustain the fight for the main and tactical command posts during the set-up, execution, and recovery phases of the exercise.

“While the 10th Mountain Division (LI) is preparing for a warfighter exercise, this division and our Soldiers are focused on war fighting,” Tumlin said. “This exercise is essential to train ourselves to fight and win in large-scale combat.”

Together, the NATO Allies, 10th Mountain Division (LI), and MCP-OD tested their ability to conduct large scale combat operations with a focus on being able to quickly break down, move and set-up division command elements to perform efficiently and effectively, without losing capabilities while reducing the potential of being detected.

The exercise trained Soldiers at all levels and put their skills to the test.

“When we deploy forward for an event like this, everyone gets to do what their job would be in combat,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Childers, the 10th Mountain Division (LI) chief of operations. “Regardless of what we do in our day-to-day jobs, this is a chance to do what the Army expects us to do if we were going to go fight and win somewhere overseas.”

The MCP-OD has a mission that focusses on augmenting active-duty division and corps staffs with Reserve or National Guard personnel, who brought not only the knowledge and skills from wearing a uniform, but also contributed to the exercise using experience and capabilities from their civilian careers.

“We are fortunate to have National Guard Soldiers integrated into our team. They are performing a wide variety of roles across our division staff,” said Tumlin. “Together, Active Duty and National Guard Soldiers, are focused on planning, preparing, executing, and assessing operations to ensure the 10th Mountain Division (LI) is ready to fight tonight, and win!”

The exercise provided an opportunity for Soldiers of all backgrounds to work with other countries and components of the U.S. Army to enhance skillsets and widen each participants knowledge base, seamlessly integrating while sharing lessons learned from past experiences.

“We’ve been welcomed into the division headquarters and every time I see the people in my section, it’s like reuniting and being a part of a group or like a family,” said Master Sgt. Steven B. Seidenstein, a senior enlisted member of the protection cell of the MCP-OD. “It’s a really positive experience and I’m really enjoying the opportunity to serve in this capacity.”

As 10th Mountain Division (LI) continues to build a team of teams, with NATO Allies and the National Guard, it is postured for success for an upcoming war fighter exercise in January 2025 and a division in the dirt rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Johnson, Louisiana, where the division will see this exercise come to life.

“The 10th Mountain Division (LI) has a proud legacy of excellence in all we do,” Tumlin said. “This mindset was forged at our inception during World War II, as the US Army’s only elite Alpine unit, and is the most deployed division since 9/11. With that in mind, it is critical to deliberately prepare for our upcoming WFX in January.”

One team, one fight! Climb to Glory!