TRANSFORMATION TO BRING NEW ROLE TO CSTC

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. - With Army Transformation in full swing, reorganizations and new commands are the norm these days within the Army community. Commanders everywhere are faced with new challenges and opportunities, and the U.S. Army Combat Support Training Center (CSTC) is no exception.

Transformation brought about a new mission for the CSTC in support the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) model. Based on this model. Army Reserve units will require a place to conduct large-scale collective training during the years three and four of the ARFORGEN cycle. This is where Fort Hunter Liggett's I FHL) expansive 165,000 acres of theater-like terrain comes in. FHL is the Army Reserve's largest installation, and the eighth largest in the Army's inventory. CSTC will fully utilize the Simulation Center at Camp Parks in conjunction with the maneuver areas and ranges at FHL to conduct real world collective training for units in the validation phase of their ARFC)RGEN training cycle.

"Fort Hunter Liggctt has a long-standing and proven history of support tor Soldier training. The new CSTC mission gives the installation an even more important role in Army transformation and providing high quality services to our Soldiers and their Families," said LTG Robert Wilson, assistant chief of staff for installation management and commanding general Installation Management Command (IMCOM).

In February 2007 the CSTC hosted a meeting with the key leaders from the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, IMCOM and the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) at FHL. Wilson led the meeting with USARC Chief of Staff BG Oscar Anderson, ACSIM Army Reserve Director COL Jorge Santiago, IMCOM-West Deputy Director COL Douglas Biggerstaff and both the current and incoming CSTC commanders, COL. W. Scott Wood and COL Kevin Riedler, respectively.

Wilson, along with the other key players was able to brainstorm ideas to further enhance services at the CSTC. He then immediately began to coordinate the action items. One action item which was immediately decided upon was moving the headquarters from Camp Parks to FHL effective May 2007. Some key staff positions had already been relocated to Fort Hunter Liggett prior to that time.

The group got an aerial tour of the installation and many of them also visited the Moffett Field enclave which the CSTC oversees. The Moffett Field enclave will be home to the new 63rd Regional Readiness Sustainment Command, an armed forces reserve training center and a military entry processing station.

"The aerial tour provided me a good perspective of the vast potential of this installation. The terrain is theater-like, and has ideal maneuver space for today's brigade combat team-based Army," said Wilson.

"The outcome of the meeting was successful beyond my wildest dreams, said Wood. I look forward to getting the additional support that will enable me to provide top-notch services to the Soldiers training at the CSTC, and the military Families living at our sites."

[Sidebar]

Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management and Commanding General IMCOM, LTG Robert Wilson, discusses strategies to enhance services at the U.S Army Combat Support Training Center (CSTC), Calif.

[Author Affiliation]

By Amy Phillips

Public Affairs Office

Combat Support Training Center