149 S13 Ep 24 – Incorporating Noncommissioned Officers into the Military Decision-Making Process w/JRTC Experts

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-forty-ninth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts across JRTC’s sustainment enterprise: LTC Daniel Cole is the Task Force Senior OCT, MAJ Sumalindinie Serion is the DSSB Executive Officer OCT, and MAJ Amy Beatty is the TF Executive Officer OCT for TF Sustainment (DSSB / LSB).   This episode examines planning within a Brigade Combat Team from a sustainment perspective, with a specific focus on the critical transition from planning to current operations (CUOPS). The discussion emphasizes that sustainers must be deeply involved throughout MDMP, not just as a supporting function but as a key driver of what is feasible in execution. Effective sustainment planning requires early integration, continuous refinement through running estimates, and clear visualization of how logistics will support each phase of the operation. The episode highlights that many units struggle not in planning itself, but in translating that plan into action—often due to a lack of shared understanding, unclear triggers, and insufficient coordination between planners and operators.   The conversation further explores best practices for bridging this gap, stressing the importance of deliberate handoffs between plans (FUOPS) and current operations (CUOPS). Successful units rehearse these transitions, establish clear decision points, and ensure that sustainment triggers—such as resupply windows, displacement timelines, and casualty evacuation plans—are well understood across the formation. Common friction points include stove-piped staff sections, lack of synchronization between maneuver and sustainment timelines, and failure to update plans based on real-time conditions. Ultimately, the episode reinforces that sustainment is not static; it requires continuous assessment, communication, and adaptation in CUOPS to maintain tempo and prevent culmination in a contested, large-scale combat environment.   Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.