The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the seventy-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Command Sergeant Major of Ops Group (CMOG), CSM Michael Hall. Today’s guest is MSG William Kocken, which is the Operations Sergeant Major for 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment. The 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment of the Red Arrow Brigade, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, has a distinguished hist...
Oct 23, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 16
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the seventy-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Task Force Senior for the BDE Command & Control (BCT HQ), LTC Timothy Price on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guest is the Brigade Commander for 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), COL James Stultz. The 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), which was acti...
Oct 17, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 15
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the seventy-fourth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Task Force Senior for the Leader Training Program, LTC Drew Zabriskie on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are BG Eric Riley & CSM Jeremy Carver of the Oregon Army National Guard. BG Riley is the Commanding General and CSM Carver is the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Land Component Command of OR ARNG. BG Riley is additiona...
Oct 10, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 27
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the seventy-third episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Ricky Taylor. Today’s guest is the Commanding General for the 82nd Airborne Division, MG James “Pat” Work. MG Pat Work has served for 29 years in the U.S. Army, beginning his career as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy. He has held key assignments in the 101st Airborne and 3rd Ranger Battalion, where he developed hi...
Oct 03, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 26
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the seventy-second episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Task Force Senior for the BDE Command & Control (BCT HQ), LTC Timothy Price on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are MG Patrick Ellis and Mr. Mark Kitz. MG Ellis is the Director of the Army’s Network Cross-Functional Team. Mr. Kitz is the Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, & Communications-Tactical. The Ne...
Sep 26, 2024•44 min•Season 9Ep. 1
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the seventy-first episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the former Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. This will be his last episode to host, but we may seem him as a guest in the future. Today’s guests are two key members from 2nd Battalion, 130 Infantry Regiment, MAJ Edward Worman and SGT Ashley Smith. MAJ Worman is the Battalion Commander for 2-130th IN and SGT Smith is the S-2 Intelligence Se...
Sep 21, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 14
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the seventieth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the former Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guests are two seasoned Observer-Coach-Trainers, CPT Whitney Strong and CPT Joshua Kent. This episode is special because it is a compilation of their insights when they first arrived at the Joint Readiness Training Center as well as now towards the end of their assignment. CPT Whitney Stron...
Sep 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 13
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-ninth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the former Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the deputy senior mentor at the Leader Training Program at the JRTC, COL(R) Mike Kershaw. He spent 34 years on active duty as an infantry officer and has been with the Leader Training Program for nearly nine years. The Leaders Training Program at the JRTC is a ten-day planning con...
Sep 12, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 25
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-eighth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the former Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the Commanding General of the Joint Readiness Training Center and former COG, BG Jason Curl. BG Curl commissioned as an infantry officer from the United States Military Academy in 1995 and has served in a variety of maneuver assignments. As the CG at the Joint Readiness Training ...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 24
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-seventh episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience’ and the third annual Large Scale Combat Operations Symposium. Hosted by CW2 Jerrad Rader, the Brigade Targeting Officer OCT for BDE Command & Control (BCT HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group. Today’s guest is Brigade Targeting Officer for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, CW3 James Crain. The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Di...
Aug 29, 2024•58 min•Season 7Ep. 4
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience’ and the third annual Large Scale Combat Operations Symposium. Hosted by the Commanding General of the JRTC and Ft. Johnson, BG Jason Curl and the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guests are all seasoned observer-coach-trainers (OCTs) from across Operations Group, MAJ Benjamin Pinner, CPT Sheena Henley, CPT Chad Lipe, CW2 Jerrad Rader, and 1SG ...
Aug 22, 2024•2 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 23
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the Sergeant Major of the Army, SMA Michael Weimer. SMA Michael Weimer was sworn in as the 17th Sergeant Major of the Army on Aug. 4, 2023. His previous assignment was serving as the Command Sergeant Major for U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. Througho...
Aug 14, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 22
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-fourth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the company radio-telephone operator for B Company, 1-504th PIR, 1st BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, SPC Kevin Mitchell. Established during the fierce fighting in the Italian campaigns of World War II, 1st Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment was employed in multiple brush wa...
Aug 08, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 8
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-third episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the Deputy Commanding General of United States Army Forces Command, Lieutenant General Stephen Smith. Forces Command is the largest United States Army command and provider of expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. FORSCOM trains and prepa...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 21
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-second episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guests are a pre-command and incoming commander for 2nd Brigade Combat Team of 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), COL Anthony Gore and the current commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), COL Trevor Voelkel. You may notice that this episode may loo...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Please join us for the Large Scale Combat Operations Symposium of ’24 on Thursday, 8 August ‘24 at 0900-1100 CST. Hosted by the incoming Commanding General, BG Jason Curl and the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman on 8 August ‘24. Their guests are several majors and captains observer-coach-trainers with over 125 decisive action training environment rotations between them. The panel will discuss large scale combat operations executed at the company level, offering perspectives on a...
Jul 18, 2024•30 sec
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixty-first episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ James “Jim” Lee is the Brigade Executive Officer Observer-Coach-Trainer for the BDE Command & Control Task Force (BCT HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group. Today’s guest is the Brigade S-3 Operations Officer for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, MAJ Anthony “Tony” Formica. (MAJ Formica is a repeat offender of The Crucible...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 11
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the sixtieth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guests are the Commander of the Special Operations Training Detachment for US Army Special Operations Command, COL Nathanael Joslyn and one of their special operation forces mentor, Mr. Tom Vogel. The Special Operations Training Detachment (SOTD) at the Joint Readiness Training Center is crucial for...
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 12Ep. 6
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifty-ninth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is senior Army fellow at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies. Following his current assignment, COL Matthew Leclair. Following his current assignment, he will assume command of the 196th Infantry Brigade, the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center at Ft. Shafter Hawaii. The J...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 7
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the forty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by LTC Mason Thornal, the Battalion Commander of 1-509th IN (OPFOR) on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group. Today’s guests are members of Geronimo’s infamous Spectre Team, their information warfare team. MAJ Michael Wright, the Info War Cell Chief or officer-in-charge; CPT James Gardiner, the Deputy Chief and their space operations expert; and CW2 Chris...
Jun 13, 2024•40 min•Season 11Ep. 6
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifty-seventh episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the Commanding General of the Maneuver Center of Excellence, MG Curtis Buzzard. The Maneuver Center of Excellence was established in September 2011 when the US Army Armor Center and School moved from Ft. Knox, KY to Ft. Benning, GA (now Ft. Moore) in addition to the US Army Infantry Ce...
Jun 06, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 20
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), MG Gregory Anderson. The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is the premier light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the divis...
May 30, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 19
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifty-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is Deputy Commanding General for Operations with 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), BG Joseph Wortham. 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) trains, mans, and equips Special Operations Forces Soldiers and units to conduct special operations worldwide in support of geographic combatant c...
May 23, 2024•34 min•Season 12Ep. 5
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifty-fourth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Command Sergeant Major of Ops Group (COG), CSM Michael Hall. Today’s guests are all seasoned mortar Observer-Coach-Trainers (OCTs) at the JRTC. SFC Juan Hernandez from Task Force 2 (Infantry Battalion) while SFC Terrance Fusek and SFC Robert Scholle are both from Live Fire Division. Live Fire Division focuses on conducting brigade and battalion level, m...
May 16, 2024•52 min•Season 7Ep. 3
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifty-third episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is Director of Operations Research Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, LTC David Beskow, PhD. He has a PhD in Societal Computing from Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science and serves in the Department of Systems Engineering. The Operations Research Center (ORC...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 18
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifty-second episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Executive Officer Observer-Coach-Trainer for Task Force 5 (BDE Engineer BN), MAJ David Beale on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group. Today’s guests are the Commandant and Regimental Sergeant Major for the US Army’s Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, COL Joseph "Clete" Goetz and CSM Zachary Plummer. COL Goetz is the 100th Commandant at the ...
Apr 25, 2024•49 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Congratulations to our commissioned officers that are alumni and current serving Observer - Coach - Trainers for making the centralized selection list from the JRTC Team. The Commander of Operations Group, COL Matthew Hardman, and the CSM of Operations Group, CSM Michael Hall, send their warmest wishes. Your dedication and hard work have truly paid off, showcasing your exceptional leadership skills. Here's to continued success and making a positive impact in all your endeavors.
Apr 19, 2024•1 min
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fifty-first episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guests are two seasoned, former command sergeant majors, CSM(R) Adam Nash and CSM(R) Curt Donaldson. CSM(R) Nash is the former 4th Infantry Division Command Sergeant Major. CSM(R) Donaldson is the former 75th Ranger Regiment Command Sergeant Major, known as the Regimental Sergeant Major. The 4th ...
Apr 18, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 17
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the fiftieth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is a Senior Research Fellow for the Army Research Laboratory at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Dr. Robert Semmens. He has a PhD from Stanford University in how people learn with technology. The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL) is...
Apr 11, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 16
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the forty-nineth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the Commander of Ops Group (COG), COL Matthew Hardman. Today’s guest is the Commanding General of United States Army Forces Command, General Andrew Poppas. Forces Command is the largest United States Army command and provider of expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. FORSCOM trains and prepares a combat read...
Apr 04, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 15
