Fort Bliss deputy commander updates air defense roles

By Chris Roberts
El Paso Times
07/02/2008

The man formerly in charge of the brigade that trains the nation's air defenders has taken on a broader responsibility in the branch as the air defense school begins its move to Fort Sill, Okla., in earnest.
Col. Ralph M. McGee, 47, is now deputy commandant of the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Center and School and Fort Bliss deputy commander. He turned over command of the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade last week to Col. Donald G. Fryc.

Also last week, McGee sat down with the El Paso Times to discuss recent changes in air defense training and the branch's future as the school moves to its new home at Fort Sill, Okla.

"I came here for the last two years to command this great brigade, and it's been just a blast in terms of getting my head into the training and leading soldiers," McGee said.

"Now as the assistant commandant, it'll be a little bit more (responsibility for) designing the future of the branch, which, in my view, is not as much about the branch as it is designing the future missile defense capability that our Army needs and our nation needs."

McGee had high praise for the El Paso community.

"I have never had any issue where they were not supportive," McGee said. "They are engaged, they are concerned. And they're extraordinarily supportive of our soldiers, and I cannot tell you as a commander how much that means and how much I appreciate that."

Capt. John Williams, who worked for McGee, said he learned valuable lessons from the former brigade

commander while doing an inventory at a Counter Rockets, Artillery and Mortars facility.
"There's about $100 million worth of equipment here and only about $1 million, if that, is actual Army equipment. So when we were conducting our inventories, it was actually just for the Army equipment," Williams said.

"But the right answer, and Col. McGee made that point, was making sure that I as commander had a process for accounting for every single cent that's within my area.

"Sometimes, the right thing is going beyond the standard."

McGee said the Army demands more of soldiers now than when he entered the service 27 years ago and that is reflected in the training.

"They are required to shoot rapidly, make a decision on good guy, bad guy, and they're judged and graded according to their ability to do that in close-quarters combat," McGee said.

"It's preparing soldiers (to be able to operate in) an environment of uncertainty where things are not black and white, but they are gray."

At the same time, students are expected to learn to operate and maintain some of the Army's most technologically advanced weapons.

"Every one of our (Avenger/Stinger crewmen) fires a live Stinger missile, that's never been done," McGee said.

Instructors will be conducting four Patriot missile live-fire exercises each year, which will continue to be done at Fort Bliss after the move, and monthly Stinger live-fire exercises, which will be done at Fort Hood.

Fort Sill ranges don't have enough space for those exercises.

Training will be increasingly realistic and no compromises will be made, despite the limitations at Fort Sill, McGee said.

And the required travel, which also has training value, he said, is within the school's budget.

"So we're producing ... the best-trained soldiers I've seen in my career," he said.

One of his challenges in the coming months will be to maintain that standard of training and minimize the loss of knowledgeable civilian employees during the move, McGee said.

Army officials, he said, have conducted several town halls explaining what jobs will be available and where.

And they are creating programs that will let certain employees who don't want to leave move away from El Paso telecommute or take a temporary assignment, McGee said.

An advance party -- with both civilian and military members -- already is in Oklahoma, he said, and another approximately 100 will make the trip at the end of the year.

Although the union representing the civilian employees has no problem with the programs, its president says they have been locked out of the process.

"We realize we can't stop this. This is a congressional (mandate)," said Frank Schoch, president of the National Association of Government Employees Local R14-89.

"The biggest issue is their refusal to negotiate. ... We have a collective bargaining agreement."

Schoch said the union has filed an appeal with the Federal Labor Relations Board.

"In the end, it will be very good for the Army and ... will produce a better capability for our nation," McGee said, adding that he understands how difficult it can be to move after decades in one location.

"But that is what the needs of our Army are and that's what we've got to do."

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_9758131?source=most_emailed

quote:

Instructors will be conducting four Patriot missile live-fire exercises each year, which will continue to be done at Fort Bliss after the move, and monthly Stinger live-fire exercises, which will be done at Fort Hood.

Fort Sill ranges don't have enough space for those exercises.

Training will be increasingly realistic and no compromises will be made, despite the limitations at Fort Sill, McGee said.

Can't do live fires at Fort Sill? Why not improve the ADA school facilities at Fort Bliss and do the live fires there. What a waste of money and training time.

quote:

Originally posted by TEX19K40:
Can't do live fires at Fort Sill? Why not improve the ADA school facilities at Fort Bliss and do the live fires there. What a waste of money and training time.

Obviously you are not very familiar with Fort Bliss and the facilities there. Fort Bliss is fully capable of supporting any live fire exercise the military requires and has been for decades.

quote:

Originally posted by IHAWKER:

quote:

Originally posted by TEX19K40:
Can't do live fires at Fort Sill? Why not improve the ADA school facilities at Fort Bliss and do the live fires there. What a waste of money and training time.

Obviously you are not very familiar with Fort Bliss and the facilities there. Fort Bliss is fully capable of supporting any live fire exercise the military requires and has been for decades.

?


I'm very familiar with Fort Bliss. I'm just saying that if any money was to be spent for the ADA school it should be spent at Fort Bliss. A new ADA campus and barracks at the maximum would be best instead of moving to Fort Sill where live fire ranges are not large enough to handle ADA weaponery.

What are the plans for the Allied students, will they be moving to Sill also???