Cascade Sage
Late in 1995, I Corps deployed 9,850 Fort Lewis soldiers 175 miles to the Yakima Training Center for Exercise Cascade Sage. This exercise integrated the 3d BCT and nine other corps brigades for 10 days of force-on-force field training. It was a premier opportunity for all participants to perform "as advertised," and many junior leaders learned tough lessons that simulations cannot teach.
The 593d Corps Support Group (CSG) organized like the DISCOM slice that would support the 3d BCT in combat. The CSG's 80th Ordnance Battalion was split five ways. The 44th Corps Support Battalion performed without the benefit of its headquarters, which was deployed to Haiti. The CSG completed and rehearsed plans, deployed forward elements, opened accounts, and established support bases.
Exercise Cascade Sage produced a number of logistics successes and a few sobering realities. Soldiers never lacked for food, but repair parts didn't flow through the division support area and BSA fast enough. Refueling of ground and air fleets went smoothly, but the number of non-mission capable vehicles rose dramatically. Through observation and thorough after-action reviews, soldiers and leaders alike learned how to improve technical skills and judgment.
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