Purple Dragon
JTFEX 98-1 was a U.S. Atlantic Command-sponsored exercise that took place from 12 January 1998 through 5 February 1998. This exercise was a Tier III force-on-force exercise involving all of the Services. Purple Dragon was a three-week joint training exercise employing more than 30,000 members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Reflecting the emerging threats and challenges U.S. military forces encounter around the world, it was designed to provide high quality, realistic and stressful training to fully prepare U.S. forces for joint operations.
Joint Task Force Exercise JTFX Purple Dragon was one of the largest exercises of the year 1998. It included participation by soldiers of XVIII Airborne Corps and all four of its divisions along with elements of the Navy Air Force and Marine Corps. This massive exercise conducted at several locations in the Eastern United States, the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, offered the unique opportunity to integrate the operations of all Services in a scenario involving everything from counter-insurgency to weapons of mass destruction.
The signature event of the exercise was "Operation Big Drop" which was conducted during the evening of 29 January. During this evolution, nearly 3,000 paratroopers from the 82 nd Airborne Division parachuted into Holland and Sicily Drop Zones (DZ) at Fort Bragg. At Sicily DZ, the personnel jump at 2015 (local time) was preceded by a "heavy drop" at 2000 in which tens of HMMVWs and other heavy equipment/vehicles were parachuted from C-141 aircraft (A/C). In all there were 32 C-130 and 48 C-141 A/C involved in the drop.
Air Force mobility aircraft and crews 'dropped in' on Joint Task Force Exercise Purple Dragon Jan. 28 to support Operation Big Drop, at Fort Bragg, NC. More than 60 Air Mobility Command aircraft, including C-17 Globemaster IIIs, C-130 Hercules and C-141 Starlifters, as well as 75 aircrews transported troops and heavy equipment to drop zones located at Fort Bragg. Air Education And Training Command also provided a C-17, a C-130 and a C-141 for the exercise.
Successful planning and execution of military tactics hinges on solid communication. Units must have the ability to stay in constant contact, adapting to the ever-changing situations of combat. The 112th Special Operation Signal Battalion (Airborne), was a hub for communications during the Joint Task Force Exercise 98-1, also known as Purple Dragon. They provided the Joint Special Operations Task Force with communications capabilities and service during the recently completed exercise.
The 55th Medical Group's 28th Support Hospital and the 56th Evacuation Battalion deployed to the training area to provide Level III medical care and ground/air evacuation for all real-world injuries resulting from the airborne and air assault operations. The 4th Psychological Operations Group played in both the Puerto Rico and Fort Bragg portions of the exercise.
The Forward Sensor Enclave (FSE) was first employed during Joint Task Force Exercise 98-1 (Purple Dragon). The FSE deployed to the intermediate staging base located at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to set up operations. The scenario was built in two parts, one of which is discussed here. Part I of the JTF 840 (XVIII Airborne Corps) Operations Order, which fell under Phase IIIa of the Operation (Set Conditions), was constructed as a test to validate our ability to "narrow the gap between sensor and shooter and to conduct near-real-time sensor-to-sensor cross-cueing."
Roving Sands '00 was a joint tactical exercise made up of several internal exercises: Purple Dragon '00, Purple Caduceus '00, Coherent Joint Fires, and Joint Logistics Over the Shore. Each exercise was different because each focused on different aspects, but there was the common scenario that tied them together. Included were medical evacuations, re-supplying units, airborne and air assault operations, missile defense and joint fires. Purple Dragon '00 was a Joint Forced Entry operation between 18th Airborne Corps concentrating on 82nd Airborne Division and the II Marine Expeditionary Force, concentrating on the II Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Camp LeJeune.
Third Battalion, Sixth Marine Regiment served as the GCE of MAGTF-2 during the Type Commanders Amphibious Training (TCAT). This exercise kicked off on the 14th of June, 2000, and consisted of four days of embarkation training, amphibious planning, command and control, and culminated with a full Regimental Amphibious Landing on Onslow Beach aboard Camp Lejeune. The exercise included several units from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne which executed a Battalion sized "jump" into LZ Falcon. Once ashore, the Battalion conducted a one day offensive exercise, code named Purple Dragon, in conjuction with the 82nd Airborne. The exercise wrapped up on the 19th of June 2000.
Aircrews from the 315th Airlift Wing, along with their active-duty counterparts from Charleston AFB, S.C., flew C-17 missions June 18-23, airlifting soldiers and equipment in Purple Dragon. Purple Dragon, exercises an Army assault and forced insertion of an Army strategic brigade. All of Charleston's active-duty and Reserve C-17 squadrons took part in the exercise, airdropping thousands of soldiers and dozens of heavy equipment platforms, and airlanding heavy armor, including M1A1 tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles. The airdrops occurred at night to allow Army and Marine Corps units the cover of darkness to employ their ground forces. "This is when they want to employ their forces at night because it gives them a tactical advantage," said Lt. Col. John Zazworsky, C-17 mission commander at Pope AFB, N.C., and chief of safety for Charleston's 437th Airlift Wing. "Our first night of drops will be at Camp Lejeune, N.C., with Marine aviation such as F/A-18s and AV-8B's attacking. On the second night, we drop more airborne forces at Fort Bragg with a full complement of A-10s, F-16s and other attack helicopters clearing the way for heavy equipment drops, followed by the ground forces."
In July 2001 Marines of the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade welcomed their new commander, Maj. Gen. John F. Goodman at a ceremony in front of Julian C. Smith Hall here where he took command of the Brigade from Maj. Gen. (select) Robert M. Flanagan. Flanagan was the first commanding general of the 2d MEB when it was activated November 10, 1999. He commanded the 2d MEB's first domestic training exercise in June, 2000, along with the Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division who came to Camp Lejeune to participate in Purple Dragon.
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