The planners of Operation Gryphon Tomahawk deserve an Oscar for the training plans they devised.

Since October of last year, these planners put together training scenarios designed to certify the 109th and 502nd Military Intelligence Battalions of the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.

Later this year, the 109th will deploy to Afghanistan while the 502nd will be ready to go anywhere on the globe if needed.

To prepare, the entire brigade - about 700 soldiers - deployed to the field for three weeks at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and put its preparations for certification and deployment to the test.

Other agencies - from Operations Support Technology to the Joint IED Defeat Organization - added realism to the training.

"It's been phenomenal, and this operation is the largest military intelligence training exercise ever at Joint Base Lewis-McChord," commented Col. Daniel Soller, the 201nd's - or Gryphons' - commander, Thursday as we walked the tactical command area.

He wasn't exaggerating.

An articulate, thoughtful and media-savvy speaker, Sollers went on to explain how his brigade planners were utilizing real world intelligence from Afghanistan to create the scenarios his soldiers faced during the training.

"Real world data has been bent across the JBLM terrain to prepare our soldiers," he explained.

"The training runs the gamut from brigade level to team level."

>>> Staff Sgt. James Drake, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, and 1st Lt. David Currid, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, talk with village elders during Operation Gryphon Tomahawk, the largest military intelligence exercise conducted at JBLM. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

One of the key factors was the use and integration of real world intelligence from Afghanistan that was matched to the physical terrain at JBLM while working with an infantry unit, specifically A Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.

"The infantry is a big enabler for us to complete our missions," continued Soller.

"We are not static; we are very sophisticated and flexible in what we do and how we do it."

That's a message the infantry picked up on.

"It is very transparent to us what the intel collectors face," said Capt. Justin Burgess, A Company's - or Tomahawks' - commander.

"There is a symbiotic relationship between what we do in taking down a place and what they do in collecting and processing intelligence, and we've had the opportunity out here to ‘choose our own adventure' to maximize the training."

In other words, the military intelligence soldiers received a very good look at how the infantry enables them to do their work, and the infantry soldiers learned how military intelligence soldiers work in the field.

Just ask Staff Sgt. James Drake and 1st Lt. David Currid.

As Currid cautiously led his platoon into a simulated Afghan village, Drake and his intelligence soldiers - referred to as "collectors" - soon met a number of villagers.

Now the training began.

"Hello," Drake said through an interpreter to four experienced enactors/linguists of Iranian descent. 

"We would like to talk to you about your village and find out what we can do to help you."

As Drake and his team talked with the village elder to learn of insurgent activity as well as offer help where they could, Currid and his soldiers formed a perimeter and kept an eye on things.

Drake and his interpreter worked very well together. At no point was there a break in their conversations with the villagers.

To ensure mission continuity, Currid and Drake conferred often; both knew what the other was doing.

The village elder and his friends seemed to appreciate that. They made clear what they needed; they also provided needed intelligence on insurgent activity.

"They're doing a very good job," one of the Afghan enactors said to me. 

"I'm impressed." 

>>> Staff Sgt. James Drake, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, talks with villagers during Operation Gryphon Tomahawk, an exercise designed to certify the brigade's mission. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

After about an hour, the soldiers headed back to their Strykers. Currid's soldiers had a pretty good idea what was in the village; Drake's team had collected intelligence that could be useful in preparing for other missions.

"This has been great," 1st Lt. Kenneth Shogry, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, said before heading out on a mission.

"It's been a great performance."

>>> Staff Sgt. James Drake, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, and 1st Lt. David Currid, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, compare notes during a sweep of a village. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

>>> Spc. Isamar Cruzbarragan, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, serves up a hot breakfast to a soldier during Operation Gryphon Tomahawk. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson