BOISE, Idaho — Pfc. Cooper Hayes has only served in the Idaho Army National Guard for 14 months, but he has already compiled a career’s worth of accomplishments. Over the past 11 months, the 20-year-old has completed the U.S. Army’s Ranger, Airborne and Air Assault schools.

“It’s been a long year,” Hayes said.

Hayes moved from Bothell, Washington, to Boise to attend Boise State University and enlisted into the Idaho Army National Guard in October 2021 to help pay for college, where he is a business student.

He took a semester off from school to attend the Army’s 11B infantry school at Fort Benning and was planning on being home in time to resume classes in August. That changed after he was offered the chance to attend Ranger School.

“I wanted to challenge myself and be the best Soldier I can be,” he said. “So, I decided to take another semester off and go to Ranger School. It sucked in the moment, but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life.”

On average, less than 50 percent of Soldiers complete the first phase of the three-phase course, making it one of the Army’s most challenging courses. The course is 61 days and tests Soldiers’ physical stamina, mental toughness and tactical fundamentals.

After earning his Ranger tab, Hayes completed the Basic Airborne Course to earn his jump wings. Earlier this month, he completed the Army’s Air Assault School. Air Assault School has close to a 55 percent fail rate, including a washout rate of 15 percent on the first day.

“Airborne and air assault were great experiences,” Hayes said. “They are both another thing to add to my resume.”

Hayes is currently assigned to C Company, 2-116th Combined Arms Battalion, Idaho’s only infantry company. He plans to commission through the Boise State University Army ROTC program.

By MAJ Robert Taylor, Idaho Army National Guard

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. — What formerly belonged to the realm of science fiction has become reality for Soldiers, with advances enabling them to fight and win with next-generation technology.

Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center will help distribute one of these advances to Soldiers across the force and in the field, a mixed-reality headset called the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS, in a partnership with Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier.

The IVAS is designed for dismounted close-combat force Soldiers to integrate key technology systems into one device enhancing situational awareness, lethality, survivability, maneuverability and other warfighter capabilities, to include synchronization with Soldiers in armored vehicles and helicopters.

IVAS provides Soldiers a field of view nearly twice as wide as those offered by current systems. It is capable of navigation and passive target interrogation, which allows users to identify targets without being seen by opposing forces.

Currently, thousands of IVAS systems are on ground in RIA-JMTC’s staging facility, in preparation for fielding. The Army anticipates procuring up to 121,500 units for close-combat forces over the coming years.

The RIA-JMTC IVAS team is on track to begin deliveries to units in the fall of 2023.

“That gives us time to receive everything, dress-right-dress,” said Sunny Koshal, branch chief, Program Management IVAS, RIA-JMTC. “It gives us time to get a good accountability. It gives us time to pack and ship each item that needs to go because every item has to go as a lot, not as an individual item.”

Besides their partnership with IVAS, RIA-JMTC and PEO Soldier have built a strong relationship through their work on other programs, to include a four-year partnership with PM Lethality for weapon cleaning kits. At one time, the warehouse held more than $20 million worth of kits awaiting fielding.

The IVAS is delivered in multiple packages so RIA-JMTC employees will need time to package each kit with the system, batteries and any other required components prior to shipping to Soldiers all over the world.

This fight-rehearse-train system will not only assist Soldiers on the battlefield but also improve their training opportunities. The goggles allow Soldiers to plan a mission virtually, without concern for available space, in addition to providing real-time mapping and augmented reality capabilities. Soldiers can train for missions and rehearse operations at the point of need.

The mixed-reality headsets allow Soldiers to see through smoke and around corners, use holographic imagery, thermal and low-light sensors to see in the dark and display 3D terrain maps and a compass projected into their field of vision. They provide tools to better conduct land navigation, battlefield tracking and movement through urban buildings and open terrain.

The IVAS will be the single most advanced fighting goggle available anywhere in the world. Its capabilities result from the tireless, integrated efforts of the Army and industry. The partnership between RIA-JMTC and PEO Soldier will help ensure these systems get to our Soldiers as soon as they are ready.

Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center develops, manufactures and delivers readiness solutions through conventional and advanced manufacturing processes for the U.S. Army and Department of Defense systems globally.

By Debralee Lutgen

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — Gen. Gary M. Brito, Commanding General of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, made his first visit to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca Dec. 19-20.

TRADOC oversees 32 Army schools organized under 10 Centers of Excellence, each focused on a separate area of expertise within the Army — such as intelligence and maneuver. These centers train more than 750,000 Soldiers and service members each year.

Brito, accompanied by his wife, Michelle, took a tour of the installation; experienced Fort Huachuca’s Resiliency, Awareness, Prevention, Inclusion, and Diversity (RAPID) Escape Room; and met with installation leadership, Soldiers, and spouses to discuss command priorities and was briefed on Fort Huachuca programs and initiatives.

“I think Fort Huachuca is at the forefront of building the Army of 2030, 2040, and I shared with the team earlier in that respect that 2030 is right around the corner,” Brito said. “With all the tenet organizations here at Fort Huachuca, it’s critical; the training, development, testing, and experimentation, is necessary for the Army of 2030, 2040 and beyond.”

Maj. Gen. Anthony R. Hale, USAICoE and Fort Huachuca commanding general, took Brito to Star Hill to give him an overview of the 1st Lt. John R. Fox Multi-Domain Range.

Renamed this past summer as the 1st Lt. John R. Fox Multi-Domain Operations Non-Kinetic Range Complex, it is the first Army range dedicated solely to training and enhancing the Army’s multi-domain operations capabilities.

“Fort Huachuca is well-positioned to meet the Army’s demands by building on our current capabilities as a major range test facility Base,” Hale said. “The 1st Lt. John R. Fox MDO Range will be an environment with the full development and representation of threat capabilities and activities across the electromagnetic spectrum to address our warfighting concepts and modernization requirements.”

During the USAICoE update brief, Brito heard from organizations across the installation to include Intelligence Capabilities Development Integration, the USAICoE NCO Academy and the HUMINT Training Joint Center of Excellence.

Anne Marshall, USAICoE CHRD/SGS civilian training coordinator, briefed Brito on how her office supports the development of its civilian workforce through training needs analysis, professional development, and career workshops. Some of these programs have become TRADOC best practices.

“Our programs are largely successful due to full support of leadership and Maj. Gen. Hale proves that people are his number one priority through fully funding the Professional Development Training Fund, and giving new and innovative trainings a chance,” said Marshall.

By Amy Stork, USAICoE public affairs