Military trains for the changing needs of the modern battlefield

FORT HOOD, Texas – The military is embracing modern technology to adapt to the changing needs of the modern battlefield.

'Operation Hood Strike' brought units from the active duty Army, recreation areas and the National Guard to Fort Hood, Texas for a rigorous, hands-on stress test. The Canadian military also joined the training.

“We are a complete army. We are a complete engineer force. And we will fight with them in wartime. So we have to train with them here in peacetime,” said Col. Justin Pritchard, 36th Engineer Brigade Commander, said Col. Justin Pritchard.

Soldiers are thrown into a realistic combat situation. Their mission was to cross Lake Belton and cover the enemy's position.

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Engineers built seven floating rafts consisting of two lanes and five bays. Capt. Bruce Burgener, 43rd Multi-Role Bridge Company Commander, said it's a common exit ramp and bay to move M1 Abrams tanks.

“Anything less than that is not going to move them,” Burgener said. “Our goal is to get as much power as possible from the friendly teams.”

Burgener said his company has received “a lot of new soldiers,” and that the training gives his top soldiers a chance to work with the new ones. He divided this training into three stages: 'crawl, walk, run.'

“Right now, we're at the top of our company,” Burgener said. “So we're slowly working to get to the sprint stage where we'll be able to work really well with our new soldiers.”

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Once all the equipment and personnel are in place, the assault on the water begins. The Texas National Guard sneaked in with Chinook helicopters to provide a recon and dropped parts of the bridge into the water.

Lt. Col. Travis Shahan, 961st Engineer Battalion Commander, said air assets are essential for dropping large loads in hard-to-reach areas.

“Sometimes, when you're building a bridge, it's a little difficult to get all the things you need in the water,” Shahan said.

The Texas National Guard lowers parts of a bridge over Lake Belton at Fort Hood, Texas from a Chinook helicopter. (FOX News)

Soldiers crossing the bridge already know what the enemy's terrain looks like because it has been mapped in the tactical command center. The map allows every soldier, from the top level down to the infantry line, to know how to enter the mission.

“When you work in an office, it's very easy to plan these things. But when you're out here and a plane flies up here in the middle of the night… It's a lot harder when you're out there trying to kill,” said Maj. Salem Maud, Senior Army Officer.

A small-scale map in the tactical operations center shows soldiers what the enemy's terrain looks like. (FOX News)

'Operation Hood Strike' takes place every year at Fort Hood, but each year is different as the modern battlefield is constantly changing. While Col. Adam Rasmussen, 420th Engineer Brigade Commander, who says the Army is trying to get soldiers out of the way, said war is “still a human endeavor.”

“We want soldiers who can innovate, and there is no better person to invent a way to get someone out of a breach than someone who has been through the pain of being broken,” Rasmussen said. “That person knows how important it is to find an automated system or a human-less or AI system in the breach instead of a human being.”

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By 2025, the Army has set itself the goal of recruiting 60,500 soldiers, according to the Army Recruiting Command. They achieved their goal by 103.47% and recruited 62,050 soldiers.

The Recruiting Command reported that the Army Reserves aim to recruit 14,320 soldiers by 2025. The Recruiting Command was unsuccessful, achieving only 86.76% of their target with 12,426 personnel.

“The way we recruit and keep them is we get them out here doing a very challenging but rewarding training. They may not enjoy it 100% in that moment, but at the end of the day, they think they've just done the coolest thing in the world,” said Rasmussen.

“They signed up to do this,” Pritchard said. “Anytime we can go out and do what the Army signed up for… That just motivates me, like, that's why I served. That's why I want to stay in the military and continue to serve the nation.”

Col. Adam Rasmussen, 420th Engineer Brigade Commander, said the soldiers get 'a lot of kills' for every hour they spend training. (FOX News)

Units involved in 'Operation Hood Strike' are not preparing for specific deployments. Rasmussen said training is still important to get new soldiers up to speed.

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“Every hour these soldiers are on the battlefield, killing a lot,” said Rasmussen.