116th commander awards 82nd Soldiers for their assistance - June 26, 2014

Col. John M. Epperly, commander of the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Virginia Army National Guard and Sgt. Maj. Thomas H. Yancey distribute awards to Soldiers of the Fort Bragg-based 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division June 26, 2014, at Fort Pickett, Va. The Soldiers were awarded for going above and beyond their duty while assisting with the 116th IBCT during their eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation. The 10-day rotation was designed to train and validate platoons on tasks that support offensive and defensive operations under daylight and hours of limited visibility. Units concentrated on training selected mission essential tasks in a realistic field environment to refocus junior leaders on tactical field craft. The Army National Guard’s XCTC program provides an experience similar to a Combat Training Center to Guard Soldiers at a home station training center, minimizing cost and time away from home and jobs. XCTC is an instrumented field training exercise designed to certify unit proficiency in coordination with First Army.