Cascade Mist / Cascade Peak
Exercise CASCADE PEAK and CASCADE MIST are the biannual ABCA (American, British, Canadian, and Australian) combined forces command post exercises conducted in Fort Lewis Washington.
From FY95 to FY99, funding for recurring operations; i.e., those budget dollars Fort Lewis receives on a recurring basis, has decreased. This meant that I Corps was not able to conduct a Corps Command Post Exercise, "Cascade Mist," to maintain core competencies after the summer turn-over of staff personnel during FY1999. Cascade Mist was conducted 15- 17 October 2000, and followed by Cascade Peak 19-25 October 2000.
The US Army Space and Missile Defense Battle Lab in Huntsville, Ala., in cooperation with the National Simulation Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., developed the Run Time Manager, or RTM, as a critical component of the Air and Missile Defense Corps Battle Simulation, or CBS. The decision was made to develop a minimum capability for Prairie Warrior '96 which included this one-way interface between CBS and EADSIM-called the RTG-that provided threat tactical ballistic missile unit updates and launch information, but would continue development of a two-way linkage for the future. Since Prairie Warrior '96, the RTG has participated in Roving Sands '96, Ulchi Focus Lens '96, Unified Endeavor '96, Cascade Mist and Cascade Peak '96, 1-43 ADA Battalion External Evaluation '97, Coherent Defense '97, Ulchi Focus Lens '97, and the Division Advanced Warfighting Experiment.
The American, British, Canadian and Australian Armies' Standardization Program (ABCA Program) originated as a result of the close cooperation between the Allies during World War II. After WW II, it was decided that this close cooperation should continue. The Program began in 1947 when General Eisenhower and Field Marshall Montgomery agreed that the levels of cooperation and standardization achieved during World War II should be maintained and extended. By 1947, a "Plan to Effect Standardization" was initiated between the Armies of the United States of America, Britain and Canada - the ABC Armies. The Plan was replaced by the "Basic Standardization Concept" in 1954. In 1964, when Australia joined the organization, the new agreement which serves as the legal basis for ABCA, the "Basic Standardization Agreement (BSA 64)", was ratified by the Armies of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and the ABCA Program was formally established. By invitation of the ABCA Armies, New Zealand gained observer status within the Program, through Australia's sponsorship, in 1965.
ABCA Exercises are held biennially, with each Army in turn hosting an exercise. The primary purpose of these exercises is to validate existing ABCA standardization agreements, to identify areas for future standardization effort and to facilitate information exchange through the exposure of personnel to coalition activities. The scope and nature of each exercise is proposed by the host Army based on input developed within the Program, and agreed by TEAL. These exercises are in addition to any multi- and bi-lateral exercises that may also be conducted by Armies. The ABCA Exercise Program is the prime method, short of actual operations, of proving the Program's effectiveness. The aim of the Exercise Program is to evaluate the ability of two or more forces provided by different ABCA Armies to operate effectively within a coalition.
On 15 September 1996, Canadian Forces 1 Sqn (Communications) deployed to Ft. Lewis, Washington State, USA. The nature of the deployment was to support 1 CAN DIV on EX CASCADE MIST, the work up exercise to the main ABCA exercise - EX CASCADE PEAK with participants from Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States. On arrival, the Canadians moved into barracks and got the feel of the place. They worked very hard throughout the two-week period to give the Division staff everything they needed to perform their duties ranging from nailing up map boards to networking their computer systems. Finally, everything was ready for Ex CASCADE PEAK. Satisfied with the preparation, they deployed back to Kingston on 29 September 1996 to complete their annual warrior training.
On 30 October 1996, the Canadians redeployed to Ft. Lewis for EX CASCADE PEAK. The first two days, an organized crab fishing trip and golf trip enabled people to relax before the staff arrival and the onslaught of battle. Incidently, they caught enough crabs to have a crab boil for the entire Squadron. Throughout the exercise they worked very professionally and succesfully with the other countries. The Divisional staff were very happy with their high level of support but a few days before the end of the exercise some of the Canadians had to deploy back to Kingston to prepare for Op Assurance.
The Australian Army's 1 Brigade (1 Bde) commander after the ABCA Exercise Cascade Peak 96 suggested that, if the probability of engaging in coalition warfare is more likely than a Defence of the North scenario, as must be the case in any reasoned appreciation, then the type of structures encountered by 1 Bde during Ex. Cascade Mist/Peak must be used to inform the process of force structure about to be embarked on by the Australian Army. To restructure that part of the Army that is likely to be sent to conduct coalition warfare so that units are optimised for a specific level of warfare in a specific geographical location, would be to strike at the very heart of interoperability and credibility.
The 211th Aviation Regiment participated in many exercises throughout 1999, sending personnel to CASCADE MIST/PEAK (Fort Lewis, WA); YAMA SAKURA (Japan); Joint Search and Rescue exercises (Nellis, Air Force Base, NV); and the GLOBAL PATRIOT exercise (Dugway, UT).
Coalition Interoperability Demonstration (CID) BOREALIS was a Canadian-hosted coalition interoperability demonstration in 2002. CID BOREALIS addressed command and control systems.
The October 2002 Cascade Peak scenario entailed more than 90,000 US troops (in computer simulation) fighting to drive a mock enemy out of the fictitious nation of Pacifica. About 5,000 I Corps troops assembled at Fort Lewis to take part in the exercise. Throughout the two-week exercise, about 300 people staffed the I Corps' tactical operations center [TOC] around the clock in two shifts. As part of the exercise, the Corps moved the operations center from tents in the field, to tents elsewhere, and finally to a warehouse at the north end of Ft. Lewis.
The US-hosted exercise in 2004 is in the concept phase and will also address command and control systems.
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