Episode
155 S13 Ep 27 – Building the Common Operating Picture and the Battle for Shared Understanding w/JRTC Experts
- Published
- May 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2388
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-crucible-the-jrtc-experience-podcast-6038857/episodes/155-s13-ep-27-building-the-common-operating-picture-and-the-battle-for-shared-understanding-w-jrtc-experts/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crucible-the-jrtc-experience-podcast-6038857/155-s13-ep-27-building-the-common-operating-picture-and-the-battle-for-shared-understanding-w-jrtc-experts.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, the Brigade Executive Officer Observer – Coach – Trainer and MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today’s guests are subject matter experts within JRTC’s Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) task force: MAJ Michael Stewart, the BDE S-3 Operations Officer OCT; MAJ Steve Yates, the BDE S-6 Signal Officer-in-Charge; CW2 Christopher Puthoff, the BDE S-6 Signal Planner; and MSG Randell Conway, the BDE Intelligence NCOIC OCT. This episode explores the challenges of establishing and maintaining a common operating picture (COP) in support of command and control during large scale combat operations. The discussion emphasizes that a COP is far more than a digital map with graphics—it is the collection of synchronized fighting products, graphics, timelines, and running estimates that enable commanders and staffs to understand and control operations across space and time. Leaders stress that units often become overly reliant on technology while neglecting the fundamentals of analog systems and collaborative planning. A recurring theme is that the best COPs are built through deliberate staff collaboration, standardized products, and continuous refinement, rather than simply relying on software or digital platforms to generate shared understanding. The episode reinforces that a COP only becomes “common” when every echelon understands, updates, and actively contributes to it. The conversation also dives into the friction points that routinely degrade command and control at JRTC, includin…