Episode
162 S13 Ep 30 – The Art of Command & Control Starts with the PACE Plan w/JRTC Experts
- Published
- Jun 12, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2114
- Processing state
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Summary
The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-sixty-second 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 across JRTC: LTC Mario Burch is the Senior Signal WfF OCT, MAJ Steve Yates is the BDE S-6 Signal OIC OCT, MAJ Mike Stewart is the BDE S-3 Ops OIC OCT, and CW2 Chris Puthoff is the BDE S-6 Signal Network OCT for BDE Command & Control (BDE HQ). And CPT Craig Muncaster is the BN S-6 Signal OIC OCT for TF Fires Support (FA BN). This episode explores the importance of developing, training, and employing effective PACE (Primary – Alternate – Contingency – Emergency) plans as a cornerstone of command and control in Large Scale Combat Operations. The discussion emphasizes that a PACE plan is not simply a communications checklist or a menu of available systems, but a deliberate framework that enables commanders to maintain decision advantage despite contested, degraded, or disrupted communications. Leaders discuss common mistakes observed at JRTC, including building PACE plans around systems that units are not proficient with, relying on multiple communication methods that share the same digital backbone, and failing to account for how enemy actions, terrain, or operational phases will impact communications. A recurring theme is that communications systems must be realistic, transport-diverse, and nested with the commander’s operational requirements rather than built solely around available technology. The conversation also focuses heavily o…