Bulldog Bash Exercise to start Sept. 13

FORT BLISS, Texas – Members of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division will engage in a month-long training exercise Sept. 13 through Oct. 9 in and around Northeast El Paso and Southern New Mexico.

The exercise called “Bulldog Bash,” will be conducted in and around El Paso County, Texas and Dona Ana, Otero, Luna, Grant and Hidalgo Counties in Southern New Mexico.

Considering the proximity of the exercise to the public, residents may see occasional flares and smoke, neither of which poses risk to persons or property.  Residents that encounter a problem should contact local law enforcement officials who will immediately contact exercise control officials.

Safety is the number-one priority for this exercise with various risk management controls being incorporated in all phases of the operation, to include the military convoys that will be traveling throughout the month of September and early October.

Military vehicles in convoys will be using local roads, highways and interstate roads to travel from Fort Bliss to Las Playas, N.M., located in Hidalgo County, and will in some instances cause traffic delays. 

However military convoy times are planned to cause the least amount of disruption to civilian traffic. 

The roads the ‘Bulldog Brigade’ will be using, will include but not limited to Chaffee Road, Spur 601, U.S. 54, Interstate Highway 10, Aircraft Rd, New Mexico State Highway 9 and Smelter Rd. 

These roads have been accessed as having the least delays to civilian traffic.

Operation Bulldog Bash will be the second brigade-level training event to be conducted by the

“Bulldog Brigade” since activating in July 2009, and will include more than 700 vehicles and 3300 Soldiers participating during various times.

The concept of the field training exercise is to assess the brigade’s capabilities in counter insurgency prior to deploying world-wide for operational and contingency rotations along with challenging the command and control of the brigade during full spectrum operations.

Officials at the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division appreciate the help and consideration of the citizens of El Paso and Southern New Mexico, extend to the Bulldog Soldiers participating in the exercise and ask for their continued understanding of any inconveniences the training may cause.