158 S11 Ep 11 – Geronimo’s Drone War: sUAS Lessons from the Modern Battlefield w/JRTC OPFOR’s MDEC

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-fifty-eighth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by MAJ Will Montoya, the Multi-Domain Effects Cell Chief for 1-509th IN (OPFOR), known as Geronimo, on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group. Today’s guests are subject matter experts on drone warfare within Geronimo: SGT Colin Rock, SGT Darius Shumpert, and SPC Collin Palm. SGT Rock is a Team Leader and drone operator for Able Company, 1-509th IN (OPFOR). SGT Shumpert and SPC Palm are first person viewer small unmanned aircraft systems operators for MDEC, 1-509th IN (OPFOR). This episode dives into the evolving employment of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) from the perspective of Geronimo’s Multi-Domain Effects Cell (MDEC), focusing heavily on practical TTPs, rapid battlefield adaptation, and lessons learned from observing modern conflicts like Ukraine. The discussion explores the full spectrum of drone employment—from ISR and route reconnaissance to one-way attack FPVs, heavy-lift “mothership” drones, and autonomous strike systems. A major theme throughout the episode is the incredible pace of innovation in drone warfare, where countermeasures and counter-countermeasures evolve in cycles measured in weeks rather than years. Leaders discuss how cheap, expendable systems are reshaping battlefield economics by destroying million-dollar platforms, compressing the kill chain, and creating persistent threats that traditional formations are not yet fully prepared to handle. The episode also reinforces that drones are not replacing soldiers, but instead dramatically increasing the lethality, reach, and survivability of small units when properly integrated. The conversation also focuses heavily on the Army’s current training and organizational gaps regarding sUAS employment. Topics include FPV pilot skill development, simulator training, procurement challenges, autonomous targeting systems, airspace integration, electromagnetic warfare threats, and the need for dedicated drone specialists at echelon. Geronimo operators stress that not every Soldier can effectively fly advanced FPV systems, arguing that drone operations should become a formalized specialty or additional skill identifier similar to sniper or joint fires qualifications. Additional insights include the importance of “mothership” resupply concepts, loitering munitions, fiber-optic drones resistant to jamming, and the requirement for units to develop realistic reactions to drone threats instead of treating them as novelty systems. Ultimately, the episode frames drone warfare as one of the most significant battlefield evolutions in generations, requiring the Army to rethink training, procurement, survivability, and tactical employment before facing these threats in real combat. Part of S11 “Conversations with the Enemy” series. For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast. Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center. Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format. Again, we’d like to thank our guests for participating. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future. “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.