FORT A.P. HILL, Va. - Grease under his fingernails, sweat dripping down his forehead to the smile on his face, he stands in a parking lot surrounded by trucks.
For Sgt. Charlie C. Roberts, a petroleum fuel specialist with the 617th Quartermaster Detachment in Middletown, Connecticut, his love for trucks came at an early age.
“My dad owned a gas station. The boys in my family had to work there,” said Roberts.
“I gauged my first truck when I was 8,” said Roberts. “At 16, I was pulling engines. It’s sort of in my blood.”
Roberts joined the Army National Guard in 1987 initially as a fire control system repair specialist. He left for a few years and entered the Reserves in 1995 as a petroleum fuel specialist, his current military occupational specialty.
He enjoys participating in exercises like the annual Quartermaster Liquid Logistics Exercise, because the mission relates to real-life situations that soldiers may experience.
QLLEX began over 30 years ago as the Petroleum Oil and Lubricant Exercise (POLEX) and changed to QLLEX when the water mission was added.
“I’ve been through all the changes,” said Roberts. “The mission is very important.”
Some of the fuel is being transported to Langley Air Force Base and Quantico.
Roberts says the training at QLLEX relates to what soldiers will do when they are deployed.
“It helps soldiers learn how to move fuel up the battle line. I’ve seen this especially with Operation Iraqi Freedom,” said Roberts. “We helped fuel the fight."
Roberts deployed to Iraq for 20 months in 2003. His mission was to support a fuel site and his responsibilities included laying out assault hoses, fueling inbound aircraft and patient transport aircraft.
The training at QLLEX simulates war exercises, said Roberts. “It’s exciting exposing new soldiers to that.”
Roberts enjoys being a non commissioned officer because he enjoys teaching junior enlisted and new soldiers.
"I'm an NCO all the way. I have the privilege to teach and pass down knowledge to incoming soldiers, "said Roberts with a smile. "To me, it's exciting teaching."
His love for trucks and teaching doesn't only apply to the Army but to his civilian life as well. Roberts works as a mechanic for Peter Pan Bus Company. He has been with the company since 1999.
When Roberts retires from the Army he wants to teach what he knows best: how to repair heavy equipment.
"When I can no longer do it myself, I can pass on the knowledge," said Roberts.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2014 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 133672 |
| Location: | FORT A.P. HILL, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, It's in his blood, by SGT Nicole Paese, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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