Photo By Lauren Harrah | Maj. Gen. Thomas Vandal, the 2nd Infantry Division commanding general, presented a...... read more read more
CAMP CASEY, South Korea – Maj. Gen. Thomas Vandal, the 2nd Infantry Division commanding general, presented Company B of 302nd Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Inf. Div., the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence during a ceremony at Camp Casey, South Korea, Jan. 7.
Co. B earned runner-up in the small-unit category for 2nd Inf. Div. in the AAME competition for their continued dedication to outstanding maintenance operations.
Established in 1982, the annual competition recognizes accomplished maintenance units in three separate categories based on number of authorized personnel. Units compete at 2nd Inf. Div., 8th U.S. Army, and U.S. Army Pacific levels before moving onto compete at the Department of the Army level.
“It’s a tough competition,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jose Marrero, 2nd Inf. Div. Maintenance Technician and officer in charge for 2nd Inf. Div. and 8th Army levels of the competition. “The 2nd Inf. Div. level was done by looking at the UMP, which is the Unit Maintenance Profile. It pretty much highlights all of their accomplishments, training events, how they do maintenance, and what kind of initiative they have taken to improve their maintenance program.”
Soldiers of Co. B prepared their profile based on current DA competition guidance. The extensive requirements included submission of basic unit information, command inspection results, letters of endorsement from higher headquarters, standard operating procedures, safety program information, maintenance training procedures, and details of recent missions such as field and gunnery exercises.
“After we selected the winners and runner-ups, we submitted those names to 8th Army and then 8th Army did the actual assessment by going to the units,” said Marrero.
The physical assessment of each unit requires extraordinary attention to detail, perhaps more so than that of the typical command inspection, explained Vandal.
Units must sustain high standards throughout all aspects of their program in order to excel.
“The thing that helped us stand out is command emphasis, not only as a company but as a battalion as well,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan F. Zimmerman, Automotive Maintenance Warrant Officer, Co. B, 302nd BSB, 1st ABCT, 2nd Inf. Div. “Without command emphasis, there is no maintenance program. Without maintenance, we will not be able to maintain readiness.”
Mission readiness remains a top priority on the Korean Peninsula and the Soldiers of Co. B work to assure equipment is serviced and ready to “Fight Tonight.”
“What is really amazing for us is that these maintainers really work hard,” said Sgt. Maj. Petra Casarez, 2nd Inf. Div. logistics sergeant major for maintenance. “Here in 2nd Inf. Div. we really train hard so the equipment gets a lot of usage, much more so than many of the units stateside. So for these units to actually take the time out of their busy schedules, when they are already working hard, long hours, to compete and have someone come to their location and take a look at everything they do and make sure everything is straight and meets Army regulation, it takes a lot of time and effort. That is why the commanding general and all of us feel as though theses units have really stepped up and put in extra work.”
Co. B, 302nd BSB is one of three 1st ABCT units who competed in this year’s AAME competition. Co. E of 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry (Mechanized) was recognized during an earlier ceremony Jan. 7 at Camp Casey. The 61st Chemical Company, 23rd Chemical Battalion, 1st ABCT, 2nd Inf. Div., will also be recognized for their maintenance program in February.
“This is the second time we have competed,” said 2nd Lt. Thomas Drown, Maintenance control officer, Co. B, 302nd BSB, 1st ABCT, 2nd Inf. Div. “We are going to keep doing this even after I am gone. We will continue to set the standard because that’s what we do here in Co. B.”
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2015 00:25 |
| Story ID: | 151570 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 532 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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