Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers assist with active-duty missions

Photo By Sgt. William Hill | Staff Sgt. Alberto Mantilla, an observer controller with 3rd Battalion, 338th Infantry Regiment, explains how to un-jam an M-249 squad automatic weapon, light machine gun to Chief Robert Hunter at Contingency Operating Location Warrior, Sept. 4, 2008, at Camp Atterbury.  

CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, UNITED STATES

08.29.2008

Story by Spc. Elizabeth Houx 

Camp Atterbury Indiana

By Spc. Elizabeth Gorenc
Camp Atterbury Public Affairs

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - Working at one of the premier mobilization training sites in the country keeps full-time Soldiers more than busy. At Camp Atterbury, the Soldiers on active duty juggle multiple mobilizing and demobilizing units at any given time. But they don't do it alone. They have the help of Reserve and National Guard Soldiers.

During their annual training and training weekends, Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 338th Infantry Regiment of the 205th Infantry Brigade travel from Blacklick, Ohio, to Camp Atterbury to assist Soldiers on active duty with the training of deploying Soldiers.

The 3-338th uses their military occupational specialty expertise to work as observer controller trainers, OCTs, and unit mobilization assistants, UMAs.

Lt. Col. Ernest Parker, the 3-338th commander, said that Camp Atterbury personnel are uplifted when 3-338th Soldiers arrive.

"Here at Camp Atterbury, we only have about 25 percent of our full capacity [from our battalion] working full time," said Parker. "Because of that, we have to use the Soldiers from Ohio to augment our strength and complete a successful mission. We are one battalion in two locations."

Parker said that 3-338th Soldiers are used for OCTs and UMAs because they have a strong experience base gained from schools, deployments and mobilizations.

"This way they can maximize their experiences and utilize them to help others" he said.

While at Camp Atterbury, the OCTs follow the unit through all of their training and evaluate their performances. The UMAs assist the unit through coordinating their training ensuring everyone completes every necessary step before deploying.

Sgt. 1st Class Norm Black, an engineer for 3rd Battalion, said that working as an observer and assistant for the unit plays an integral part in their deployment training.

"The more ways we assist them to see how they are performing, the more prepared they will be," said Black.

To assist the unit and provide feedback, OCTs use their evaluations to help correct deficiencies the unit might have within the training. Deficiencies can include anything from lack of communication within the unit during an exercise to inefficiently responding to simulated attacks. To correct these issues, OCTs help in any way feasible such as by conducting on the spot corrections or creating after action reviews.

"If you can influence a Soldier or leader to cause them to perform better," said Black, "that is extremely rewarding; especially in light of where they are going [overseas]."

To ensure Soldiers are relaying the most up to date information to mobilizing units, Capt. Chad Maynard, the 3-338 Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander, said that the 338th does everything possible. They even send Soldiers to places like Afghanistan and Iraq for a few weeks to six months to gain the newest tactics, techniques and procedures being used in combat. Such TTPs include entry control point procedures, techniques for searching people, and tactics for conducting a convoy.

"We are constantly upgrading our knowledge so we can pass it on to mobilizing Soldiers and ensure that they are the most prepared that they can be," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't think you could find better trained and knowledgeable people to complete the OCT and UMA missions."

One of those highly trained Soldiers, Maj. John Bellware from the 338th, is scheduled to become a full-time member at Camp Atterbury in the winter. Using his knowledge gained from the completing UMA course and serving time in Iraq, he plans to work as both a UMA and OCT.

"I want to give back to Soldiers," he said. "It's great to mentor, teach and coach, and see someone get something for the first time."

Having already served 22 years in the military, Bellware said that the upcoming opportunity at Camp Atterbury to relate to Soldiers and prepare them for deployment is the reason he is still in the Army Reserve.

• Date Taken: 08.29.2008
• Date Posted: 09.15.2008 10:54
• Story ID: 23679
• Location: CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US