76th arrives at Fort Polk, shares railhead

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, UNITED STATES

07.17.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Erin Bossen 

38th Infantry Division

FORT POLK, La. – Partnerships. That’s what it’s all about, not the hokey pokey.

When soldiers with the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived at the railhead here, they worked alongside service members of other units to expedite the loading and unloading process that included, literally, tons of equipment.

“I get to meet people from California, Connecticut, Mississippi and other units. We work together to get the job done,” said Spc. Joshua Robinson, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment.

The myriad units from across the nation worked together by unloading about 60 rail cars from the Nighthawk Brigade. Meanwhile, the outgoing forces provided logistical support with water and medical resources in exchange for the rail cars that they needed to depart Fort Polk.

A National Guard brigade assisting other forces is a small example of how working together builds trust and security across the entire defense of the nation.

“As a whole, we’re doing very well as a team. Communication is amazing. This is the epitome of the United States, all different types of people coming together to achieve a goal,” said Spc. Gage Lipman, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment.

The 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment provided support to railhead operations that spearheaded how the Nighthawk Brigade works to accomplish their mission.

Another partnership happened back in Indiana when 76th brigade and non-brigade troops loaded about 900 pieces of equipment over four days and transported that equipment from Camp Atterbury to Fort Polk.

“It is amazing that we did it in four days with a small team. We had great support from Task Force Hoosier,” said Maj. Bill Ward, the Nighthawk Brigade’s logistics officer.

Equipment for the training exercise was loaded throughout July and transported ahead of Nighthawk Brigade personnel arriving, which provided space and time for training and planning.

“It’s outstanding for this brigade to demonstrate their ability to deploy and generate so much combat power in a time-constrained environment. It allows soldiers to experience expeditionary operations that are not typical during drill weekends or annual training,” said Maj. Joe Singler, the executive officer for 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment.

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• Date Taken: 07.17.2017
• Date Posted: 07.22.2017 10:37
• Story ID: 242191
• Location: INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US