Photo By Cpl. Jacob A. Singsank | A 7-ton truck unloads roughly seven of the 20,000 cubic yards of dirt needed for the...... read more read more
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UNITED STATES ARMY NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE BASE CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. — Instead of Marines tearing up the environment during training, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, is making it their mission to restore it.
Marines with 7th ESB are conducting job specific training at Camp Roberts throughout May to improve the base and their skills for the upcoming deployment.
"Our main objective is to work on the [basics]," said Gunnery Sgt. Clifford J. Williford, staff non-commissioned officer in charge of Engineer Equipment Platoon, Support Company, 7th ESB. "Heavy Equipment Platoon is doing the essential tasks that we need to do to get the Marines here proficient at their jobs."
The 7th ESB is conducting their training here due to the amount of available resources Marines need to complete their field training exercise. The Army base also provides the heavy equipment operators, the area and resources necessary to hone their skills.
"Camp Pendleton has a lot of environmental restrictions," said Williford, 33, from Dorris, Calif. There isn't enough ground available to allow 7th ESB to complete their construction training without environmental concern.
Along with the training opportunities for the heavy equipment operators, Camp Roberts is also being provided range and road maintenance and firebreaks. The National Guard and reserve training base lacks the personnel and resources necessary to conduct these jobs. The 7th Engineer Support Battalion brought the manpower and equipment needed to complete these rigorous tasks.
The Marines' main focus was the construction of a forward operating base that will provide future units an area to conduct training at Camp Roberts. The FOB will offer a realistic and modern training environment similar to the Middle East.
Forward operating base construction is nothing new to the Marines of 7th ESB. While deployed, they build FOBs to carry out missions in a combat environment. Building them in a training environment gives the Marines the time to practice before they deploy to a hostile country.
The 7th ESB Marines have been working 15 hour days to construct the foundation of the FOB. Heavy equipment and motor transport operators are continually loading, hauling and unloading dirt to the FOB site where it's compacted to support new structures.
"They are becoming more efficient at their [job] and the piece of gear they'll be using in combat," said Chief Warrant Officer John E. Pedraza, 29, from Laquey, Mo., engineer equipment platoon commander, Support Company. "They are working on the same projects and missions in the same terrain they'll be dealing with in Afghanistan."
The heavy equipment operators are scheduled to finish the horizontal portion of the FOB by the end of May to conclude their training for the month. They'll return in July with the combat engineers to construct the vertical layout and sections within the FOB.
The FOB, base improvement and maintenance performed will allow 7th ESB Marines to gain more experience and benefit service members in training at Camp Roberts for years to follow.
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2009 14:55 |
| Story ID: | 33986 |
| Location: | CAMP ROBERTS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 320 |
| Downloads: | 277 |
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