CLARKS HILL TRAINING CENTER, S.C. – Located on the western edge of South Carolina lies 800 acres of timber owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Adjacent to the shores of Lake Thurmond is a wooded area known as Clarks Hill Training Center. It has provided a training environment for the South Carolina Army National Guard since 1972.
Through the tree line of Clarks Hill, inflatable tan colored tents arose from the ground with hints of military trucks, generators and water bladders highlighting the perimeter. Soldiers milled about the area, moving from one location to another learning about each company’s displayed equipment. The soldiers, who were from the 218th Brigade Support Battalion, hosted an internal exposition Dec. 15 to provide a multifunctional logistics education opportunity for all the units within the battalion.
“Our first goal was to show each separate company in the battalion the capabilities of one another,” said Maj. Timothy A. Wood, the executive officer of the 218th BSB. “Secondly, we invited brigade leaders to demonstrate the battalion capabilities within the expo as well as tour the training site.”
As a whole, the 218th BSB is a logistical hub for transportation, supply and maintenance. However, each unit within the battalion is spread across the state of South Carolina and rarely comes together in one location. The exposition allowed the battalion to accomplish this task.
During the expo, many units showcased high tech equipment. Headquartered in Orangeburg, S.C., B Company displayed its Electronic Repair Shelter and Full Repair System. Both systems are fully mobile, giving the company the ability to repair electronics and other maintenance issues anywhere it is needed.
Other maintenance equipment on display included the M984A1 wrecker. The vehicle can be used as a wrecker or a crane capable of lifting 10 thousand pound objects and comes fully loaded with adaptors for different vehicles.
While B Company was demonstrating its lifting abilities with a wrecker, the food service specialists from the 1118th Forward Support Company, located in Summerville, S.C., provided an operational display of the Containerized Kitchen Trailer. They supplied a hot meal of baked chicken, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables for the 117 soldiers who participated in the expo.
Not only was a hot meal provided but also clean drinking water from A Company, 218th BSB, from Walterboro, S.C. The company transported a Tactical Water Purification System, with capabilities to make 1,500 gallons per hour of purified water from such sources as Lake Thurmond.
“This is our first time setting up in cold weather,” said Staff Sgt. James E. Washington, a water section sergeant from A Company.
To ensure the battalion had enough water, A Company supplied a water supply tank container, referred to as the “hippo” by soldiers. Spc. Ryan D. Wiley, a water treatment specialist from A Company, demonstrated how to operate the “hippo” to Col. Waymon B. Storey, the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade commander. This modern water tank has a heater to keep the 2,000 gallons of water from freezing.
“A lot of people don’t understand what the 218th BSB brings to the operational picture,” said Storey. “The expo was a good comprehensive display of their capabilities.”
The final factor in the logistical education for the 218th BSB was communications. The 1052nd Transportation Company, from Kingstree, S.C., used tactical vehicles and the latest version of the Movement Tracking System to locate vehicles on the road. The 1052nd would then communicate with the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, who were stationed in the Tactical Operations Center at the training center.
Personnel in the TOC combined several different communication systems to provide a Battle Command Sustainment Support System. The system allowed the command staff to have visibility of the locations of equipment and receive logistical reports from all units, while knowing the combat power of the 218th BSB.
“Overall, the impact of the training gave all of the participating units a common operational picture of logistics,” said Wood.
After the soldiers visited all the displays and participated in cross training and educating their peers, the training day ended. The next two days concluded the expo as the soldiers continued logistics training and began packing the equipment in preparation for the return to their units and the next mission.
| Date Taken: |
12.15.2010 |
| Date Posted: |
03.20.2011 13:47 |
| Story ID: |
67417 |
| Location: |
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: |
281 |
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0 |
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