284th Engineers construct buildings during CSTX 78-11-01

Photo By Sgt. Daniel Schneider | Spc. Ivan Garcia cuts lumber to be used to build a two-story structure at a Combat Support Training Exercise held here. The 2011 CSTX is one of several major exercises conducted by the U.S. Army Reserve. The building project will train engineers with a real-world construction which will be used for future training exercises here. Garcia is from Dallas, Texas, and is a member of the 284th Engineer Company based out of Seagoville, Texas.  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

07.21.2011

Story by Sgt. Daniel Schneider 

84th Training Command

FORT MCCOY, Wis. – Army Reserve engineers got first-hand, real-world experience during the 2011 Combat Support Training Exercise here, which presents realistic and challenging scenario-based training to soldiers and units preparing for deployment.

Members of the 284th Engineer Company, based mainly out of Seagoville, Texas, were tasked with securing a construction site and then erecting a two-story structure that can be used in future training exercises.

“This training prepares us for both tactical and job skills that will be useful in preparation for possible deployment,” said Pfc. David Mock, a member of the 284th Engineer Company.

In ideal situations overseas, engineers will have combat arms soldiers provide security before, during and after the building project gets underway, however, ideal situations are sometimes not possible.

“Wherever we go, if someone isn’t there ahead of us, we may need to secure the area ourselves,” said Mock, who is a resident of Arlington, Texas. “Our first job is as a soldier.”

This training also brings a multitude of knowledge among their unit to the table. Some reserve engineers do construction as a civilian job and this gives those soldiers an opportunity to pass on their career knowledge onto junior soldiers.

“During drill, we can’t go out and really do our jobs,” said Spec. Ivan Garcia of the 284th Engineer Co. “Out here, we get to learn from our fellow engineers who do construction every day.”

Another aspect that junior troops can gain from these exercises is the chance to be thrust into being a member of a team, and taking more of a role inside that team.

“Getting out here and doing our jobs lets us develop more leadership,” said Garcia, who is a resident of Dallas, Texas. “We’re learning the right things to do and what to expect in a potentially hostile environment, as well as gaining knowledge that we can then pass down when we become leaders ourselves.”

Those leaders among the unit also see a vital benefit for their troops during this training.

“This training gives the unit a better skill set as to what is going to happen in the real world so they don’t show up green,” said Sgt. Jason McGee, a resident of Arlington, Texas, and a team leader for the 284th Engineer Company.

“I’ve built schools in El Salvador and want to show these soldiers how they can show up and get the job done,” said McGee. “It will train them to build a structure efficiently while under less than ideal conditions – for example, having to provide your own security out of your own personnel.”

These U.S. Army Reserve engineers are getting a taste of a little bit of everything; a change of pace from the normal weekend battle assembly drills of mainly keeping up with administrative requirements. Most of all, these troops are gaining hands-on, highly valuable experience about the jobs they may be tasked to accomplish in a deployed environment.

• Date Taken: 07.21.2011
• Date Posted: 07.22.2011 17:43
• Story ID: 74168
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US