Nevada Guard unit trains to tow in a pinch

Photo By Spc. James Pierce | Staff Sgt. Daniel Hernandez of HHC, 757th CSSB secures a tow bar onto the front fender of a Humvee, Nov. 3, as part of a vehicle recovery training which he instructed.  

STEAD, NV, UNITED STATES

11.03.2012

Story by Spc. James Pierce 

106th Public Affairs Detachment

STEAD, Nev. – Headquarters and Headquarters Company for the 757th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Nevada Army National Guard performed drivers and vehicle recovery training near the Washoe County Armory on Nov. 3 to improve unit readiness for future deployments.

This type of training — performed in Hungry Valley — provides realistic scenarios to prepare Nevada Army National Guard soldiers for disasters at home and overseas.

The training was led by Staff Sgt. Daniel Hernandez, the master driver for the 757th CSSB.

“Being the master driver, it’s my job to train soldiers on all aspects of driving vehicles,” said Hernandez, who used the training while deployed as a guardsman to Iraq in 2006 and 2007.

“Anytime there was a breakdown, or we got hit, we had to assess the situation depending on how bad the vehicle was or what injuries the soldiers sustained,” Hernandez said.

During the training, soldiers would simulate a vehicle breakdown and practiced securing vehicles, setting up a tow and moving a vehicle while under fire. These exercises were first performed in steps and later done at full speed.

A unit’s mission can change depending on the area of operation when deployed overseas. A unit, as Headquarters Company, is primarily made up of administrative workers, but can find itself working transportation missions when deployed, Hernandez said.

“We don’t pick and choose what we’re going to be doing when we go overseas,” he said. “So it’s always good to be ready for anything.”

Although the unit isn’t set to deploy in the future, vehicle recovery is useful for any soldier who drives military vehicles.

“I’m a medic so I don’t get this kind of training a lot,” said Pfc. Courtney Jankowski, a medic from the Utah Medical Command, who is temporarily drilling with the HHC 757th CSSB. “With this unit doing this kind of training, I learned a lot more about the Humvees and how to tow them if they breakdown while I’m deployed overseas.”

• Date Taken: 11.03.2012
• Date Posted: 11.04.2012 19:35
• Story ID: 97272
• Location: STEAD, NV, US