Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Fowler | Staff Sgt. Jerry Thomason, heavy equipment operator, ground guides Spc. Jessica...... read more read more
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FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- A convoy rolls down a dry dirt road causing clouds of dust to spread across the barren desert floor. The line of vehicles continues off-road and comes to a halt. Soldiers dismount their vehicles, set up a perimeter and secure the area. Just as the haze of sand clears, the roar of heavy equipment starting up and the squeak of tracked vehicles cuts through the otherwise silent desolate landscape.
A bulldozer drives off a flatbed truck causing more dust. The operator carefully aims for a wooden survey stake one hundred yards away. He drops the blade and a plume of dust rises from the desert floor as the engine revs up. The convoy might have been the easy part, now it is time to construct a road.
Army Reserve Soldiers from the 955th Engineering Company from Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., deployed to the National Training Center in support of Operation Sand Castle (OSC) April 14 through May 4. The exercise, currently in its third year of a 10-year plan, brings Army Reserve engineer units from across the nation to improve training sites in the Mojave Desert.
The 955th was tasked to construct 2,600 feet of road for a brigade-sized military operation in urbanized terrain (MOUT) site known as Tiefort City. This site is expected to have over three-hundred buildings at completion and is meant to simulate villages similar to those in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This deployment is the first time the company and supporting detachments could come together to conduct a project of this magnitude. Because of their recent transition, the unit hit the ground with many obstacles to overcome.
Like most engineering units in the Army Reserve, the 955th is currently in transition. They are converting their unit from its previous role as a pipe-lying company, to a horizontal construction unit. At the completion of its reorganization, the unit will be customized and fully equipped for constructing and improving roads, runways and preparing other construction sites. Most of the Soldiers in the unit have recently been reclassified into heavy equipment operators in order to continue to serve with the 955th.
What used to be a large company with multiple engineering specialties is now primarily composed of one military occupational specialty. "Most of them, about 90 percent of them, used to be carpenters, plumbers, electricians, fuel handlers, cooks ... now we are trying to transition them over to equipment operators, so it's a daunting task," explains Staff Sgt. Randy Collins, 1st Platoon Sergeant. Collins, a construction manager in his civilian occupation, holds a Construction Management Degree form Missouri State University and is the noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) for the project.
"The main problem that we ran into is that we were a pipe-laying company and we just changed over in September. We're not supposed to be fully changed over until [this] September," he explains.
Six months has not been enough to prepare novice operators.
"A lot of people can drive the equipment, but to actually do stuff with it and make it work the way we need it to work, that's what the real problem is for the operator. I think that's been our biggest hurdle ... just getting the training that we need," he said.
Collins admits his rookie operators have a steep learning curve to surmount, but is confident in his Soldiers abilities to adapt and overcome. "I know my people. I've been in this unit for eight years and I know exactly what they can do ... I've been telling them all along that we've got some outstanding Soldiers and we're gonna knock this right out of the park. I think we've showed that," said Collins.
The 955th was concerned that the lack of experience about this particular type of operation might impede progress at the work-site. "This is all new to me," admits 2nd Lt. Jake Long, project officer in charge (OIC). Long, who is a civilian construction supervisor in the carpentry field is not new to work-sites, but admits he has limited knowledge with managing projects of this nature. This has also been a learning experience and good training for him. "We don't really have a lot of experience as far as the junior enlisted go ... I have been relying on Sgt. Collins and Sgt. Kannenberg," said Long.
Sgt. Allen Kannenberg, a squad leader from first platoon, has significant experience in road construction. Kannenberg also works in the civilian sector as a construction foreman and has worked directly for Collins before. Their relationship in the civilian working environment is a great benefit to the unit.
Novice operators and inexperienced leadership were not the only obstacles that 955th had to overcome, however. Unlike the previous two years of OSC, this year the units perform their construction operations while in a tactical environment.
Units are no longer safe from "opposing forces." The 955th must convoy all their construction equipment and personnel from Forward Operating Base Santa Fe 17 miles to the work site at Tiefort City, risking enemy contact and improvised explosive devices along the way. Base defense in the FOB and security at work-sites is required at all times.
In addition, the environment itself has been a challenge. Unseasonably windy cold rain showers gave way to arid, cloudless skies. Dusty conditions and scorching heat hampered the 955th's effort in the latter part of the exercise. This all proved to be great training though.
"I hope that they get a good [knowledge] base for going overseas," Collins comments. "This is the perfect environment ... this is just like it is overseas. [Overseas] we're doing projects with material just like this; we're doing convoy operations in places like this ... the heat, the cold ... because we might face that in the future."
"Something else that's been really key to us is our maintenance support," said Long.
Yeah," agreed Collins, "Those guys are all just super, I mean when we have a request ... they just knock it out for us ... they haven't left our side, that's good support."
With the help of the ever-present maintenance team and more than 40 years of construction experience between Collin and Kannenberg the 955th was able to finish on time. Normally, explained Collins, this kind of project would take about four to six days in a secure, urban environment but at NTC we allocated 12 days to accomplish the mission.
The officers and NCOs maintain that without the dedication of their junior enlisted and without the support of their maintenance personnel, this might not have been achievable.
Col. Derek Miller, deputy commander of the 420th Engineering Brigade that oversaw the operation was pleased with the accomplishments made by the 955th during the exercise. "They've done an excellent job. There was some question about their ability to transfer their skills from pipeline construction to horizontal construction. But, by all accounts their roadwork skills have been exceptionally good," he commented.
Though put in a demanding situation, the Soldiers of the 955th came together, surpassed multiple problems and were able to help lay roads for the training site that will benefit Soldiers, the Army, and the country for years to come. The Soldiers that train in Tiefort City may see a training site but to the Soldiers of the 955th it will be much more than that.
As the sun sets, the wind increases and whips up dust. The heavy equipment returns to the flatbeds and their loud engines cease as the Soldiers, once again find themselves in the inescapable silence of the desert.
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2007 13:04 |
| Story ID: | 10726 |
| Location: | FORT IRWIN, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,053 |
| Downloads: | 610 |
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