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    Working Together Nationwide

    Working Together Nationwide

    Photo By Maj. A. Sean Taylor | Transportation units from the United States Army Reserves and the California National...... read more read more

    CAMP PARKS, CA, UNITED STATES

    06.04.2014

    Story by Capt. A. Sean Taylor 

    203rd Public Affairs Detachment

    CAMP PARKS, Calif. - Transportation units from the United States Army Reserves and the California National Guard (CANG) came together, as part of Nationwide Move 2014, to provide real world logistical support for military units training at Fort Hunter Liggett.

    NWM 14 is an Army Reserve approved functional training exercise designed to provide Reserve Component transportation units with valuable, realistic training, by conducting operations in support of Continental United States (CONUS) activities.

    The mission was to transport cargo for the 319th Expeditionary Signal Battalion (ESB) from Sacramento, Calif., and the Regional Training Site-Medical based in Camp Parks, Calif., according to 1st Lt. Kathryn Ellis, Commander of the 208th Transportation Company from Marana, Ariz., served as the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the exercise.

    “This has been a great training opportunity for 208th TC Soldiers,” Ellis said. “Our drivers have been out on the roads getting over 2,000 driving miles per driver, experiencing handling cargo, experiencing being convoy commanders and experience with organic maintenance.” This type of hands-on training is not always available throughout the training year.

    Of the 75 soldiers brought by the 208th TC, over 60 percent joined the Reserves within the last year and for many this was the first time behind the wheels of their vehicles.

    “We do not have trucks to send up the road during battle assemblies,” 2nd Lt. Brian Riconscente, OIC of the 531st Movement Control from Manhattan, Kan., said. “We have computer systems and we train on them, but this is real world with moving parts.”

    Soldiers also faced the challenge of working with units with whom they were not familiar. Reserve units came from Arizona, Kansas and New Mexico and joined forced with CANG units from Bakersfield, Fresno and Lancaster.

    “We had to learn to adapt with people who we were not used to being around,” Pfc. Vanessa Wong, a Tulare, Calif. native and a CANG truck driver for the 1114th TC based in Bakersfield, said. “Reserve Soldiers are hardworking; they showed us the ropes and we did really well meshing together.”

    “I can’t set up this type of training on a battle assembly weekend,” 1st Lt. Bret Vandecoort, Commander of the 925th Trailer Transfer Point (TTP) based in Marana, Ariz., emphasized. “This training builds my confidence for my unit’s ability to succeed overseas.”

    “I couldn’t ask for a better team,” Ellis said. “They are humble and work well together”

    Units provided the real world transportation of cargo to Ft. Hunter Liggett from May 27 to June 7, and will return to transport the cargo back to home station from July 28-Aug 9, 2014.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.04.2014
    Date Posted: 06.21.2014 10:35
    Story ID: 133912
    Location: CAMP PARKS, CA, US

    Web Views: 704
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN