Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Felix Fimbres | Soldiers with the 143rd, 310th, and 311th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) practice...... read more read more
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ALAMEDA, Calif. - Army Reserve soldiers from the 143rd, 310th, and 311th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) have fully integrated with each other to simulate providing disaster relief to the Bay Area as part of their annual training starting July 21, 2014, at the Port of Alameda.
"We're working in a port that could be used in a national emergency; working on the ships that could be involved and that makes it very realistic," said 1st Lt. Douglas Miller, commander of the 711th Sea Port Operations company located in Vallejo, California. "We have been able to coordinate with the 489th transportation company to bring units from both sides of the country and put them together for this operation. We've mixed them all together into the different platoons so it’s just one company."
One of the three operations being conducted simultaneously is known as roll-on roll-off. The soldiers are practicing getting Army vehicles on and off the USS Orlando, a ready reserve cargo ship. Once the vehicles have been driven into the ship the soldier’s practice maximizing space and securing the vehicles to the vessel for safe transport; later the soldiers offload the vehicles. The vehicles would then be used to distribute supplies and transport personnel said Miller.
Sgt. David Hue, a cargo specialist for the past 10 years and a distribution supervisor with Safeway, is in charge of the operation and said the crew has been adapting to the real world scenario well and integration of the units has been great.
"My civilian job has taught me valuable skills in helping me make the crew efficient, enhanced my managerial skills and helps me keep everyone on the same page so soldiers don't fall behind in the training," said Hue, "We have had challenges like finding the right equipment aboard the ship, we haven't been on this ship before, but the civilian personnel and Lt. Douglas Miller have been a big help."
"I've been helping with technical expertise; as a merchant mariner I have worked on these ships before in my civilian job. I’ve been helping them find the gear they need and just being a point contact," said Lt. Peter Spencer, a Navy Reserve officer and a Merchant Marine, "They're learning and figuring things out; but it's also been a good experience for me to see how the Army handles these types of operations."
Cpl. Erin Bridges, of Benicia, California and recent winner of the 311th's Best Warrior completion, said that the experience and the training has been great.
"Nothing happens until something moves. You can have a great fighting force but if it’s not moved, fed, or supplied it's not doing anything," said Bridges who has been overseeing the entire operation aboard the crane ship the Gem State; which conducts load-on load-off operations, "We keep track of all the moving pieces."
Spc. Damanjeet Gidda, a UC Berkley graduate, said that he's done training with the movement control team but this training is putting it all together for him.
"We don't normally get the opportunity to actually move and track this amount of equipment," said Gidda, "We're getting the opportunity to see equipment and material move from one platoon to another."
The soldiers have also had the unique opportunity to live aboard the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier and museum, which is docked at the Port of Alameda. Miller said the quarters are the same as they always where so living space is limited but his soldiers have enjoyed being able to experience the history of the ship during the mission.
The operation at the port of Alameda is part of another simultaneous disaster simulation in Camp Parks, California.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2014 17:20 |
| Story ID: | 138150 |
| Location: | ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | BENICIA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 204 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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