Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Davis | Spc. Brendon Bowlin, 1st Platoon of the 338th Quartermaster Field Service Company,...... read more read more
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JENNINGS COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, Ind. - The Soldier, just having completed a mission, is covered in a crust of salt and walks into a tent to retrieve a bag. He walks out with a smile on his face, grateful for fresh, newly washed uniforms and personal linens.
First Platoon, 338th Quartermaster Field Service Company, provides the laundry and shower service at Camp Jennings, Indiana, to over 600 Soldiers, and those numbers continue to climb.
The 338th is a Indiana Army National Guard Unit based out of Fort Wayne and is currently supporting service members who are part of Vibrant Response 14, a joint-force exercise based out of Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
The quartermasters’ workday starts and ends when most of the camp’s Soldiers are asleep. They inspect their equipment and start operations on their Laundry Advance System (LADS) at 5 a.m. and often continue their laundry service past 10 p.m.
“They went above and beyond, even though we were swamped
with more Soldiers coming in,” said Staff Sgt. Kenneth Germaine, the non-commissioned-officer-in-charge of 1st Platoon. “They stayed late to handle the number of Soldiers [which are] more than what they have ever done before.”
The hundreds of Soldiers at Camp Jennings is the largest group that most of 1st Platoon has ever supported before.
The quartermasters’ primary service is to provide the laundering of service members’ uniforms, garments and linens. First Platoon is using a LADS setup, an extended trailer hauled by a M1088 Medium Tactical Vehicle. The LADS has a fuel tank containing 400 gallons, a generator for power and pressure, and two washing drums. Each drum has the ability to wash and dry 26 laundry bags in a 90 minutes cycle.
The LADS can handle 400 pounds of laundry per cycle and up to 7,200 pounds of laundry during a busy day of service, said Spc. Darrell Brooks, a showers / laundry specialist in 1st Platoon. It is not uncommon for them to pump over 3,000 gallons of water in a single day for the LADS and shower tent.
In just over their first week of service, the quartermasters have completed over 745 individual laundry requests, and some of those require two to three bags per request. Despite the quantity of clothing and requests from Soldiers, these quartermasters have maintained a 24-hour turn-around service.
The quartermasters’ services extend to providing a shower tent for Soldiers as well. A field shower tent resembles the fitting rooms at a clothing store with the exception of the overt green color.
With 20 showerheads in the tent for hundreds of Soldiers at Camp Jennings, it might appear impossible to keep up with the desire for hot water after a long day of training. Soldiers who have utilized the shower tent commented they never ran out of hot water, even when taking a Hollywood shower. Soldiers appreciate when they do not have to rush a shower and can just enjoy it.
The 338th showers use two water pumps and two water heaters to maintain constant pressure and hot water. For safe measure, they have backup systems should there be an equipment failure. Their efforts have helped to improve sanitation and hygiene for the camp.
“We attempt to recycle and dispose of operational byproducts as efficiently as possible,” said 2nd Lt. Philip Shear, 1st Platoon’s leader. “We try to leave the area as it was, if not better.”
The 338th can sustain their operations as long as they have a local water source and sewer connection. They can maintain a continuous service as needed and leave only a minimal footprint of their presence in the area of operation upon completion of their mission.
As Soldiers come and go with their laundry or shower gear, the quartermasters greet them with a quiet professionalism.
“When I see the smiles on Soldiers’ faces who come in and pick up their laundry,” said Brooks. “It makes it a great day when I have done something they appreciate.”
| Date Taken: | 08.03.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2014 19:29 |
| Story ID: | 138163 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, The 338th Quartermasters: Excellence in service, by SFC Christopher Davis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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