Photo By Sgt. Dakota Price | First Sgt. Julius Grant, company first sergeant assigned to the 846th Transportation...... read more read more
LYNCHBURG, Va.—A Soldier focuses intently on the images in his rearview mirror as he carefully backs his Humvee onto an open flatbed trailer, with only a few inches of clearance on either side of the wheels.
As his vehicle inches backwards, the Soldier hears a guiding voice…“Straighten up…wait for him to move…turn just a little more…good, good.” In moments, the Humvee rolls onto the trailer, and stops precisely on the correct spot.
The guiding voice the driver heard came from a Soldier who some call the “Trailer Whisperer.” He is 1st Sgt. Julius Grant, company first sergeant for the 846th Transportation Company, 812th Transportation Battalion, 518th Sustainment Brigade. His guidance and leadership recently helped his Soldiers safely move 25 truckloads of equipment more than 600 miles from Lynchburg, Va., to Fort Drum, N.Y., as part of exercise Nationwide Move 15.
Exercise Nationwide Move 15 is an annual Army Reserve approved functional training exercise designed to provide Reserve Component transportation units with valuable, realistic training, by conducting real-world operations in support of Continental United States (CONUS) activities.
Grant gives his vehicle drivers clear and precise instructions, but rarely raises his voice above normal speaking volume, despite the elevated noise of vehicles and clanking chains. Drivers have to really focus on what he is saying, which is exactly what Grant wants.
“Some NCO’s do a lot of yelling,” said the Charleston, S.C., native, as he carefully monitors a vehicle backing onto a trailer. “But that’s not how I operate.”
He explains that yelling just turns people off, but by talking quietly, people really have to pay attention and focus on what he is saying. As far as the “Trailer Whisperer” nickname goes, Grant finds it humorous. “I don’t know who started calling it that, but it definitely wasn’t me.”
Spc. Courtney Mills, a motor transport operator who has been assigned to the 846th Trans. Co. for nine years, particularly appreciates Grant’s moderate approach to leading the company.
“He’s everything that’s in the NCO Creed,” said Mills. “He leads by example, listens to his Soldier’s input but still doesn’t raise his voice when you’re in trouble.”
Sgt. Brandon Reynolds, a team leader and motor transport operator for the 846th Trans. Co. recalls when Grant came to him personally when he heard he wanted to leave the company.
“He said the unit needed me, that I had a lot to offer and that I could be an example,” said Reynolds. “But he also said he would support my decision if I thought it was best... I stayed with the unit.”
Morale in the unit appears quite high as Soldiers recently worked quickly and efficiently moving trailers, trucks, Humvees, chains, safety equipment and paperwork. Grant looked on with satisfaction, only quietly stepping in to say a word here and there. He strives to be unobtrusive and let the Soldiers do their work with as little interference as possible.
“Our mission is going very well,” said Grant. “We’re ahead of schedule, and we’ve got mechanics ready to jump in if anything breaks down. We have nothing to complain about.”
There are a lot of moving parts, but Grant says his unit’s part in NWM 15 has been running like “a fine tuned clock.”
The Soldiers are still working when the “Trailer Whisperer” walks over to one of the vehicle drivers, who leans close to hear him over all the rumbling engines and ratcheting chains. With the “Trailer Whisperer” leading the mission, the Soldiers of the 846th Trans. Company, can rest assured their mission will be both safe and successful.
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2015 11:15 |
| Story ID: | 165467 |
| Location: | LYNCHBURG, VA, US |
| Hometown: | CHARLESTON, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 'The Trailer Whisperer' helps Reserve Soldiers move equipment safely, by SGT Dakota Price, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT