Photo By Brian Godette | U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers take part in airborne operations with active duty Soldiers...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - If you looked at the group of Soldiers conducting pre-flight safety procedures and airborne safety operations, it'd be hard to tell whose an active duty Soldier and who is Reserve.
What was clear to see was a group of Soldiers, all wearing the “Sky Dragons” insignia on their uniforms, the the official unit patch of the XVIII Airborne Corps, as they prepared for airborne operations at Pope Army Airfield, June 2.
Some of those Soldiers just happened to be Army Reserve Soldiers.
The Chief of Staff of the Army directed the General Officer Headquarters, corps division, to take a 25% staff reduction. In order to maintain some of the same capabilities, a test pilot program involving the 18th Airborne Corps and the 101st Airborne Division was established utilizing Army Reserve Soldiers to maintain those capabilities.The change started March 16, 2015 and the corps transitioned to a multi-component unit with 650 active duty positions and 56 Army Reserve positions.
“The corps lost 100 active duty Soldiers and we gained 56 Army Reserve positions, and we currently have 23 of those 56 positions assigned,” said Sgt. Maj. Peter Sabo, 18th Airborne Corps, Army Engagement Team.
Although over a decade of war has partnered the two components together before, the new program integrates the Army Reserve Soldiers in a different way.
“This is a little bit different than your traditional Army Reserve unit because they are assigned to the Corps, they are integrated into the corps staff, and they are not a separate stand alone unit,” he added.
With induction into the Corps of “Sky Dragons” comes some time in the sky.
“Part of the integration for those Soldiers that came here already Airborne qualified, we did a basic airborne refresher and new equipment training for the T-11 parachute,” said Sabo. “We are doing an airborne operation with those Soldiers, and for some of them it's their first time jumping in over 10 years.”
“The idea is not only for staff integration to do the mission, but also when it comes to airborne operations and other tactical training that the Corps is going to conduct,” Sabo added.
The Reserve Soldiers will do their 24 days of battle assemblies and their 29 days of annual training, not too exceed 53 days, while integrated into the Corps, unless the Soldier volunteers for that extra training.
“Because we are not doing traditional battle assemblies, most of the training will occur during the week, so we are combining battle assemblies quarterly almost, and depending on the training, it will be more on when the units need the Soldiers,” said Sabo.
The opportunity for Reserve Soldiers to train with the Corps garnered the attention of Soldiers from across the country.
Spc. Seferino Villagomez, a military mechanic from Los Angeles, jumped at the chance to go airborne and train in an active duty environment.
“The training here is great, and more hands on then my previous experience. You feel better knowing that when you deploy, you know your MOS [military occupational specialty],” Villagomez said.
Spc. Rebeka Coughlin, also a military mechanic, traveling from Maryland for the opportunity to train and go airborne with the Corps, was impressed with the amount of information she was able to receive in the limited time frame.
“Just the two months I've been training with them, I've learned so much. I learned what I'm supposed to know,” Coughlin said. “They know our experience and they have been very patient with us.”
In March, the 18th ABN Corps conducted their first initial training where they brought in 13 TPU (troop program unit) Army Reserve Soldiers for a baseline in-processing.
“They did a diagnostic APFT, they did a 4-mile ruck march, they did weapons qualification, in-processed, and all within a four day period,” said Sabo.
“All the feedback we've received so far from the different staff sections is that the Soldiers have come in highly motivated, well trained, and easy to integrate,” Sabo said.
While most of the Reserve Soldiers participating in the program joined for varying reasons, many attributed the interest to the challenge.
“I volunteered to come here, it was the challenge. Two weeks later I got a phone call saying I was a part of the 18th Airborne Corps,” said Sgt. 1st Class Eric Stafford.
“Speaking with some of the junior Soldiers that are coming in, some of them expressed some concerns but what ultimately made them do it is they wanted the challenge as well,” said Stafford. “Everything that they need to be doing to be here, they're doing, they're really stepping up on the physical and mental requirements.”
The active duty Soldiers also rose to the occasion, integrating the Reserve Soldiers into the unit, but also working with the shorter time frame to fully train them.
“It is a little bit of a cultural change within the Corps. For seven years it's been all active duty, and now having Reserve Soldiers, some sections are trying to figure out how do we best use these Soldiers for just 53 days a year,” Sabo said.
A task that leadership from the two components are working on together.
“The leadership have been phenomenal with integrating me and my team into the Corps, a painless process because we've had support from the top,” Stafford said.
The active duty force is shrinking, therefore the Army Reserve is going to be looked upon to help them and maintain that same level of capability, according to Sabo.
“That was exactly why we went to those multi-component units with the 18th ABN Corps and the 101st ABN DIV, to show we can reduce the active duty footprint but maintain that same level to perform the mission that America calls on us to do,” Sabo said.
| Date Taken: | 06.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2015 15:36 |
| Story ID: | 166686 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 1,533 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Active duty and U.S. Army Reserve: XVIII Airborne Corps becomes multi-component force, by Brian Godette, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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