Photo By Sgt. Victor Ayala | Staff Sgt. Ronald Brummand, both a civilian and military truck driver, inspects the...... read more read more
BUFFALO, Minn. - The Army Reservist lives a dual life, alternating frequently between the civilian and the military. For many Reservists, there is a marked difference between the skills employed in their civilian and military lives. Other Reservists, however, perform the same duties out of uniform as they do in uniform, and so bring a wealth of expertise to their units that can only be attained by experts who work regularly in a given field. The 353rd Transportation Company, based in Buffalo, Minn., boasts several non-commissioned officers whose experience in the transportation field gives its Soldiers the edge they will need to accomplish a daunting cross-country mission starting July 9.
More than 40 Soldiers with the 353rd will transport 15 military trucks loaded with vehicles and equipment from Buffalo, Minn., to Camp Roberts, Calif., -- a distance of more than 2,000 miles. NCO's and career truck drivers like Staff Sgt. Ronald Brummand and Sgt. Sadadika Johnson will be crucial to making the mission a success. Not only do they drive professionally as civilians, but they have all driven for the military on combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the 353rd's junior Soldiers are young, and have little experience driving trucks outside of weekend drills and annual training events. These junior Soldiers will be looking to their more seasoned leaders for wisdom and guidance in the days to come.
The experience of these NCOs had already come into play days before the start of the mission. For two days preceding their westward trek, the Soldiers of the 353rd loaded and secured vehicles and heavy equipment to flatbed trucks. The company specializes in transporting bulk fuel, which requires different skills and tasks from transporting flatbeds. Staff Sgt. Ronald Brummand, an independent truck driver of thirty years, said such new challenges are good for Soldiers.
"That's exactly how it is deployed. You don't always haul the same thing over and over," said Brummand. "You'll haul fuel and rolling stock. You don't get to decide what you haul. The mission decides."
Sgt. Sadadika Johnson, an Army cargo specialist and UPS delivery driver, said that with some careful training, the Soldiers learned quickly and accomplished their tasks.
"Some of the Soldiers just learned how to secure cargo to a flatbed this morning," Johnson said. "But when they got it, they jumped to action and everybody got everything done. We loaded the trucks, came back safely – which is the most important thing – and everyone enjoyed a great sense of purpose."
In addition to training their Soldiers in technical skills, these NCOs hope to pass on the more intangible qualities they've learned from a life driving for both the civilian and military worlds.
"Mostly, I hope that they come away from this with confidence," Brummand said. "I hope they'll gain the confidence to step up and into my shoes one day. I hope they gain the confidence they need to be better leaders."
NCOs like Johnson and Brummand don't let their experience go to their heads. They instead use it to benefit their Soldiers and the mission. They understand that mastering their work requires facing a variety of new challenges with an open mind and a positive attitude.
"Just cause I know a lot doesn't mean I don't learn from my fellow Soldiers every day. We're all working together to improve," said Brummand.
Brummand and Johnson pass onto their Soldiers an interesting philosophy. As professional civilian drivers, they work alone and must accomplish their work independently. As Soldiers, they must work as a team to accomplish missions and work within strict guidelines and regulations. The result is a training philosophy that emphasizes self-sufficiency and independence while maintaining military discipline, teamwork, and attention to detail.
As the citizen-Soldiers of the 353rd move westward, they can count on their resident transportation experts to provide the guidance needed to make their mission a success.
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.10.2015 00:46 |
| Story ID: | 169601 |
| Location: | ARDEN HILLS, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, NCOs apply real-world expertise to prepare Soldiers for cross-country operation, by SGT Victor Ayala, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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