Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Hernandez | Capt. Caitlyn Hinterman, a logistics officer from the 364th Expeditionary Sustainment...... read more read more
FORT MCCOY, Wis. - As she sits upright in her chair and busily inputs commands into her computer, Capt. Caitlin Hinterman, logistics officer from the 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) out of Marysville, Washington, looks undeterred by the background chatter from her co-workers.
Hinterman effortlessly interfaces with a program known as Command Post of the Future (CPOF), a software system used by command elements that permits general oversight of various areas of interest and facilitates communication efforts between Soldiers of all ranks.
“I just recently went to (CPOF) school at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and trained for a week,” said Hinterman. “My goal is to get better at CPOF so that I can better support the mission.”
Hinterman’s recent stint at the CPOF school is just one of many accomplishments of her 14-year Army Reserve career. She regales many of the notable aspects of her time in service, starting with her rejection by Marine Corps recruiters before she took the Army Reserve into consideration.
“It was a quick decision to join [the Army] when I was 18,” said the Davison, Michigan, native. “I just walked up to the recruiting station, and two weeks later, I was in the Army."
“I made it up to private first class and was in for about two years as a truck driver,” Hinterman added.
After simultaneously earning her bachelor’s degree and ROTC commission from Central Michigan University in 2004, Hinterman became a transportation officer. Hinterman then deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, between 2007-2008, and also served another deployment in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in 2010-2011.
One of Hinterman’s most remarkable moments of her storied military career occurred this year. In addition to the CPOF school, Hinterman also attended the Aerial Delivery and Materiels Officer Course (ADMOC) between May and June at Fort Lee, Virginia.
“Although I originally started as a transportation corps officer, I went through the Captains’ Career Course and then transferred into logistics,” Hinterman explained. “Luckily for me, it’s a really good school to get into since there is not that many seats available every year.”
Hinterman also clarified that one of the major prerequisites of attending ADMOC is that she had to successfully complete Airborne School first in January 2015, which is a challenging, three-week course that tests the physical and mental fortitude of applicants.
“We pack parachutes, learn how to perform the heavy drop, pack parachutes for Humvees, learn how to set up CDS (Container Delivery System) bundles, learn how to sew patches like the parachute riggers do, and jump out of aircraft with our own parachutes,” said Hinterman, explaining the similarities between the enlisted-only Rigger School and ADMOC. “However, the officer segment of ADMOC entails managing the drops, planning the entire sequence of events, scheduling the aircraft, and dropping the cargo."
“So although I wear the Parachute Rigger Badge, by no means do I know as much as an actual parachute rigger knows,” Hinterman said with a bit of humility. “So it’s quite the honor to be able to go to [ADMOC] and to wear the badge.”
From her personal account of her accomplishments and different skill sets that she had acquired through numerous Army courses she has attended, Hinterman undoubtedly exemplifies the Army Values of loyalty, duty, and personal courage. Hinterman’s exceptional drive and work ethic did not go unnoticed, as one of her commanders subsequently recommended her for Transportation Corps Reserve Officer of the Year.
The mentorship that I received from Col. Kenneth Buck made it possible for me to attain this nomination, Hinterman said.
Although she was officially named the TCROY in July 2015, Hinterman was unable to attend the prestigious ceremony at Fort Lee, Virginia, because of her attendance at ADMOC at the time.
When inquired about who or what she considered to be a source of inspiration for her, Hinterman offered an interesting viewpoint.
“I think everyone that I meet has something that I can pull from them,” Hinterman said. “The dynamic of the people I work with is incredible. I have no idea what they’ve been through, what they’ve experienced, and what they know. It’s amazing to learn something new from every single person.”
Although she is the 364th ESC logistics officer, she is currently filling the role of munitions chief as her unit participates in the 86th Training Division’s Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX) conducted here. The purpose of CSTX is to converge units together in training environments that emulate the experiences and rigors of real-world missions.
Hinterman has been heavily preoccupied with a litany of tasks and duties that highlight her resolve and work ethic.
“It’s been a busy year,” Hinterman acknowledged.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2015 18:44 |
| Story ID: | 173812 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Hometown: | DAVISON, MI, US |
| Web Views: | 523 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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