188th Brigade Support Battalion participates in Amphibious Joint Training Exercise

FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

09.18.2015

Courtesy Story

18th Field Artillery Brigade

The 188th Brigade Support Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, participated in Operation Terminal Warrior, a joint training readiness exercise with the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Fort Story and Little Creek, Va., from Aug. 16-26, 2015.

The 188th BSB convoyed from Fort Bragg to Fort Eustis to participate in the exercise designed to develop and sustain the unit’s port and terminal operations, which included performing shipboard and pier-side-cargo load and offload operations.

The training provided a total force exercise and synchronized operations between Active, Reserve and Guard components. The training also served to conduct a forces projection exercise using army watercraft, which included landing craft mechanized, landing craft utility and logistics support vessels.

“Overall the exercise was a success,” said Maj. Keith W. Brown, the battalion support operations officer. “It provided the troops an opportunity to convoy over 500 miles across state lines without any accidents, injuries, or loss of equipment, and gave the battalion the opportunity to perform refuel on the move (ROM) operations with no impact on the environment.”

The exercise drove home the importance of proper preventive maintenance checks and services as well as the importance of standard load plans and maintenance continuity in convoy operations.

Sgt. 1st Class Isaac Reyes-Mejia of the 583rd Forward Support Company was the noncommissioned officer in charge of the convoy to Fort Eustis.

“Vehicle readiness contributed to there being no incidents during the convoy,” said Reyes-Mejia. “This was a great experience for the Soldiers to have a chance to do a long haul mission.”

“We learned that if we prepare with enough time we can accomplish any mission,” added Reyes-Mejia. “Even with multiple units in the area, the mission was carried out and obstacles were overcome.

Staff Sgt. Danyale Bell was the lead truck commander for the 135th Forward Support Company element of the battalion’s convoy to Fort Eustis.

“The younger Soldiers were given a new opportunity to load and unload equipment with the ships and see other Soldiers of their profession in action,” said Bell. “They were motivated, morale was high, and they got to see how things work.”

Lt. Col. Justin Herbermann, the 188th BSB commander, wanted to evaluate his Soldiers’ ability to prepare and carry out the mission in the short period of time that was allotted to them.

“Through this exercise the battalion commander got to assess the unit,” said Brown. “The training built the Soldiers’ confidence in their equipment and their ability to execute a mission of high importance with little planning time. The leadership got to see how quickly we could react to necessity and the time constraints as well as how the staff performed under stress.”

• Date Taken: 09.18.2015
• Date Posted: 09.18.2015 11:56
• Story ID: 176509
• Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US
• Hometown: FORT EUSTIS, VA, US
• Hometown: FORT STORY, VA, US
• Hometown: LITTLE CREEK, VI