Army Reserve engineers assist National Guard combat teams

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

06.12.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Christopher Oposnow 

318th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

FORT HOOD, Texas - More than a thousand Soldiers from the active duty Army, National Guard and Army Reserve participated in the 2016 Multi-Echelon Integrated Brigade Training here from June 4 - 24.
The Army Reserve 980th Engineering Battalion assisted National Guard brigade combat teams during the annual three-week training exercise.
"We were selected to make defensive fighting positions for the [Mississippi National Guard] 155th Brigade Combat Team," said Staff Sgt. Joe A. Valdez, a heavy equipment operator with the 277th Engineer Company from Camp Bullis near San Antonio, Texas.
Valdez said the defensive fighting positions they made were foxholes, but instead of being for infantry soldiers they were for artillery tanks. The fighting positions protected the tanks by decreasing their visibility.
"We're helping the National Guard train," said Staff Sgt. Dwayne Goodell, a heavy equipment operator with the 277th Eng. Co. "It give our Soldiers a chance to become familiar with their equipment."
Valdez said the 277th Engineer Company used new bulldozers. Soldiers needed to familiarize themselves with the equipment.
"An important part of readiness is guys getting hands-on training," said Valdez. "They need to operate the machinery in this environment instead of sitting in class. This teaches them what they're going to do if they get deployed."
Goodell said terrain provided challenges that forced Soldiers to adapt and overcome challenges. Every operator has a different technique. Valdez said their platoon stepped up to overcome obstacles.
"If the terrain is terrible, it slows down the timeline we have set for ourselves," said Goodell. "If you're the type of operator that wants to go go go, you're going to need to learn to slow down."
"To see how they train, to see how difficult it is and how complex; it also shows the workability in the active component, the reserve, and National Guard from several different states all working to together to make sure we achieve one common goal and that's to defend this great nation" said Col. Trent Kelly, commander, 168th Engineer Brigade."

• Date Taken: 06.12.2016
• Date Posted: 06.14.2016 17:51
• Story ID: 201127
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US
• Hometown: CAMP BULLIS, TX, US