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JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Guardsmen from the Grand Canyon State left behind their desert sand and saguaro cactus for 15-days to train in The Last Frontier.
Arizona Army National Guard’s 3666th Support Maintenance Company, in Phoenix, escaped a record-breaking heat wave during their annual training June 18 – July 02. The 3666th traveled to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, to help the Alaska National Guard inspect, service and move equipment; displaying the Arizona Guard’s ability to provide assistance throughout the United States and abroad.
“The Soldiers of the 3666th SMC did an amazing job this annual training,” said Capt. Jamie North, company commander for 3666th SMC.
North said the unit accomplished their missions, completing approximately 950 work orders, put in over 1,000 direct man hours and more than 1,000 indirect man hours.
The 3666th brought 83 Guardsmen to Alaska who possessed a variety of special skillsets and who could work on small-arms, electronics, optics, vehicles, equipment as well as weld, machine and cook.
This is the second time the unit has had an opportunity to conduct annual training in Alaska, the first being in 2014.
North said the 3666th was invited back to assist the Alaska Guard again.
“This year we’re going through a transformation,” said Lt. Col James M. Palembas, the logistics officer for the Alaska National Guard.
The Alaska National Guard is deactivating the 297th battlefield surveillance brigade and standing up an infantry battalion and regional support group, he said.
The small size of the Alaska Guard’s fulltime workforce makes the transformation of a battlefield surveillance brigade a daunting task.
“This surge of maintenance from the Arizona National Guard has helped out quite a bit,” Palembas said. “Especially in electronics and armament. It’s really been a big work load for us.”
During it’s annual training, the 3666th SMC’s small-arms repairers and computer/detection repairers inspected and serviced approximately 1,500 weapons and nearly 500 night vision devices, traveling from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Fort Greely, Alaska and Fairbanks, Alaska to complete their mission.
The small-arms repairers also were assigned a mission to inspect and gauge weapons for the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment.
“I liked that we were able to work with both the Alaska National Guard and active duty Army,” said Sgt. Rachel Mick, a small-arms repairer with the 3666th.
Mick said the small-arms repairers were able to cross-train their armorer while it inspected and gauged weapons.
The 3666th helped the Alaska National Guard in other missions as well.
The Alaska Guard was requested to loan vehicles to Iowa National Guard who is participating in a United States Army Pacific exercise called Arctic Anvil this summer, Palembas said.
Arizona’s 3666th helped with that request by supplying wheeled vehicle mechanics who completed preventative maintenance checks and services on numerous vehicles and trailers of which, 18 vehicles and 14 trailers where driven by the Guardsmen 352 miles from Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson to Fort Wainwright.
Guardsmen from the 3666th enjoyed the opportunity to get out of Arizona and step out of a training environment.
“I liked that we had an actual mission,” Mick said. “It was nice we got to use our job skills”
The Alaska Guard appreciated the 3666th’s performance during their annual training.
Palembas said the Arizona National Guard did an outstanding job.
“It’s been a true blessing having those guys up here,” he said. “They definitely paved the way for us to get this transformation done.”
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2016 18:08 |
| Story ID: | 203048 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 165 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Small AZ ARNG unit provides large impact on Alaska Guard, by Brian Barbour, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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