A different kind of party

Photo By Sgt. Eunice Alicea Valentin | Army Maj. Phil McGonagill (center) administrative officer with the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 371st Sustainment Brigade, Ohio Army National Guard, conducts a sand table drill with brigade staff members, June 9, during annual training at Camp Grayling, Mich. The drill, a tool used to rehearse operations, is covering the unit's march onto FOB Sustainer, a simulated forward operating base where the troops will conduct the majority of their training over the next few weeks.  

UNITED STATES

06.09.2008

Courtesy Story

Ohio National Guard Public Affairs

By Spc. Zachary R. Fehrman
Ohio National Guard

CAMP GRAYLING, Mich.— Like a government issue party to clean barracks, the quartering party at Forward Operating Base Sustainer during Annual Training 2008 is far from the average party.

A small group of Soldiers from the 237th Personnel Services Battalion began unloading the ropes, pegs and tents, June 9, that would become their forward operating base for the duration of annual training.

Before the main body of Soldiers could move out to the FOB from the barracks on Camp Grayling, quartering parties from all the participating units spent the day making a temporary home.

"The quartering party is designed to set up the FOB to accept the main body to speed up operational readiness," said Master Sgt. Donald E. French, non-commissioned officer in charge of the advanced party to FOB Sustainer. "This FOB would be closer to what they had in country (Iraq) early on; it's much more rustic."

Soldiers from the 237th spent the day pounding pegs into the ground to support their new barracks and work areas.

"Basically, we set up the area of operations where our Soldiers will sleep, eat and work," said Sgt. Michael Brown, a section leader with the 237th.

FOB Sustainer gives Soldiers at annual training the opportunity to experience how operations would be carried out in the desert, Brown said. "Our job is to keep track of all the Soldiers on the ground here at annual training this year."

"The quartering party is the second element into a tactical area," said Capt. Brian Pfeffer, 237th PSB executive officer. "We do this tactically because in theatre we would follow the combat element to set up the FOB and perform the site recon and select the area of operations."

After a long, hard day preparing the FOB for their comrades, the quartering party mounted their Humvees and returned to their barracks to spend one last night before joining the main element moving back out to FOB Sustainer for the remainder of annual training.

• Date Taken: 06.09.2008
• Date Posted: 06.10.2008 11:19
• Story ID: 20311
• Location: US