NTC: Behind the scenes

Photo By Sgt. Edward Lee | Sgt. Brittany Mitchell, Lt. Col. Anita Reyes, Staff. Sgt. Erik Puder, and Sgt. 1st Class Ken Berry work the help desk at the National Training Center June 4, 2017. Mitchell and Puder are with 184th Sustainment Command, Reyes and Berry are with Joint Force Headquarters. (Mississippi National Guard photo by Sgt. Edward Lee, 102d Public Affairs Detachment)  

FORT IRWIN, CA, UNITED STATES

06.04.2017

Story by Sgt. Edward Lee 

102d Public Affairs Detachment

FORT IRWIN, California - Soldiers, guns, tanks, and bullets are out there "in the box", but there are also Soldiers in supporting roles who are crucial for Mississippi's National Training Center rotation to be successful.

Soldiers from the 184th Sustainment Command and Joint Force Headquarters - Mississippi, are integrated into Joint Task Force - Magnolia, providing high-level logistical, technical, and administrative support to the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team.

Staff. Sgt. Erik Puder with 184th Sustainment Command, a signal support systems specialist, oversees the setup and maintenance of communication systems, including the overall network, internet, and messaging systems the joint task force is using..

The JFH assisting 184th during NTC has been a valuable asset because of the knowledge and capabilities they have, said Puder.

There’s importance in what the 184th and JFH do in day-by-day technological operations at NTC to ensure the Soldiers are able to complete their missions.

“It’s extremely important,” said Puder “With [an] ever changing and technically-advancing military, computer systems are what run the battlefield. You have your infantry and Soldiers, and boots on the ground that are doing the dirty work. However, all of that is being choreographed through technology.”

JFH has a significant role in assisting the 184th during NTC.

The role we’re playing here is assisting the 184th with online capabilities to be able to do their job in supporting 155th ABCT, said Lt. Col Anita Reyes.

Sgt. 1st Class Ken Berry, an information technology specialist with JFH, provides customer support to the Soldiers in the field when their computers or accounts have issues. Having personnel at NTC helps JFH fix some issues that they would not be able to fix with a remote link.

“Our help desk wouldn’t have been able to really remote in and fix issues, you needed somebody on hand here,” says Berry. “They don’t have the same permissions that we have, so we can fix issues on the spot.”

The collective partnership of the units have made a stronger cross component training during the NTC rotation that will benefit the Soldiers and their battle staff proficiency as they move forward for future missions.

• Date Taken: 06.04.2017
• Date Posted: 06.05.2017 03:16
• Story ID: 236334
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CA, US
• Hometown: BYRAM, MS, US
• Hometown: FLOWOOD, MS, US
• Hometown: HICKORY FLAT, MS, US