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Spc. Lee Southby, a truck driver in both the U.S. Army Reserve Command and the civilian world, brought his years of experience to bear during the drive, helping to train young Soldiers and develop their confidence.
His finest hour came when five trucks had to get through a tight turn that would require that the drivers navigate carefully to hit the turns at the right points or risk getting the trucks stuck or damaging the nearby buildings.
“We convoyed recently and parked in a tight spot,” said Southby. “The driver behind me got skittish.”
“We were in a tight area, so we told the driver’s that, if they got stuck, Southby would pull them out,” Sgt. Karla Garcia, a truck driver with the 250th, said. “But once they saw him, they had enough confidence to try themselves.”
“We went over it and the third, fourth, and fifth trucks got in as well.”
Southby also helps with planning and other concerns on long hauls.
“He does this for a living, so when we have doubts, we ask him about routes, changing tires, how long the trucks can go on fuel, lots of stuff,” Garcia said.
While Southby has accrued a lot of hours driving in the civilian world as a lone trucker, he said he prefers convoying with other Army Soldiers and being part of a group.
“I like to get away from the civilian job, socialize, build camaraderie, get that smile on your face in a relaxed setting.”
During annual training, July 8-28, many troops with the 250th conducted training lanes at Camp Roberts while Southby and others were assigned to moving large pieces of a floating causeway known as a roll-on/roll-off discharge facility.
Southby said that this allowed 250th drivers to get more experience driving heavy and cumbersome loads.
“I want most of the younger enlisted to get used to carrying a heavy load,” he said. “They don’t usually carry anything this heavy. It helps them build confidence at the wheels of the trucks.”
The younger drivers were reminded to keep their lights on for safety around civilian drivers, to use their exhaust brakes to increase stopping power and to reduce standard brake wear and tear, and to be careful during the sharp turns to avoid rollovers.
The mission was part of Big Logistics-Over-The-Shore – West, a joint military training exercise designed to reinforce the 1394th Transportation Brigade's ability to rapidly deploy vital combat equipment to an operational environment.
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.22.2017 20:08 |
| Story ID: | 242208 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Army Reserve trucker brings civilian driving skills to bear, by SGT David Nye, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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